Autumn and spring pruning of geraniums for lush flowering. Pruning geraniums for the winter for lush flowering

Autumn and spring pruning geraniums (pelargoniums) for lush flowering

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Geranium (pelargonium) grows in many pots at home, and outdoors in containers or in the ground. Care for each has its own subtleties and secrets. One of these secrets is correct pruning geraniums for lush bloom and a healthy looking flower. Pruning is carried out in autumn and spring, depending on the goals pursued by the florist or his capabilities.

It is difficult for geraniums to maintain their beauty in winter. For a beautiful full bloom in winter period they just don't have enough light on the windowsill. And if they are not illuminated with special lamps, they will turn into long bare stems with stunted leaves at the top and one or two flowers. If you do not have the opportunity to light up, then it is better to give the geranium a rest.

CUTTING GERANIUM IN AUTUMN.

So that the plant has a beautifully formed lush bush and it bloomed profusely, it must rest. Meaning autumn pruning in preparation for winter holidays. In winter, geraniums will rest from flowering, dig up strength and give growth to dormant buds.

What kind of dormant kidneys are they? Here is a trunk with a leaf on it, it grows from a leaf node. When the leaf dries up and falls off, a scar will remain in its place (photo 1). Slightly above this scar is the sinus of the sleeping kidney, it is from there that the kidney will hatch under certain conditions (photo 2). A young shoot will form from the bud, capable of providing a lush flowering of geraniums by May - June (photo 3).

How to prune geraniums.

The soil should not be wet before pruning. The plant remains without foliage and will have nothing to evaporate moisture. Wet soil will create good conditions for rot, and the flower can be lost.

How and what to make a cut.

Correct pruning is done with a sharp tool - a knife, blade, sharp disposable cutter, pruner. This is important, as a dull blade of a scissors or a secateurs flattens the barrel a little, and it tightens worse.

The cut surface should be flat and perpendicular to the trunk, then a film will easily form on it, which will tighten and dry the cut surface. The cut should be done 5-10mm higher than the dormant kidney.

How high the geranium is cut.

Cut either under a "stump", leaving 2-3 dormant buds, or to a height of 10-15 cm. In the second case, you can get more shoots for spring rooting... That is, it is rather a question of reproduction. And geranium, cut “under the foam, is more often used in the future as an independent renewed lush bush.

What to do after autumn pruning.

Pots of cut geraniums are stored until January or February in cool places, with very limited watering or no watering at all. Why until January or February? December is the month when the light duration of day and night is compared, this is the time of the astronomical winter. Geraniums lack natural light in such a short period and they sleep. After the day of the winter equinox, daylight hours begin to increase. By January, daylight hours will be enough to awaken dormant kidneys. Therefore, the pots are brought out into the light and in the warmth and slowly begin to water. Water sparingly, remembering not yet large leaves, the plant will not be able to evaporate moisture.

Where the pots are kept.

In a dark, cold basement at a temperature of 0-10 degrees, without watering;
on a cold veranda without watering;
in the room, on the cold windowsill. In this case, you need to water a little, because the air in the room is very dry. Once a month is enough.

Pruned cuttings can be rooted in pots, simply by placing them in water to take root (you will not believe, but this method works, by spring many cuttings will have excellent roots), or put in vases at home for beauty, especially since pruning is taking place on still flowering streamers.

In January, when the day lengthens, the pots are brought into heat and watered, after having pierced the soil in several places. Shoots of such an overwintered geranium (it is called a mother plant) are used as propagation cuttings or left to bloom on their roots.

CUTTING GERANIUM SPRING.

Pruning geraniums in spring has three options:

Form a houseplant, stretched out after winter from lack of light;
cut cuttings from a plant that has wintered in the house:
cut the cuttings with mother plant rested in the dark in the cold.

Due to the lack of light, any geranium will lose its appearance by the spring. Cosmetic pruning of the extended stems will help form the bush. Carry out pruning in the same way as in autumn, above the leaf bud, only cut off the upper stems.

So, the spring pruning of geraniums is done to cut cuttings from the mother plant for reproduction, for the formation beautiful bush after winter torment of plants in warmth without light, to stimulate the growth of side shoots.

Friends, pruning geraniums for lush flowering is a creative process. You can equally get excellent results by pruning geraniums in the fall, storing them in the refrigerator, in the basement, or on a cool windowsill, or leaving them in the "far corner" to cut from uncut geraniums that have wintered over the winter.

Guided by common sense, given the length of daylight hours, given that trunks without leaves do not evaporate moisture, and therefore do not require watering, and knowing what a leaf node and a dormant bud are, pruning geraniums for lush flowering will become a simple and understandable process.

We wish your geraniums a lush bloom and success!

Any type of geranium delights flower growers with its flowers, aroma and just a lush bush. But the flower is capricious. The plant can grow a branch of an unnecessary length, maybe, dispersed in height, forget about the splendor of the crown, so it needs pruning. Geraniums are essential and hygienic to prevent disease. Experienced growers say that pruning geraniums in the fall is most important for the plant. They recommend how to properly perform this procedure.

Rules for autumn pruning geranium

Autumn pruning of geraniums is carried out in compliance with certain rules. It is used for plants grown:

in the open field or on the balcony for wintering indoors and to preserve the mother liquor;
in indoor conditions for rejuvenation.

Tools for cutting

Geranium is not resistant to putrefactive processes. When trimming, the instruments should be disinfected to avoid contamination of fresh sections. To do this, it is enough to wipe the tool with alcohol, as well as hands or gloves. For this process, you need to stock up on tools:

a sharp knife - kitchen or clerical, or a blade;
pruning shears or sharp cutter.

A cut from a blunt blade heals and is tightened with a film worse than from a sharp knife.

The purpose of the autumn pruning

With the help of the autumn pruning of geraniums, a florist can solve many of the problems of this plant. Before the onset of winter pelargonium, you need to remove the extra twigs:

for lush flowering, as this plant blooms at any time of the year;
to prepare the bush for winter, reducing its crown, improving air exchange and leaf nutrition;
to speed up metabolism;
so that new branches and shoots will form with the onset of spring.

The ultimate goal of this procedure is to make geraniums lush and beautiful, as well as to make it healthier.

Time spending

Each variety of pelargonium has its own autumn pruning time, it starts around August and lasts until the end of September. To determine the right timing, experienced florists are guided by the state of the plant. There are no flowers left on the bush, and the latter have already wilted, which means it's time to start cutting the plant. Geranium itself will tell you when it needs to be freed from excess vegetation.

Features of the procedure for different types

Not all geraniums need pruning for the winter. There are varieties whose bushes are so compact and neat that it is better to postpone the cutting procedure until spring. So, mini-pelargonium is rarely subjected to this procedure.

the stress from cutting the variegated geranium is so great that, if possible, it is better not to perform the operation;
overgrown royal pelargonium is reduced to a small shoot with buds;
for a zonal look, a haircut is a joy, as well as for an ivy flower;
ampelous pelargonium must be cut off if it has faded.

Especially need to treat pruning royal pelargonium- grandiflora. It is possible to form a bush of this large-flowered plant only in autumn.

Scheme of work

Tip: “Cutting geraniums is best done on lunar calendar, during the waning moon. "

The cut is made in a straight line, this contributes to the formation of a film that tightens the surface of the "wound".

Step-by-step instructions for autumn pruning geranium

We carefully examine the geranium, imagine what it should look like after the procedure.
First of all, we remove damaged and yellowed parts of the plant.
We prepare tools without forgetting to disinfect them.
We cut off the branches that:

weakened;
grow inside the bush;
overlap.

We make an incision above the leaf nodule.

Pruning in the fall begins with the outer branches, then move on to the inner branches. If we remove half of the bush, then we do it in several steps after two weeks.
When cutting off the tips of the stems above the location of the fifth leaf nodule in the spring, shoots with peduncles will form at this place.
We treat the cut sites with disinfectants, for which we use ash, cinnamon, alcohol solution and coal.
Pruning - as preparation for winter, should end with the introduction of nitrogen fertilizers and the creation of appropriate conditions.

In caring for indoor geraniums, a haircut is necessary, as well as for an outdoor plant, which must acclimatize before cutting.

Features of caring for geraniums after pruning

Pruning geraniums in the fall and improper care of it can lead to blackening of the cut and rotting of the plant. In this case, the "wound" should be renewed and thoroughly disinfected.

Caring for geraniums at home in the winter after pruning includes the following actions of the grower:

placing the pots with the plant until February in a cool place;
keeping the room temperature from 5 to 15 degrees Celsius;
providing intensive lighting with the use of additional lighting;
compliance with moderate watering;
using nitrogen fertilizers immediately after cutting;
adherence to normal air humidity: from the increased moisture content in the room, geraniums may develop a “black leg” disease;
bringing plants into a warm room in January, increasing watering.

Important: "Before the January watering, the earthen lump is pierced through several times in different places."

Crown formation

When forming the crown, it is necessary to pinch the shoots correctly, not squeezing them, but cutting them off with a sharp tool. The health of the plant depends on it.

If the geranium brought from the street is immediately cut off, it will turn yellow. She was not given time to adapt, which takes 14 days.
If tools, especially cutting tools, have not been disinfected, the plant will get sick. With pruning, its immunity decreases, and it can become infected.
If the "stump" remaining from the geranium is intensively watered and kept in a well-lit place, then the plant will simply rot from excess moisture.

To understand what kind of geranium care is needed in winter time, remember the customs of our ancestors. Their favorite plant, Pelargonium, was placed under the bed after pruning until January. And cool and out of the light.

Advice: “Do not spare your energy and attention in caring for this a beautiful plant and it will delight you with long months of flowering. "

Hybrid pelargonium, garden pelargonium, shield-like pelargonium, English pelargonium are the botanical names for a flower popularly known as geranium. Perhaps the most unpretentious in care, but which is appreciated for the decorativeness of the leaves, lush flowering, medicinal properties... In total, there are about 280 species of geranium in nature, and only 4 of its species with many varieties are cultivated.

Pruning geraniums: description of the procedure

Pelargonium homemade is evergreen with a straight or laid stem, the height of which reaches:

100 cm in tall species;
17-40 cm in the medium-sized variety;
10-16 cm dwarf varieties.

The leaves are green and almost round, with a heart-shaped base and jagged edges. The flowers, painted in delicate lilac, lilac, white, pink, cream, burgundy shades, 5-6 cm in diameter, are collected in beautiful umbrella-like inflorescences on a long peduncle.

Geranium begins to bloom in the first months of spring.... Under favorable conditions, it usually pleases with lush flowering until September. However, so that the plant does not lose its decorative appearance, it must be cut and pinched on time and correctly. Both of these treatments are beneficial for both flower health and lush bloom.

Geranium can be grown at home and in the garden. But it is better for the plant to winter indoors. The winter months for a flower are a period of rest, when from the care procedures it needs only moderate watering. Humidity doesn't really matter.

Location - a well-lit windowsill (no direct sunlight) and a temperature not lower than 12 ° C. Geranium loves feeding. Potassium is especially beneficial to ensure lush, long-lasting flowering.

And also pruning of geraniums is necessary.... True, for a plant it is stress, so it is not enough to know how to properly prune geraniums. It is equally important to be able to choose optimal terms when it can be done without harming the flower. Although there is a more gentle option - to pinch the plant. In addition, both of these procedures solve one common problem - they stimulate the formation of lateral shoots. The fact is that a flower on its own cannot give them under any circumstances.

How much geranium needs pruning - tells her appearance... If the plant has a neat shape, and not a bare trunk, not covered with leaves, then the flower can be cut in the spring. Long shoots of ampelous pelargonium species without foliage and flowers also need to be cut off.

Rarely pruning dwarf plant varieties... We can only talk about lateral shoots that violate the shape of the bush.

For the royal geranium species, pruning is carried out only after strong growth. In the fall, shoots are removed from the plant, leaving a small shoot with buds.

And only the variegated geranium experts do not recommend pruning, since the plant does not tolerate a haircut well.

Correct pruning provides:

In addition, by ridding geraniums of unnecessary shoots, the florist gets a good planting material.

Important: pruning awakens dormant lateral buds to form lush inflorescences.

After trimming, the cut must be treated with activated carbon (crushed), possibly with garden pitch, and also fed home plant nitrogen-containing fertilizer.

If pruning is carried out using a special disinfected tool ( sharp knife with a thin blade, pruner) and even with knowledge of technology, it will bring the result expected by the florist.

Advice: the trunk of the geranium must be cut at an acute angle 3-5 millimeters above the leaf node.

Moreover, you need to choose those of them that are directed to the outside of the trunk, so that new side shoots did not thicken the crown.

You need to trim and pinch the flower regularly, but this can only be done until December. During the period when the daylight hours are short, geraniums become vulnerable. In winter, she is left alone so as not to harm.

Pruning geraniums at home in spring

In early spring, immediately after the end of the dormant period (late February - early March), the main is held, geranium-forming shrub, pruning... This is the most favorable time for cutting a flower, since the plant is not yet in a hurry to grow. And the slices have time to heal before the onset of the spring growing season.

In addition, pruning geraniums for lush flowering in spring is not carried out as radically as in autumn.

Important: the later in the spring to remove excess processes, the later flower buds are laid.

The importance of spring pruning cannot be underestimated, since the mistakes made are directly related to the summer flowering of the plant. That is why it is useful to know how to prune geraniums so that it blooms magnificently and for a long time.

Before you start pruning, try to think about what shape you want to give the flower. Then get to work:

examine the plant carefully;
remove damaged twigs and yellow leaves;
prepare a tool - a sharp knife, blade or pruner. Treat their work surface with rubbing alcohol. If you need to pinch the plant, wash your hands;
choose a healthy, beautiful stem. Remove the lower side shoots on it. Cut off other stems;
shorten the very tall stem by removing part of its top. In this case, shoots will grow from the side buds of the geranium, and the plant will take the form of a tree;
long or crooked stems must be cut so that hemp up to 10 cm high is obtained. After a while, lush bushes form in their place;
treat the sections with an antiseptic - activated carbon, ash, cinnamon, brilliant green, alcohol solution.

Advice: up to 20% of all shoots should be cut off, so as not to push back the flowering time too much.

In addition, a house plant can spend a lot of energy on recovery and will not bloom at all in season. And also after pruning geraniums in the spring, try to create a flower favorable conditions... That is, water after two days, do not spray the flower or leave it in a draft.

Apply fertilizer "For flowering plants" twice a month... The room temperature should not be lower than 12 ° C. In spring, geraniums can already be exposed to fresh air.

One more thing important condition- she loves the sun, therefore the most the best place for her - the sill of the south window.

How to make geraniums lush

Compared to many indoor plants, it is a flower that is unpretentious to soil, temperature and watering... But to maintain the shape of the culture, pruning is required. If you neglect this procedure, then very soon the number of inflorescences and the duration of flowering are reduced in pelargonium.

Pruning royal geraniums for lush bloom

Royal geranium outwardly differs from the rest of the members of the Geraniaceae family. The leaves of the plants of this variety are wavy, corrugated with dark stripes forming a wonderful pattern.

The flower petals of royal pelargonium are terry, glossy, amazing shades of pale blue, white and darker purple tones. Perhaps with rims, specks, stripes. Their diameter can reach 15 cm. And the height of the bush is true royal plant- 1m.

A characteristic feature of the geranium of the royal variety is demanding care and short flowering... That is, only 3-4 months per season. Whereas zonal geraniums bloom much more often.

Given this circumstance, it is important for owners of a large-flowered variety of pelargonium to know that for lush flowering it is cut off only in autumn period... With this approach, you will solve two problems - prepare the bush for winter and select best cuttings for growing varieties.

Trim order:

preparation of tools (sharp garden knife, pruning shears) with mandatory disinfection;
pruning dead leaves. Shoots without leaves are cut off at the root in front of the first leaf node from the ground;
trimming the main shoot. It should be cut by 1/3.

Important: pruning in the fall is necessary stage care, caring for the health of the plant, the guarantee of lush flowering.

In the winter months, conditions for a comfortable rest are created for the royal geranium and it is not recommended to disturb it by pruning in the period from December to January. If, nevertheless, shoots grow on the flower, in February you can remove one long shoot that spoils the appearance. It is better to pinch the rest of the stems by hand without cutting. In April, the first inflorescences appear on the royal geranium.

Important: starting from the second half of March, it is not recommended to pinch and cut the plant.

The formation of a bush begins after the flower completes summer flowering.

Pruning ampelous geraniums for lush flowering

Ampel geranium is referred to as "creeping" plants long stems of which hang freely from hanging pot... However, for decorative view flower will have to follow. To do this, the ampelous culture must be constantly cut off, pinching the curly stems. At the same time, autumn pruning is especially useful for a flower, when the plant has already completely faded.

This procedure assumes:

pruning dry, growing inward shoots;
removal of wilted inflorescences;
cutting healthy stems by 1/3.

It is also necessary to remove the shoots that have sprouted from the axils of the leaf. And the stems that have grown from the root do not need to be cut off.

Spring is the period when it is required to correctly form the crown of the ampelous geranium. In an overgrown bush, excess processes are cut off, leaving several buds on them. By pinching the stem after the fifth leaf, they form the crown of the plant and thereby ensure the splendor of flowering.

Important: at blooming geranium you can not cut more than 1-2 shoots.

Having received a stalk from flowering plant, it can be immediately planted in the ground. No germination in water.

How to pinch geraniums

Pinching a flower means removing the point of growth of a plant. Its absence will lead to the appearance of lateral shoots, which form a crown and make the geranium look like small tree... The pinching procedure is carried out at any time, but not in winter. At this time, the flower is at rest. The exception is the varieties of pelargonium, which begin to bloom in the cold season, so pinching is not contraindicated for them.

How to pinch a flower correctly

Pinching is done to enhance the growth of side shoots. After that, the bush becomes unusually lush.

How to properly pinch overgrown stems:

time of the event - from the beginning of spring to the end of summer;
tool - tweezers or scissors;
examine the plant, find low-branched long shoots in order to pin them.

The procedure is repeated several times during the summer.... As a result, new side shoots appear on the pelargonium bush. Buds will form on them, and then flowers.

To increase the splendor of an already overgrown bush, you can also pinch it. This will make it wider and thicker.

Important: late pinching postpones the flowering period.

Conclusion

Geranium appearance- the best hint to its owner about whether the flower needs pruning. Although pruning and pinching are the main procedures for basic pelargonium care. Otherwise, geranium is one of the most unpretentious indoor plants. And at the same time, a beautifully flowering culture with medicinal properties.

Geranium fell in love with gardeners for its undemandingness to watering and soil composition. Scent essential oil emanating from its leaves effectively repels insects. The only thing this flower needs for the full development and maintenance of decorativeness is pruning. Without its implementation, naked shoots are strongly stretched, and the number of inflorescences is significantly reduced - in this form, the plant seems neglected and stunted.

Flower growers specializing in geraniums are advised to carry out a mandatory annual autumn pruning of the plant in order to stimulate the growth of lateral branches and abundant flowering next season.

Why cut geraniums - the purpose and timing of the procedure

There are many species and varieties: garden and indoor flowers - pelargonium, ampelous and bush geraniums, plants with climbing or erect shoots. In addition, there is a huge variety of color and splendor of the inflorescences. And each of them needs formative pruning, the purpose of which, above all, is to create thick bush and stimulating lush bloom.

Without outside interference, geranium never lets out additional lateral processes - this is its feature. Each node contains growth buds, but they are all dormant. In order to make the plant look like a lush bush, it is necessary to provoke the development of branches and thickening of the green part of the flower.

The formation of geraniums must be carried out on a regular basis, and it is recommended to start this process immediately after the acquisition or reproduction of a flower and transplanting it into a permanent pot.

The stems of the plant should not be excessively stretched and exposed. If this happens, there are only 2 options left:

1. Or completely cut the bush in the fall after flowering and root the cut cuttings in order to obtain new young plants.
2. Either cut the stems of the flower, leaving only one of the strongest and healthiest, from which to remove all the lower lateral shoots. The stalk can be shortened a little, and then, after a while, the geranium will form like a small tree on a thick trunk. A stem that is too high must be rooted out by removing part of the top, then, with the development of lateral buds, the culture will turn into a small tree on the trunk. Blooming it looks incomparable.

Geranium pruning dates are early spring and autumn. Moreover, a geranium heavily cut in spring may not have time to restore strength for flowering, therefore, all manipulations related to stress for the plant should be performed as early as possible - around the end of February - beginning of March . Considering that pinching is a less traumatic procedure, then in spring, in the absence of an urgent need for pruning, you can stop at it.

Pruning for winter is carried out immediately after autumn flowering, when the last petals fall from the plant. If on summer period geranium is planted in open ground or is constantly growing in garden bed, then in the fall its stem is cut exactly in half - this significantly improves air exchange in the crown, lower leaves become available to the sun's rays.

Features of different types of geranium

More often than not, geranium will tell you correctly and in time whether it needs pruning. If the bush looks compact, the stem is not bare, then you can do without autumn pruning. So, ampelous pelargonium is characterized by long shoots, but they are good when they are completely covered with leaves and decorated with flowers. When a plant begins to flaunt an uncovered trunk, it informs about the need to carry out formative measures - haircuts or pinching.

There is also such interesting variety like mini pelargonium. This plant is miniature in size, which, to a lesser extent than its tall counterparts, needs pruning, having a rather compact structure. And here royal geranium on the contrary, it is very prone to overgrowth, therefore, in the fall, it is radically cut, leaving only a small shoot with buds.

Fall Pruning Rules & Step-by-Step Guide

The basic rules for pruning are not original. Instruments must be prepared and disinfected. For such a procedure, you will need a sharp clerical or kitchen knife... You can also replace it with a regular blade. Scissors are not suitable for this purpose - in the process they strongly squeeze the shoots and the stem, which is unacceptable. Disinfection is carried out by boiling the blade, heating it over a flame, or wiping it with an alcohol solution.

When removing half of the bush or more, pruning is carried out in several courses with an interval of 2 weeks. If the plant is within summer season was planted in open ground or flower pot with geraniums was constantly in the garden, then the haircut should be postponed for 4-6 days, so that the flower gets used to the new growing conditions.

Having started work, it is advisable to adhere to the stages:

1. The first step is to remove all yellowed leaves, wilted inflorescences and damaged parts of the plant - so the true shape of the bush will become visible, from which you can proceed in the future.
2. Further, having carefully examined the geraniums, you need to think over the desired shaping result.
3. Before wintering, twigs that cross each other are shortened or pruned, and weakened shoots are cut off. It is important to cut the sections only over the leaf node 5 millimeters from it.
4. Then, when the bush is thinned, the tips of the remaining shoots and twigs are trimmed in accordance with the planned shape. All tops are shortened into several nodules at an acute angle to stimulate the development of peduncles.

What will the restorative care be like?

Caring for geraniums includes regular pruning, an established watering regime, and seasonal feeding. However, plants cut for the winter require a little more attention than usual. At the end of the event, it is important to disinfect all the sections formed in the process with the help of activated carbon to avoid infection. Same good means for this purpose - wood ash or cinnamon powder, they are excellent antiseptics.

To make the plant easier to cope with the stress caused to it, it is recommended to feed it with a special vitamin complex for geraniums, bought at a flower shop. For the splendor of the crown and the early development of new leaves, nitrogen fertilizers are applied to the soil. The irrigation regime of the crop that has undergone pruning should be changed in the direction of reducing the amount of moisture and the intervals between watering up to 3 days.

In winter, it is necessary to especially carefully look after the condition of the slices. large area and trim them when blackened.

The comfortable temperature of geranium content in winter varies from + 17-22 during the day and from + 13-16 at night. Lighting should be present for 12 hours a day, and if natural conditions are not enough for this, then it is recommended to turn on a fluorescent lamp.

Errors during seasonal pruning

Pruning geraniums for the winter at home is a simple process, especially if you do not ignore the advice of experts on how to carry it out, because the mistakes of beginners can cost the plant its life.

Fertilization should also be taken under control. Nitrogen can be added after pruning, and when a sufficient splendor of the crown is achieved, the plant needs more potassium fertilizing.

Geranium (pelargonium) grows for many at home in pots, and outdoors in containers or in the ground. Care for each has its own subtleties and secrets. One of these secrets is the correct pruning of geraniums for a lush bloom and a healthy looking flower. Pruning is carried out in autumn and spring, depending on the goals that the gardener pursues or his capabilities.

My mother told me that in her childhood, geraniums were cut in the fall and placed under the bed. It was a very long time ago, because now my mother is over 80 years old. The beds were fitted with lace valances that covered the flower pots. There the plants remained without watering until February. So this kind of flower care has rather deep agrotechnical roots.

It is difficult for geraniums to maintain their beauty in winter. For a beautiful full bloom in winter on the windowsill, they simply do not have enough light. And if they are not illuminated with special lamps, they will turn into long bare stems with stunted leaves at the top and one or two flowers. I have no lamps and no room for winter garden so I'll agree with my great-grandmothers and give the flowers a rest.

Pruning geraniums in autumn

For the plant to have a beautifully formed lush bush and bloom profusely, it must rest.

The meaning of autumn pruning is in preparation for winter vacations. In winter, geraniums will rest from flowering, dig up strength and give growth to dormant buds.

What kind of dormant kidneys are they? Here is a trunk with a leaf on it, it grows from a leaf node. When the leaf dries up and falls off, a scar will remain in its place.

Slightly above this scar is the sinus of the sleeping kidney, it is from there that the kidney will hatch under certain conditions.

A young shoot will form from the bud, capable of providing a lush bloom of geraniums by May June.

How to prune geraniums

The soil should not be wet before pruning. The plant remains without foliage and will have nothing to evaporate moisture. Wet soil will create good conditions for rot, and the flower can be lost.

How and what to make a cut
How high to cut geraniums

How and what to make a cut

The cut surface should be flat and perpendicular to the trunk, then a film will easily form on it, which will tighten and dry the cut surface.

The cut should be done 5-10mm higher than the dormant kidney.

This video is short and as clear as possible:

How high are geraniums cut

Pruned either under a "stump", leaving 2-3 dormant buds, or to a height of 10-15 cm. In the second case, you can get more shoots for spring rooting. That is, it is rather a question of reproduction. And geranium, cut “for a stump, is more often used in the future as an independent renewed lush bush.

And so: Autumn pruning is done before being brought into the cold (basement, veranda). They take it out in January - the buds wake up and begin to grow, give material for grafting, cuttings are planted in February. During the autumn pruning, geraniums are also cut into pots, in which case they will bloom earlier.

What to do after autumn pruning

Pots of cut geraniums are stored until January or February in cool places, with very limited watering or no watering at all.

Why until January or February. December is the month when the light duration of day and night is compared, this is the time of the astronomical winter. Geraniums lack natural light in such a short period and they sleep. After the day of the winter equinox, daylight hours begin to increase. By January, daylight hours will be enough to awaken dormant kidneys. Therefore, the pots are brought out into the light and in the warmth and slowly begin to water. Water sparingly, remembering that as long as there are no large leaves, the plant will not be able to evaporate moisture.

Where are the pots kept?

In a dark cold basement at a temperature of 0-10 degrees, without watering
On a cold veranda without watering
In a room, on a cold windowsill. In this case, you need to water a little, because the air in the room is very dry. Once a month is enough.

Pruned cuttings can be rooted in pots, just put in water to take root (you will not believe, but this method works, by spring many cuttings will have excellent roots), or put in vases at home for beauty, especially since pruning takes place on still flowering streamers.

In January, when the day lengthens, the pots are brought into heat and watered, after having pierced a clod of earth in several places.

This geranium was brought from the basement in January

Shoots of such an overwintered geranium (it is called a mother plant) are used as propagation cuttings or left to bloom on their roots.

Preparing soil, balcony and room geraniums for pruning

Now it's Indian summer, and geraniums bloom magnificently, blooming so that you don't even want to think about pruning. Such a beauty.

If geranium grew in the ground in the garden

Geraniums that grow in the ground are usually dug up and transferred to pots or containers. Before pruning, she is given a week, another to get used to a new place. As a rule, only those plants are transplanted whose variety or color the gardener wants to leave on next year... The rest flourish as annuals.

If geranium grew on an open balcony or terrace in containers

Geraniums from the balcony in the same way can be transferred into one large container, or separate pots can be brought in, if there is a place.

If the geranium is indoor

Home, indoor geranium no need to transfer. You need to prepare for pruning those copies that you want to rejuvenate.

The result of any autumn pruning will be the production of new strong young shoots for lush flowering in late spring and summer.

In the spring, you can plant the resulting shoots in pots or leave them on the mother plant, correcting the shape of the bush, spring pruning.

Alla Sivak has an excellent video of cardinal pruning of geraniums for lush flowering under a stump and what to do after pruning. In winter, her flowers stand at home in the light, in the warmth.

The video is not long, but if you need to quickly, then there is such an opportunity. There is a wheel icon in the lower right corner of the video. Click on the wheel, in the drop-down menu, find the word "speed". You can select speed 2 and watch the video twice as fast.

My way to keep balcony geraniums in the house in winter

Every year before the onset of cold weather, and we have it in October or November, I bring my geraniums into the house. It's not easy, because I have about 40 bushes. Therefore, I bring them in not for flowering, but for wintering.

They hibernate in a compact form. I transfer several bushes into a couple of three large pots so that they do not take up much space and put them "in the far corner." The far corner used to be wide window sill behind the curtain. And now it is a large shelf in the corner of the insulated balcony. It is not very bright and not very warm there.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a cold dark basement and I don’t have wide illuminated windowsills. And I don't want to put it under the bed, as my great-grandmother did, and the beds themselves have changed a lot since then.

Since there are a lot of flowers, I do not bring in all, but only those that I definitely want to leave as a mother plant for obtaining planting material to spring. And from the rest I take cuttings and distribute them to neighbors, or simply put them in jars of water. It sounds rather strange to leave the shoots in the water until spring, but it works for me. By the spring, some shoots are producing large roots, and I plant ready cuttings with roots.

In the "far corner" I water the plants once a month. And so on until January. In January, I start watering once a week. Young shoots become plump, I use them as cuttings for seedlings, later they will give a good lush flowering. And also I divide the entire long stem into cuttings and root them too. Read more about this in the article. .

Basically, I am applying spring pruning geraniums.