Geranium, also known as pelargonium, is very popular due to its long flowering and unpretentious care. But special attention deserves a tulip geranium, the flowering of which can not leave anyone indifferent.
Flowers geranium tulip-shaped
Pelargonium varieties tulip-like differs from other species of flowers, very similar to non-opening tulips. Flowers are not large, the glass barely reaches a centimeter in height. One flower would look awkward, but on each stalk of the plant there is an inflorescence with a lot of tulips (30-50 pieces), and it looks like one great stunning bouquet of flowers.
Inflorescences come in different shades, from gently pink to deep burgundy. Castings also differ from most varieties, they are shiny and tough. The height of the plant, subject to the rules of care and trimming, ranges from 30 to 70 centimeters. There are several most common varieties of tulip geraniums:
- fragrant;
- royal;
- zonal;
- flaky;
- unique;
- angel.
Geranium tulip - home care
Externally, the tulip-shaped pelargonium is very different from most other species of this plant, but taking care of it at home will not just cause you any trouble. There are rules that are important to observe, so that the plant itself feels as comfortable as possible:
- The soil. It is better to take the ready-made universal mixture. But, as an option, you can type the usual garden, mix with peat in the same ratio, add sand, and in such soil the plant will be very comfortable. To avoid decaying roots, it is better to make drainage.
- Lighting. Geranium needs a bright light, but scattered - bright sun rays burn leaves.
- Temperature. Geranium does not like sharp temperature changes. The optimum regime for it is + 21-26 ° C in the summer and + 14-16 ° C in winter.
How to water a geranium?
This plant loves water and moisture, drought for it is fatal, but in the winter season and excessive watering can damage the flower. How often to water a geranium in a pot depends on the season. In the summer, it needs moistening of the soil every other day, in winter - about once a week. If the bottom leaves have brown spots, then your tulip geranium lacks moisture.
Do not forget about such an important moment in flower care, as a top dressing. It is carried out in summer and autumn 1-2 times a month with liquid fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium. Do not overdo with top dressing - if there are too many nutrients, the plant will go into growth, and the flowering will go to the background.
Pruning geraniums
Geranium tulip-like requires care in the very beginning of spring - the formation of the bush. The fact is that if you let her grow up freely, then most likely it will be two or three long stems with a few leaves and an inflorescence on each. It's a little not what we would like. To form a lush bush, it is important to trim the geranium in early March after a rest period.
To prune a plant, we need a disinfected tool - secateurs or a sharp knife. Scissors in this case will not work - they can deform the stem when squeezed. Cut long stems so that there are at least five kidneys left on each. In order not to rot, the places of cuts must be treated with charcoal, and the flower itself should be fed.
How to propagate tulip geranium?
There is nothing easier than the reproduction of geraniums . Do not rush out the shoots cut off during the formation of the crown - they can easily become cuttings. To do this, we place a shoot into the rooting fluid, so that the process exits the roots. In the absence of such, you can use ordinary clean water, but in this case the process can take a week or more.
When you see the roots, you can take out the stalk and plant it in the ground. Planting the process of geranium tulip-shaped is done in the most usual way - a small pot is taken, drainage is applied, a layer of soil, then we put the stalk in the pot, sprinkled with earth, gently tamped with fingers and watered. We put the plant in a warm place without drafts and with good lighting. With proper care, the plant will survive.
How to grow a tulip geranium from seeds?
If you decide to experiment and first grow an indoor flower from seeds, you will most likely get it with a tulip geranium. The difficulty in breeding tulip-shaped pelargonium, perhaps, is only to find good and quality seeds. For planting, we will prepare a good soil, a convenient container (it is better not to take a flower pot, but a plastic soup, having previously made a hole for drainage), and also a transparent plastic bag or food film.
The great news is that the seeds are prepared for planting by soaking, etc. do not need - put each seed on the ground, lightly sprinkled with soil and sprayed with a spray gun. Next, the container is covered with a bag or film and placed in a well-lit place. In 5-6 days, the first shoots will appear, and in 10 days all the shoots will arise.
Grow very young plants very quickly, and when each of them appeared at least four leaves, you can transplant them into separate pots. To do this, we need small flowerpots with a diameter of 8-10 cm. Each plant is removed with a lump of soil from the tray and planted in separate pots. Do not be surprised if, under the same conditions, the geranium bush grows differently - some are actively growing, others are slowing down. This is normal, adapting to new conditions for each flower passes in different ways.