Geranium is one of the most popular plants, which can often be seen on window sills.
Delicate flowers and fragrant fragrance attracts many flower lovers. But many hostesses do not know how to feed the geranium so that it blooms magnificently and for a long time.
To do this, you need to know not only the rules of care, but also what nutrients the plant needs, as well as the better to fertilize it. For what and how to fertilize, we will tell in this article.
Watering rules
The mode of watering geraniums depends on the season. In summer, when the air temperature is high, the plant should be watered frequently and plentifully. It is necessary to constantly monitor the earthen ball in a pot, it should not dry out completely.
But at the same time to transfuse the plant is not worth it, if the moisture stagnates, it will lead to rotting of the roots and it can die. Watering is done from 1 to 3 times a week - this is optimal for geranium.
Watch the plant carefully, if gray spots, mold appeared on the leaves, the stem began to turn black, it indicates overflow or stagnation of moisture on the bottom of the pot. Experts advise after watering to drain the water from the pallet, so that the earthy ball does not turn sour.
But also lack of moisture adversely affects the health of geraniums - leaves become pale, drooping, and flowering scarce. According to earthmen one can understand when geranium needs watering, since in summer it can dry out every day or every other day.
As for the winter period, at this time geranium, like other plants, has a dormant period, so watering is reduced to a minimum - 1 time in 10 days.
If indoor geranium is constantly over-moistened in winter, the plant may die from root rot.
What is a top dressing and why is it needed?
Top dressing is the application of mineral and organic fertilizers to the soil.that help the plant grow and develop well. It is especially necessary to systematically introduce fertilizers if the plant grows in a pot, since the plant cannot obtain nutrients from natural sources.
As for geranium, it needs a lot of nutrients, especially during the active growing season, as the plant spends a lot of vitality on flowering, which needs to be restored.
Types of feeding
Top dressing can be root and foliar, mineral and organic. In addition, there are substances that can be bought in the store and folk remedies, which are often fed by experienced gardeners. What kind of fertilizer is better?
Folk remedies
Consider the most common recipes for feeding geraniums:
Onion Husk. Pour 30 g of husk with 2.5 liters of boiling water, leave for 2 hours. As soon as the infusion is ready it is filtered and used for watering geraniums. Infusion of onion peel contains a large number of trace elements that contribute to good growth of the plant and its rapid flowering.
Yeast.100 grams of yeast is poured with 1 liter of warm water, mix well until completely dissolved. Apply immediately after preparation. Top dressing with yeast is very useful in spring and summer, when geranium is actively growing.But if the leaves begin to turn yellow and dry, while caring for the plant is good, then, most likely, you have overfed the geranium with nitrogen fertilizers, so you need to change the nitrogen fertilizing or give up on them altogether.
Milk.100 grams of milk diluted in 1 liter of water. Geranium is poured over this solution to compensate for the lack of calcium, which is necessary for the plant to develop a good root system. You can alternate watering 1 time with milk, 1 time with water.
AshThis is a natural source of potassium, which is necessary for a plant for rapid and long-term growth. Ash can be applied dry, poured into a pot or mixed with the ground. But you can make ashes in diluted form, for this: pour 2 tablespoons of ash with a liter of water, mix. Geranium is watered with this solution once every 2 weeks.
Orange peel infusionThis composition is excellent for feeding geraniums at home. Due to the large number of trace elements, the infusion helps the plant to lay a lot of buds, which contributes to rapid flowering. For the composition, take crusts from 2 oranges and insist 24 hours in a liter of water.
Sugar.Geran sweet tooth, so it can be safely fed sugar solution. Dilute in 1 liter of water 2 tbsp. spoons of sugar.To feed supplemented, it is better used in conjunction with any EM-drug.
Eggshell. It can be used as a drainage, laying on the bottom of the pot. In addition, you can prepare an infusion for watering, this dressing will help fill the calcium deficiency.
Sleeping teaApply to strengthen the roots of geraniums. The tea should be dried and mixed with the top layer of soil in the pot. After that, with each watering nutrients will flow to the roots.
Water from the aquariumApply in the period of active growth of geranium from the beginning of spring to the middle of July. The high content of humus in aquarium water has a positive effect on the growth and development of the plant. Watered once a month and a half.
Onion Husk. Pour 30 g of husk with 2.5 liters of boiling water, leave for 2 hours. As soon as the infusion is ready it is filtered and used for watering geraniums. Infusion of onion peel contains a large number of trace elements that contribute to good growth of the plant and its rapid flowering.
Yeast.100 grams of yeast is poured with 1 liter of warm water, mix well until completely dissolved. Apply immediately after preparation. Top dressing with yeast is very useful in spring and summer, when geranium is actively growing.
Milk.100 grams of milk diluted in 1 liter of water. Geranium is poured over this solution to compensate for the lack of calcium, which is necessary for the plant to develop a good root system. You can alternate watering 1 time with milk, 1 time with water.
AshThis is a natural source of potassium, which is necessary for a plant for rapid and long-term growth. Ash can be applied dry, poured into a pot or mixed with the ground. But you can make ashes in diluted form, for this: pour 2 tablespoons of ash with a liter of water, mix. Geranium is watered with this solution once every 2 weeks.
Orange peel infusionThis composition is excellent for feeding geraniums at home. Due to the large number of trace elements, the infusion helps the plant to lay a lot of buds, which contributes to rapid flowering. For the composition, take crusts from 2 oranges and insist 24 hours in a liter of water.
Sugar.Geran sweet tooth, so it can be safely fed sugar solution. Dilute in 1 liter of water 2 tbsp. spoons of sugar.
Eggshell. It can be used as a drainage, laying on the bottom of the pot. In addition, you can prepare an infusion for watering, this dressing will help fill the calcium deficiency.
Sleeping teaApply to strengthen the roots of geraniums. The tea should be dried and mixed with the top layer of soil in the pot. After that, with each watering nutrients will flow to the roots.
Water from the aquariumApply in the period of active growth of geranium from the beginning of spring to the middle of July. The high content of humus in aquarium water has a positive effect on the growth and development of the plant. Watered once a month and a half.Pros of folk remedies:
- availability - every hostess has in daily use;
- naturalness and ecological purity;
- ease of use;
- not worth much money.
Disadvantages - not always effective and contain a small amount of nutrients.
Funds for sale
At the moment, in the flower shops sell a huge amount of various fertilizers in any composition. If you do not know how to feed the geranium, contact the seller who will advise you and offer the best fertilizer. You can buy a universal dressing for flowering plants.
Before buying, pay attention to the mixture, which should include the following trace elements and minerals:
- copper;
- zinc;
- nitrogen;
- potassium;
- phosphorus;
- boron;
- calcium;
- iron.
When purchasing feeding, pay attention to the composition and form of release.
Mineral Fertilizer Benefits:
- well-chosen complex for geraniums;
- can be purchased both in granules and in liquid form;
- just apply, following the recommendations on the package;
- quick action
Disadvantages: you have to spend money on the purchase, overdose can destroy the plant.
For what and how to fertilize?
Top dressing promotes good growth and vigorous floweringtherefore, it is worth carrying it out constantly, especially during the active growing season. Consider simple, but effective ways that will help to get from the geranium large and bright buds.
Iodine
Violent flowering can cause ordinary iodine, which is in any medicine cabinet. To feed a plant with this drug is simple, but the results will be excellent, and you can notice it after the second watering.
How to pour iodine:
- The flower is pre-watered.
- Prepare a solution. For 1 liter of water take 1 drop of solution, in addition, you can add 1 ml of peroxide.
- Pour in small portions, making sure that the solution does not get on the leaves and roots, that is, on the edge of the pot. For one application, it is enough to take 50 grams.
Top dressing is carried out 1 time in 21 days, frequent use can cause root burn. The first watering is done in May, the last in September.
Manure
Organic fertilizers should be applied once every three years - this is enough for geranium. It is worth noting that organic fertilizers can both help the plant to bloom rapidly and destroy it. It is strictly forbidden to use fresh manure, it should be sour.
The solution is prepared as follows:
- Chicken droppings, peroxide - 1 liter for 2 buckets of water.
- Cow manure, peroxide - 1 liter per 10 liters of water.
When feeding the geranium, it is better to give preference to the second option, since cow dung is considered softer and more gentle.
Vitamins
A great way to feed the geranium, for lush flowering, is the usual vitamins that can be bought at the pharmacy. This is a budget version of fertilizer application in a plant pot. Stock up on B vitamins.
It is necessary to start fertilizing with vitamins in June, with 1 ampoule of vitamins being poured into 2 liters of water and watering the plant abundantly. Apply 1 time in 21 days, while watered with different vitamins. This dressing helps to improve the immunity of geraniums.
Nitrogen - relevant only in spring, when pruned or transplanted. With nitrogen, you need to be very careful, because its oversupply can be harmful - geranium will begin to increase the green mass, while not blooming.
Consequences of improper fertilization
It should be understood that a surplus of fertilizers is just as harmful for the plant as their lack. Therefore, it is necessary to apply top dressing no more than once every three weeks.
If fertilizers are used improperly, the roots can be damaged and the geranium will start to hurt or die.
Whatever feedings you use for geraniums, you need to keep in mind: the lack of useful elements is also detrimental to the plant, as well as their excess. Only by observing specific dosages when applying fertilizers can you achieve a result - an increase, formation, vigorous flowering and good geranium survival.
