Correct soil composition for room geranium: what does a flower like and is universal soil suitable?

Pelargonium or geranium is a houseplant, which is popular among beginner and professional flower growers. They buy pots with bushes on which white or red flowers are visible, exuding a wonderful aroma. It is no coincidence that there are more than 100 species of plants.

Different varieties smell like lemon, apple, mint, nutmeg or rose. Especially beautiful is the royal pelargonium, which blooms in large flowers of bright colors. But for its magnificent flowering, not only the correct growing conditions are necessary, but also correctly selected soil. Let's find out what soil this indoor plant loves.

What kind of houseplant is this?

Geranium is a flower that is very popular among gardeners. He is necessarily in the collection of the aristocrat or on the windowsill of an elderly person. Now interest in her is not the same as before, but still people appreciate her for a lot of advantages.

It grows beautifully at home or in the garden. Numerous varieties and varieties have been discovered, thereby giving everyone the right to choose a pot with it. She has great potential in medicine.

Soil value

Why is it impossible to transplant pelargonium into the first substratum found on a counter in a flower shop? The fact is that the fate of the plant depends on the composition of the soilwhether it will bloom at home or not.

• Turf. It is rich in nutrients that are so necessary for the growth of indoor plants: palm, dracaena, monstera, ficus.
• Sheet earth. It is obtained in a simple way: in the fall, foliage is collected, it is stacked. In summer they constantly pour it with water, not forgetting to shovel at least twice. Even after 2-3 years, begonias, cyclamens, camellias, myrtle, etc. are planted in it.
• Peat - a mandatory mixture to increase the acidity of the soil. It is collected in a swamp, stacked, and shovel from time to time to eliminate harmful substances.
• Heather land , it is harvested in heather thickets, and then added to pots with azaleas, orchids, gloxinia, etc.

What soil composition is needed?

Geranium is a plant that is not demanding on the soil. But you should not buy anyhow. It is advisable to follow certain recommendations when selecting it. So, in what soil should this houseplant be planted?

Often flower growers buy universal soil by adding the necessary components to it. Vermiculite, river sand and perlite are suitable. All components are mixed, and then poured into a pot of geraniums. The main thing is to make sure that there are no mold and insects in the ground.

Peat is sometimes added to the universal soil, which contributes to the growth and development of the crop.

Preparation of the substrate for planting a flower

1. Before preparing the land, a container is selected. You can use a pot that was in use. In this case, wash it the day before the intended procedure and disinfect.
2. In the next step, a drainage layer is placed in the pot. It is sold in a store. In principle, you can not buy it, but use pebbles, polystyrene, ceramic fragments or broken brick for drainage. If in the future they will be watered with hard water from a tap, pieces of dried pine bark are put at the bottom. It will acidify the soil and remove excess moisture from it.
3. 1 / 5-1 / 4 of the volume of the pot is diverted to the drainage layer. Then they put the soil. If they cook it themselves, they take the following components: turf, humus, sand (8: 2: 1). It is advisable to pour it after transshipment of the transplanted plant, trying to remove all voids.
4. It remains only to pour the geranium with settled water and wait for the excess to drain into the pan.

Choosing the right pot

Geranium is a flower that is successfully grown in warm countries right on the beds in the garden. In southern countries, the climate is favorable, and therefore it is a large, sprawling bush with a stiff trunk. In the northern part of Russia, a plant is not planted in open ground. Grow it in a container on the windowsill, but is anyone suitable for this purpose?

Experienced flower growers do not see the difference between a clay, ceramic or plastic container. You can choose it, starting from your own preferences. If you take plastic, then only whiteso that it does not get very hot in the sun and does not rot the roots. A ceramic pot is also suitable for transplanting geraniums. Its volume depends on the variety of pelargonium. A small sprout is grown in 0.25 mm containers, gradually increasing it. By 2-3 years, the plant should "migrate" in a 2-liter pot.

Zonal pelargonium is planted immediately in a 1.5-liter pot. As soon as it grows out of it, it is better to transplant it immediately into a 10-liter.

About how to choose and which pot you need for geraniums, read in our material.

How to transplant?

Geranium is transplanted with a strong growth of the root systemwhen filling the flower and in the absence of buds. It is advisable to transplant in the fall, before the plant is at a dormant stage. If you carry out the procedure in the spring, then only until its active growth.

1. Before transplanting, a tool (watering can, knife) and a pot are prepared. When using an old container, it is treated with a chlorine-containing substance with subsequent washing with water.
2. High-quality drainage is prepared, positioning it so that ¼-1/5 of the pot is occupied by it.
3. Geranium is taken out of the previous container, trying not to damage the earthen lump. You can carefully act with a knife if you need to separate the soil from the walls.
4. After extracting geraniums inspect the roots, trying not to miss the traces of rot and strange spots. If they are, remove them with scissors.
5. Transfer the plant to a new pot, filling all the voids in it with soil.
6. After watering, pelargonium is removed in the shade for 7 days.
7. Seven days later they put it on the windowsill, where there will be no bright light, drafts and heat from heating devices.
8. Top dressing is introduced for the first time 2 months after transplantation.

Watering and feeding

It is advisable to water the geraniums abundantly and regularly. If you pour it, stagnation of water will occur, which will have a detrimental effect on the roots. Good drainage prepared according to the scheme above is to support the soil in a wet state without stagnation.

Immediately after transplantation, the plant is not fed. Two months later, they fertilize geraniums without using fresh organic fertilizers. Not blooming geraniums are fertilized with standard top dressing, but with buds - with special fertilizers. The frequency of feeding - 2 times a month.

Read more about what is better to feed and when you need to use fertilizers for geraniums, read here, and from this material you will learn how to properly use iodine with hydrogen peroxide to feed the plant.

Conclusion

The most unpretentious culture is geranium. Observing the simple rules of care, she will delight the eye and decorate the windowsill in the apartment or the garden in the country.

Watch the video: How to Prepare Potting Soil for Indoor Plants. Garden Up (November 2024).