Unpretentious Himalayan geranium "Plenum": how to properly care for it?

We all know and love this rather unpretentious flower - geranium. It has hundreds of species and varieties, and now we will talk about a garden version of geranium, that is, one that can grow in open ground. Himalayan geranium "Plenum" is an ornamental plant that needs a minimum of care.

Beautiful terry inflorescences of an unusual lilac-bluish hue with red veins are similar in shape to the original roses. The flower loves sunny color, is frost-resistant. This type of geranium will become an adornment of any garden. These perennial beauties have long been considered insufficiently bright and spectacular, their finest hour came only at the beginning of the XXI century.

Dozens of varieties were added to the natural beauty of species by the efforts of breeders, who conquered the hearts of gardeners - both professionals and amateurs - with their beauty.

Botanical Description and History

England is recognized as the homeland of the plant. It was there that the first and main varieties were bred. Following the British, the Dutch engaged in the cultivation of geraniums, which helped the spread of this plant throughout the world.

Geranium "Plenum" is also called Himalayan, in nature it can be found in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. This meadow plant was used in cultural plantings in the second half of the 19th century. This variety of geraniums is a fast-growing perennial and is used as a groundcover.

Appearance

Perennial plant reaches a height of up to 40 cm. Since the plant hibernates on the street, it differs from other species with a longer and thicker diameter (up to 1.5 centimeters), a root that branches on the surface of the soil. Due to the growing root, the flower forms a dense, closed shoot.

From the root there are rosettes of basal foliage on large petioles up to 20 cm. The leaves are oval and divided into 5-7 parts, coarse toothed at the edges, bright green.

The stems rise 10 cm above the foliage. On peduncles, umbrella-shaped, there are inflorescences of purple or red, with a diameter of up to 3 cm.

Popular varieties

There are several varieties of garden geranium "Plenum":

1. "Gravetye" - the plant has bluish, in the center a little purple, flowers.

   

2. "Jonson's Blue" - a variety of geranium, which is most often cultivated in Europe. It is characterized by long flowering. Beautiful lilac-blue, bright, and lushly blossoming inflorescences. The height of the flower is 40-60 cm, it begins to bloom very early, when cutting off faded inflorescences, it can release flowers again.

   

3. "Plenum" - a variety of geraniums with terry inflorescences.

   

Where and how to plant it: rules, tips, instructions

In order to grow a bright geranium, you need to be very well prepared. It is necessary to correctly choose a seedling and a place for planting.

You can grow the seedling for planting yourself using seeds or by dividing the root, and you can also buy an already grown plant in special stores. When buying such a plant, carefully inspect the rhizome, it should be solid, without visible deformations. Before planting geraniums in the garden, store it in a cool place in a container with peat.

You can buy a flower with roots and processes with leaves. Then it must be stored in a container with earth. You can buy geranium in a pot, then there will be no problems with planting it in the garden.

When choosing plant seedlings, you need to take into account the place where the flower will be planted later. The highest plants are best planted in flower beds and flower beds, and small ones along paths and borders.

Plant a plant in a flower bed or in a flower garden, best in late May. A few days before the planting of geraniums, the soil must be prepared. Then, on the prepared site, it is necessary to make pits for disembarkation. The depth of the hole should be 20 cm greater than the length of the roots of the plant.

If several flowers are to be planted, the distance between the pits should be at least 25 cm. Drainage should be put at the bottom of the hole so that water does not stagnate at the rhizome.

Broken bricks, small stones or gravel can serve as drainage. For drainage you need to pour a hill of soil, which is mixed with peat and sand. Then, place the root of the flower, and carefully cover it with sand.

After planting, geraniums need to be well watered. It is also important to loosen the soil after irrigation and mulch it near the flower, thereby preserving it from drying out. Mulch can be peat or sawdust tree.

Lighting and location

Geranium "Planum" loves to grow in places where there is enough sunny color. In this case, you need to plant it so that sometimes the geranium is in a small partial shade. It is important to select a site on a small hill, because the flower does not like if groundwater passes nearby.

Select a place, based on the purchased variety of geraniums. High varieties can be planted along with other plants in flower beds and flower beds. Small plants, whose height is not more than 15 cm, are perfect for gazebos, tubs and for the design of paths.

Soil requirements

There are no special requirements for the soil, but in order to obtain bright and numerous flowering, it is better to plant geraniums on fertile and nutritious soil. The main thing is that the soil is drained and there is the possibility of access of air and moisture to the plant.

Before landing, you need to dig the site well, tentatively on two bayonet shovels. In the process of preparation, you need to add peat and manure to the ground.

How to care?

Basic care for geraniums includes pest and disease control.

Geranium diseases include:

• Bacterial rot. This disease occurs due to illiterate care. Symptoms of the disease are the appearance of brown spots on the foliage and stem of the flower. To combat the disease, you need to remove the diseased plants from the flower garden, and the remaining ones should be treated with special compounds that can be purchased at the store.
• Tomato drying. With this disease, round spots appear on the foliage of geranium. Chemical solutions are used to treat the flower. If the flower is severely affected, it is better to dig and burn it, and process the place where it grew.

Also, the plant is attacked by various garden parasites:

1. Aphid. To combat it, it is necessary to treat the foliage with special preparations or a soap solution.
2. Whitefly Only a specialized drug that can be bought in a store will save from this parasite.
3. Caterpillar. They are best collected regularly with your hands.

Geranium belongs to not very whimsical flowers, but for its full development and good flowering, you need to give it the necessary attention.

Geranium loves moderate, but constant watering, especially in the first months after planting, when it needs a lot of strength for rooting. The number of irrigation increases in the dry season. If the geranium leaves begin to dry, then this means that the flower does not have enough moisture.

In order to reduce the number of cultivations, it is possible to plant ground cover flowers between plants. Geraniums need loose and light soil, so after watering it needs to be loosened. It is also necessary to periodically pour mulch, which will retain moisture.

To plant, it will be enough to add peat to the pits during planting. It is allowed to feed the flower with mineral fertilizers. It is best to do this while typing geranium color.

It is necessary to regularly trim dried flowers and leaves on the plant, this will extend the flowering period. Foliage for the winter can not be pruned, as geranium tolerates frosts well.

Propagation Features

Geranium "Plenum" can be propagated by seeds, cuttings and division of the bush. Also, the plant can spread over the site by self-sowing, which creates a not very well-groomed look in the country.

Reproduction by seeds is a type of reproduction that requires a lot of time and effort. With its use, most often the flower loses its varietal properties. This breeding is used in their work by breeders.

It is advised to sow fresh seeds, as over time, they may lose their freshness, which will affect seedlings. The main thing is to collect ripened seeds from the flower in time. You can sow seeds directly into the ground at the end of summer or before winter.

If the seeds are bought in a store, then they need to be sown in April. It is best to sow the seeds first in pots or special containers, and after the emergence of the plant transplant it into the ground.

Dividing the root is the most popular and easiest method of propagation; it makes it possible not only to breed flowers, but also to renew old plants. You can divide the roots in early spring and at the end of summer. It is best to divide the rhizomes in August, as this will do the least harm to the plant.

You need to dig a flower and carefully examine all of its buds. The development of young bushes depends on their condition. The kidneys must be strong, without rot and drying. You should also gently shake the flower, so that excess earth crumbles from the rhizome. Then, with a sharp knife, divide the root of the adult flower into several parts. It is necessary to save a kidney on each piece for reproduction. After this, it is necessary to prepare the holes, as for planting a flower, and plant divided bushes in them.

If we consider the cuttings, then it is not suitable for all varieties of geranium. To propagate the flower, you need to cut off several processes with foliage in an adult geranium, and then put the cuttings in a container of water and leave in a sunny place. After a few weeks, the cuttings will give roots. Only then can they be transplanted into pots or into the ground.

Geranium "Plenum" is a beautiful garden flower, which is often used by landscape designers. To get a healthy and beautiful plant, you need to follow the rules of planting and care, then the gardener will get an excellent result.

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