Among flower lovers, geranium (pelargonium) is very widespread and is grown as a garden, balcony or indoor flower.

Such popularity is due not only to the possibility of its cultivation in any conditions, but also to a large assortment of varieties, differing in the types and colors of flowers and leaves, as well as its unpretentiousness.

In fact, even a novice florist can grow geraniums, since it is quite easy to follow them. However, it also has its own characteristics. It happens that the pelargonium completely refuses to bloom, and even though the bush looks outwardly absolutely healthy and strong, it does not want to give flower stalks.

Why does geranium not bloom and how to make it bloom magnificently?

In order to do anything, you first need to figure out why the geranium does not want to bloom. It is possible that the florist made mistakes during the planting of the acquired pelargonium or in caring for it.

Errors when planting geraniums

After the desired type of geranium has been acquired, it is usually transplanted into a beautiful pot, which will also serve as a decoration for the house.

• And here the first mistake may arise - not every pot is suitable for planting geraniums.

You cannot plant it in a container of too large a volume, otherwise you will have to wait a long time for flowering.

The pot is selected according to the size of the seedling, otherwise the pelargonium begins to grow the root system in a large amount of land, completely forgetting about the flowering function.

The pot should also have a drainage hole to drain off excess moisture.

If pelargonium is planted in a flowerpot, then on its bottom you need to lay good layer drainage. Otherwise, the roots may rot, which will also negatively affect flowering.

• The second mistake, due to which indoor geranium does not bloom, may be filling the container for planting with inappropriate soil.

Here we are not talking about its acidity (geraniums are unpretentious to this factor), but about looseness.

The substrate can be purchased ready-made in the store or made up independently from garden soil, peat and sand, taken in a 2: 1: 1 ratio, respectively.

It is not recommended to plant geraniums in heavy clay soil.

Errors when caring for geraniums

If geranium does not bloom, then transplanting is an excellent opportunity to assess the condition of its root system. To do this, you need to shake off the old soil from the roots and carefully examine them.

If the roots are unhealthy and in some of their areas there are traces of rot, then they need to be cut off with a clean pruner or sharp knife, and sprinkle the places of cuts with crushed coal or treat with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After that, geraniums need to be planted in new land.

Now you know how to make geranium bloom at home. But if all the requirements for planting and caring for pelargonium were taken into account, and she still refuses to bloom in the room, then it makes sense to transplant it to a garden in open ground for the summer, and dig it up and take it home in the fall.

At the same time, it must be cut shortly and wintering conditions must be ensured at a temperature of about 100C with moderate watering every 2 weeks. Then on next year geraniums are guaranteed to bloom.

To admire the abundant flowering of pelargonium, you need to follow the rules of care, pruning and rest time. Let's consider in detail these important features growing pelargonium.

Geranium - description

The plant, which is commonly called geranium, is actually pelargonium. She belongs to the geranium family. The name "Pelargonium" is translated from Greek as "Stork", because of the similarity of its fruits to the beak of a stork.

Pelargonium fruit resembles a stork's beak

Real geranium is a plant that can often be found in forest or meadow areas. There are bred varieties for garden cultivation, which winter well without shelter.

Some types of geraniums in the photo

Georgian Meadow Balkan Katarina Adele Oxford

Geraniums grow very quickly. Most species can be grown from seeds. With autumn-winter sowing, they bloom in the first year.

The geranium family unites 5 genera and 800 plant species. Geranium leaves are beautifully carved, in many species they are fragrant. Leaf colors: green, variegated, with yellow veins, with red and yellow tints.

Green leaves of different shapes

Geraniums are an excellent antiseptic, have anti-inflammatory and other medicinal properties... Various extracts and essential oils are made from them.

It is very useful to keep pelargoniums at home, they disinfect and purify the air, and also scare away flies, moths and mosquitoes. Aromatic leaves can be added to tea (dry).

The smells of such fragrant geraniums are so diverse that they can resemble anything: an apple, a rose, citrus fruits, conifers, caramel, pineapple, coconut, wormwood and so on! Most of them do not bloom as brightly as other pelargoniums, but they more than make up for this deficiency with their unique and healthy aromas.

Indoor pelargoniums are mainly divided into four types: zonal, thyroid (ampelous), royal (large-flowered), fragrant (aromatic). There are a large number of pelargonium varieties and hybrids.

Pelargonium - gallery

Ampel pelargoniums can be kept in summer on open air Thyroid pelargoniums look great in hanging planters together with other ampelous plants Pelargonium Fragrant with a pink-mint scent Pelargonium Klobuchkovaya with a lemon scent Zonal Pelargoniums are distinguished by dense caps of inflorescences Royal Pelargonium large flowers

Pelargonium bloom

Pelargoniums bloom from spring to the onset of frost. The decorativeness of these plants lasts on average for five years. But with proper care, resting time and correct pruning, Pelargonium can live and bloom for more than 10 years.

Comfortable temperature for flowering pelargonium is from + 22 to + 27 o C.

For long-term flowering you need:

• at the beginning of plant growth above the fifth leaf, pinch to properly form the bush;
• do not plant in a pot that is too spacious, adding size only as the root system grows;
• place pelargonium on the east and south windows;
• avoid flooding the soil;
• cut off yellow leaves;
• to pick off fading inflorescences;
• do not overfeed the plant, especially nitrogen;
• once a week add iodine to the water for irrigation: 1 drop of iodine per liter of water, 50 ml of solution for each plant;
• air the plants in summer, protecting from cold drafts;
• when blooming, try not to rearrange the plant often.

Placing pelargoniums on the north and west windows significantly impairs flowering.

Pelargoniums need an abundance of light, but still need to protect them from direct sunlight. Otherwise, the leaves may burn.

With a lack of lighting, the plants stretch out and stop blooming. Therefore, it is better to put them not in the back of the room, but in the brightest place.

If you are unable to provide pelargonium good lighting, then buy phytolamps for supplementary lighting, or ordinary fluorescent lamps with a yellow spectrum.

Daylight hours for pelargonium during flowering should be 12-14 hours.

Planting a flower, soil properties

If you want your pelargonium to bloom for a long time and abundantly, you need to take care of this from the very planting.

It is advisable to transplant pelargonium only when the root system overgrows, without damaging the earthen coma around the roots.

It is best not to transplant pelargonium, but to transfer it without damaging the earthy clod around the roots.

Landing, or transshipment, you can in early springbefore flowering. When landing, you need to ensure good drainage (2–2.5 cm). There should be drain holes at the bottom of the pot.

Suitable as drainage: pebbles, expanded clay, large perlite.

There should be drainage and drainage holes at the bottom of the pot

Plant pelargonium closely enough, you can have several bushes in one pot. Then the plant will not spend a lot of energy on the growth of the root system, but will spend it on flowering.

Several bushes bloom perfectly in one pot

Soil compositions for pelargonium

1. Universal soil 10 parts + chopped sphagnum 1 part + sand 1 part + humus 0.5 part.
2. Loam 2 parts + soil with peat and fertilizers 2 parts + large perlite 1 part + sand 1 part.
3. Deciduous soil 2 parts + loam 1 part + peat 1 part + crushed bark 1 part + compost / humus 0.5 parts + perlite 1 part.
4. Sod land 2 parts + sand 1 part + humus 1 part.

When compiling and choosing a soil, be guided by the fact that it should be light enough, nutritious, neutral or slightly acidic.

Soil is considered neutral if it does not contain chalk, limestone and other minerals. Slightly acidic is, for example, leafy soil and peat. Sour - coniferous litter.

What can be added to the soil

• Peat: nutrition and breathability. If it is too much, the soil will dry out too quickly. Quality peat is brown.
• Loam serves to retain moisture and nutrients. Excess leads to soil compaction.
• Perlite loosens the soil, accumulates excess minerals and, if lacking, gives them to plants. Use large.
• Sand loosens the earth, prevents it from caking. Disinfect it before adding.
• Charcoal is an antiseptic and food. Add 1/4 of the total amount of soil.
• Sphagnum: Moss that retains moisture, is breathable, has antibacterial properties. When added to soil, it must be cut into 1–2 cm pieces.
• Humus / compost: fertilizing and loosening the soil. Add no more than 1 part of the total. When planting, instead of humus, you can put a dry (!) Cow cake on the bottom of the pot. You cannot add fresh organic matter!
• Shredded bark: breathable, loosening.

There are ready-made soils on sale: "For Pelargonium", "For Geranium".

Top dressing at home

Pelargonium is fed from March to November 2-3 times a month.

In the first year of planting, it is enough to fertilize the plant with only nitrogen fertilizer for good growth. It is best to use ammonia for this: half a teaspoon per liter of water.

Further, the nitrogen content in fertilizers should not exceed 11%. The abundance of nitrogen in the soil leads to the growth of the green mass of the plant and stops its flowering.

For good flowering Pelargonium requires top dressing containing mainly phosphorus and potassium.

Best used for top dressing ready-made compositions for pelargoniums or geraniums. Fertilizers are also suitable for plants such as: petunias, violets.

During flowering, you can feed with fertilizer for flowering plants... Follow the manufacturer's directions for dosing.

• Highly good fertilizer for pelargonium - from ash. Chopped tablespoon wood ash insist in a liter hot water 3 hours. Consumption: one tablespoon of infusion per plant. Stir the infusion before use.

For a spring transplant, you can add a pinch of granular rose fertilizer to the soil.

Plant care to achieve abundant flowering

The main thing when caring for pelargonium:

1. do not flood the soil;
2. trim on time;
3. observe rest in winter time.

Waterlogging of the soil leads to decay of the root system, and the lack of pruning and adherence to dormancy reduces or stops flowering.

It is necessary to water pelargonium in the summer as the soil layer dries out by half, in the winter - after it has completely dried out. You can check this with a wooden stick (for example, a bamboo skewer).

When watering, the soil is spilled well, removing water from the pan. You need to water gently from a watering can, without getting on the leaves. It is all the more unnecessary to wet the flowers.

If you have hard water with limescale deposits, it is best to use boiled or bottled water for irrigation.

If the air is too dry, do not spray pelargonium, but place dishes with water next to it.

Care rules in the table

Period	Lighting	Top dressing	Humidity	Watering	Temperature
Spring-Summer-early Autumn: vegetation, flowering.	Bright light 12-14 hours. Accommodation on the south and east windows. Protect from direct sunlight. Supplementary lighting with lamps in low light.	2–3 times a month with fertilizer for pelargoniums or for flowering plants.	Average. Do not spray. In very dry air, place bowls of water next to them.	Moderate, when the soil is half dry. Does not tolerate overmoistening.	+ 22 + 27 о С
Late Autumn-Winter: dormant time, shoot growth.	A bright place. Daylight hours less than 12 hours.	Without dressing.	Low. The lower the temperature, the lower the humidity.	Water as the soil dries completely.	+ 10 + 15 о С Not less than 7 degrees!

Pelargonium care - video

Rest time

The dormant period for pelargonium lasts from December to early spring. You do not need to fertilize it at this time.

To do this, at the end of autumn, the plants cease to feed and are rarely watered, when the earth is completely dry. If the earthy clod begins to lag behind the walls, the plant needs to be watered.

Pelargonium during the winter feels good on the windowsill, where the temperature decreases in winter. But it is necessary to ensure that during especially cold periods the pot does not cool less than 7 degrees.

To do this, place it on a foam or other support, and make sure that the pelargonium leaves do not touch the cold glass.

Pelargonium winters well on the windowsill

Daylight hours during rest is desirable for less than 12 hours, but the brightness of the lighting needs to be high. Plants continue to grow and with a lack of light, they will stretch a lot.

Before the pelargonium leaves for rest, she needs to prune or pinch the shoots.

Pinching bushes: how to do it right

When pelargonium has more than 5 leaves on one branch, the top must be pinched, or carefully cut off with small sterile scissors.

This technique must be done with a new plant as well. You can leave from five leaves.

The tops need to be pinched over the selected kidney

Pinching a flower on video

Pruning

If it is not produced in time, then the plant begins to lengthen greatly and blooms worse. Cropping not only shapes beautiful bush, but also increases the number of inflorescences and prolongs the flowering period.

Royal varieties are pruned infrequently, as they are compact in size. If the branches are stretched out, then you can either pinch the tops no later than November, or trim the branches after the 7th bud.

How to properly trim the shoot

The rest of the pelargoniums are cut off immediately after the end of flowering after the seventh bud or up to 3 eyes, that is, "on a stump."

New shoots grow from the remaining buds on the stumps

The pruning depth depends on the condition of the bush. If the trunk is only one and young (green), pruning is performed after the 7th bud. If there are several trunks, and they are already lignified ( brown color), it is better to cut it on a stump.

Some pelargoniums will need to be trimmed or re-pinned in early spring before flowering. This is done in the case when the plant is again too elongated during the winter. To prevent this from happening, in winter you need to supplement the pelargonium with lamps.

Pruning is not done in winter.

How to prune a plant for lush bloom: step by step instructions

The cut branches do not need to be thrown away. They can be rooted in water or peat.

Dilute Kornevin on the tip of a knife in water for better rooting. When rooting in peat, pour the same amount of Kornevin into the hole, pour warm water, and stick the stalk.

It is better to use boiled water instead of tap water, without lime sediment.

In the spring, pinch the tops or cut off too long branches after the 5th-7th bud.

Pinch the top of the pelargonium

Trimming pelargonium on a stump - video

We cut off after the 7th kidney - video

Flowering problems and diseases - table

Problems	Causes	Elimination
The flowering ceased, the leaves wither.	Poured the soil; little light.	Check the condition of the soil, dry until completely dry. Then remove the clod of soil with the plant from the pot and examine the roots. If necessary, remove decayed roots, treat with Fitosporin solution and transplant into new soil. If there is a lack of light, move the flower to the brightest place or provide additional lighting with lamps.
Leaves and twigs began to wither and turn yellow.	Disease, pests.	Check the condition of the roots and the presence of pests. Treat the plant and soil with drugs. For example, Fitolavin, Fitosporin, Fitoverm. If root rot is found, replace the soil, cut off diseased roots.
Spots on the leaves.	Viruses; fungi.	Remove all diseased branches and leaves. Treat the plant and roots with Phytolavin and Alirin-B.
The lower leaves turn yellow, starting with drying out of the edges. The flowers dry up.	Lack of moisture in the soil.	Spill the soil in two steps. Once well moistened all the ground, after a while again. Drain the remaining water from the pan.
Lack of flowering	Too warm wintering, illness or lack of pruning. Perhaps overfed or too large a pot.	If the plant is healthy, take it to the loggia, at a temperature of at least 10 degrees. Bring it into the house at night. When blooming, preferably leave the plant on the windowsill. You can pinch the upper parts of the branches. You can check the filling of the pot with roots after the earthen coma dries. Remove the plant from the pot: if the roots are not visible, or the soil is crumbling heavily, then the plant needs to be transferred to a smaller pot.
Rusty spots on the leaves, their fall. Blotches on flowers.	Fungus.	Treat with fungicide. After a week, treat with another fungicide. In this way, process 4 times.
The trunk is stretched out, flowering is poor.	Little light.	Place the flower in the brightest spot. Prune in the fall.

Necessary conditions for treatment:

• during treatment, it is necessary to cut off all inflorescences so as not to deplete the plant;
• feed pelargonium with a complex fertilizer with the addition of an immunostimulant (Epin. Zircon): 8 drops of a stimulant per half a liter of water with fertilizer;
• water the plant only after the soil dries out;

At this time, it is already required to prune geraniums. After all, geranium is photophilous, and in winter there is little light, and the plant stretches out, becomes not very beautiful.

In geraniums, you need to cut off the bare shoots to the height that you need (but not quite to the stump, of course), new branches will go from them.

And you can update the geranium every year by replanting from a new cuttings, as our great-grandmothers did in the old days.

For propagation of geraniums, apical cuttings approximately 7 cm long with 3-5 leaves are suitable.

Cut the cuttings, making an oblique cut under the bud, cut off the bottom pair of leaves, dry the cut and the place where the leaves break for 2-3 hours so that the cut is tightened with a film, and plant immediately in prepared pots with soil, lightly water.

To form a lush bush, pinch the apical bud. We put in a bright place, but not in the sun!

Many simply cut the cuttings and put them in water, you can put tablets in a jar of water activated carbonso that there is no decay.

Roots form very quickly. Then they are placed in pots.

You need to take a small pot. You don't need much geranium land. The faster the roots cover a clod of earth, the faster the plant will bloom, and the smaller the pot, the more abundant the flowering will be.

In large pots, the plant may not bloom at all, it does not need it - life is so good, why bother? You can even plant several cuttings in one pot.

During the rooting process, the lower leaves may turn yellow - tear them off when a couple of new leaves appear.

To form a beautiful lush bush, pinch the top on an 8-10 sheet, side shoots - on the 6-8th and constantly turn the pot so that the bush is even.

Geranium likes:

- the sun (but also tolerates a light shadow);

- warm (but will survive very light autumn frosts);

- not frequent, but abundant watering;

- good drainage in the pot;

- moderately fertile, even scarce soil (otherwise there will be a lot of greenery, but few flowers);

- regular feeding;

- removal of faded inflorescences to continue flowering.

In June-July, cuttings can be made if necessary.

Iodine water is a very good feeding: dissolve 1 drop of iodine in 1 liter of water and pour 50 ml of this composition along the walls of the pot. Do not overdo it so that the roots do not burn!

After such watering, geraniums bloom continuously and gorgeous!

If the leaves turn yellow, the reasons may be as follows:

- if only the edges of the leaves dry, the reason is a lack of moisture;

- if the leaves are lethargic or rotting - the reason is excess moisture.

In both cases, the leaves may fall off. Exposure of the stem lower leaves fall off - lack of light. In the summer, geraniums are very fond of living on fresh air - take it to the balcony or garden, it is good to plant it in the ground.

At first, having survived the stress associated with a change of place, geranium will hurt, its leaves may turn yellow and fall off. But then she will delight you with abundant flowering.

On the street, geranium blooms amazingly, and the bush grows strongly in a way that never before

In the sun, sometimes geranium leaves acquire pink color - this is a normal phenomenon, as if "tanning", the plant is no better, no worse.

In autumn, when the weather is cool at 10-12 degrees, geraniums "bastard" from such a temperature!

You can keep geraniums outside until the frost begins, until the temperature drops to + 2-5. Then it will need to be cut off, transplanted into pots and placed in a cool place (10-12 degrees) for hibernation or, gradually accustoming it to a higher temperature, brought into the room where it will continue to bloom.

WHAT IS PELARGONIA AFRAID OF?

There is an opinion that pelargonium never gets sick, and pests are not afraid of it. But still, there are times when the plant starts to feel bad. What could be the reason?

It happens that the leaves of pelargonium begin to turn yellow and fall off, after which the plant completely dies in a matter of days. To accurately determine the disease, you need to take a closer look at the symptoms.

Pelargonium diseases

1. Bacterial spot... The warm and humid microclimate causes the bacteria Xanthomonas campestris to appear on the plant. Because of them, the leaves of pelargonium turn brown and fall off, and black rot may appear on the stems.

How to avoid: Check if the seedlings are infected. Leave space between the plants when planting. Water the pelargonium in the morning, do not splash the water around. Look at the leaves more often, delete the suspicious ones. If signs of disease appear, treat the plants with copper sulfate.

2. Black legand / or black stem rot... This is usually a disease of the cuttings, but sometimes signs of damage can also be found on adult specimens. First, the stem turns black at the base, and then the disease gradually "rises" up.

How to avoid: Only remove cuttings from healthy plants. Do not water the pelargonium for a couple of weeks before pruning. Before planting, spill the soil with boiling water with the addition of potassium permanganate. Infected cuttings can be saved if they are treated with a fungicide in time.

3. Gray rot... Spots appear not only on the leaves, but also on the petals. The gray mold fungus develops on pelargoniums that grow in too cold and damp rooms. If at least one diseased specimen appears in the collection, then soon it can infect all nearby plants.

How to avoid: Inspect your plants regularly. Keep the pots at some distance from each other for good ventilation. Place the pelargoniums in a bright, dry place. If a gray-brown coating appears, treat the plants with a fungicide

Pelargonium is sick

4. Rust... Most often, this disease affects zoned pelargonium... At the same time, spots appear on the leaves: yellow - on the upper part of the plates, brown - on the bottom. After a while, the leaves are deformed and fall off. The fungus also affects stems and petioles.

How to avoid: Inspect flowers regularly. The disease can come to you with a sick "newbie" brought from the store. Treat new pelargoniums with a fungicide and keep them in quarantine for the first time.

Pelargonium pests

When growing pelargonium in flower beds, there is a chance that the plant will be interested cabbage caterpillars... They can be collected by hand or treated with 70% vinegar essence (1 tablespoon) diluted with 10 liters of water.

Colonies can settle on the underside of the leaf plate greenhouse whitefly... To get rid of this pest, it is enough to spray the leaves of pelargonium with water: the larvae are washed off, and the butterflies get wet and die.

At this time, it is already required to prune geraniums. After all, geranium is photophilous, and in winter there is little light, and the plant stretches out, becomes not very beautiful.

In geraniums, you need to cut the bare shoots to the height that you need (but not quite to the stump, of course), new branches will go from them.

Geranium or pelargonium pleases us with bright and lush flowering all summer long. This is an unpretentious and easy-to-care flower that is adapted to unfavorable conditions, but if the rules for care are violated, geranium does not bloom. In this article, you will learn how to make geraniums bloom profusely..

There are several varieties of geraniums. The most common pelargonium is zonal or garden, which is grown both in open ground, and in balcony boxes, pots, flowerpots. This plant forms a compact bush with rounded leaves and many peduncles - umbrellas on long legs.

There may be several reasons why geraniums do not bloom. - unsuitable soil, too large a pot, improper feeding or lack of it, lack of lighting, low temperature, improper watering, old plant.

In order for geraniums to be abundantly colored all summer, it is necessary to spend correct fit colors.

1. Geranium will not bloom until the roots of the plant completely encircle the ground in the pot... In pots of a suitable size, geranium blooms quickly, forms many peduncles with buds. For planting cuttings in a balcony box 15 x 20 cm deep and wide, 5-6 plants can be placed for a length of 1 meter. Thus, one plant should have 1.5-2 liters of soil, no more.

2. For planting geraniums, too nutritious soil is not needed, so as not to enhance the growth of greenery at the expense of flowering. Use regular garden soil to which you can add some peat and sand.

3. Lighting. For geraniums to start forming flower stalks, it needs the sun's rays, and the duration of daylight hours was about 12 hours, and preferably 15 hours. Such lighting conditions are created in spring and summer, therefore geranium blooms profusely at this time if it is located on a southern windowsill or in an open sunny place.

4. Temperature. Geranium is great outdoors in summer when temperatures are high, during the day it reaches 30 degrees, and at night it does not drop below +15 degrees. In hot summers, geraniums bloom profusely, as this plant loves sun and warmth.

5. Fertilizer. For abundant flowering geraniums need to be fed regularly with phosphorus and potassium... Fertilizer with nitrogen content, and especially organic fertilizing for flowers, should not be done, as they will begin to fatten. Top dressing of geraniums is done once every two weeks; for this purpose, you can use any liquid or dry fertilizer for flowering plants, potassium monophosphate is also great.

Watering with iodine water stimulates geranium flowering, for this 1 drop of iodine is dissolved in 1 liter of water.

6. Watering. For geraniums, drought is not as terrible as excessive watering, since due to excess moisture in the plant, the roots begin to rot. Pelargonium should be watered abundantly so that the entire volume of soil in the pot is saturated with moisture, but rarely. Re-water after the soil in the pot is dry. During the flowering period, watering is done more often, the drying out of the land should not be long, so that the plants do not reduce the splendor of flowering.

7. Only young plants bloom profuselytherefore, in February or early spring, it is recommended to root cuttings from old pelargoniums to get new plants for planting in balcony boxes or pots.

- the plant is very unpretentious. It is undemanding to temperature, watering and lighting, often survives in conditions where other plants die slowly.

However, it is sometimes difficult to achieve flowering of pelargonium.

For many, even inexperienced, flower growers, geraniums bloom annually, abundantly and for a long time. But this plant does not please other owners with flowers. Geraniums can grow for many years and have beautiful foliage, but not bloom. There are several reasons for this: an incorrectly selected pot, diseases of the root system, pests, a lack of a dormant period and an incorrect watering regime.

All the reasons why geranium does not bloom

The most common mistake in caring for geraniums is the lack of a dormant period. In a city apartment where pelargonium grows, it is not easy to find a cool place for a flower to winter. Therefore, most often for the winter, the plant is left on the windowsill.

Here the temperature is not lower than 20 ° C, which is not enough for wintering. Geranium continues to grow and does not rest before the spring vegetation and flowering. As a result, the shoots grown in winter turn out to be thin and weak, no buds are formed on them.

Also incorrect watering of the plant is often observed, lack of feeding and regular transplanting.

Inexperienced growers flood the plant, or vice versa, being afraid to flood, they greatly overdry the earthen lump. In such conditions, geranium spends all its strength on survival, but they no longer remain for flowering.

At the same time, its lower leaves turn yellow and dry out, only young leaf blades remain on the tops of the stems.

Also, with improper watering, the roots usually rot. In this case, you should not wait for flowering - you need to save the plant.

Flowering directly depends on feeding and transplanting pelargonium... When grown in depleted soil, the flower will not bud. With a lack of nutrition, it slows down growth, loses leaves and never blooms.

The size of the pot greatly affects the timing of budding. In large pots, pelargonium blooms only in the middle of summer. It also develops when planting cuttings in the spring in open ground.

Pelargonium is undemanding to temperature environment... Just too much low temperatures can harm the plant. Avoid placing the flower under an air conditioner or in cold draft areas. Here he can shed all the buds that have grown.

Geranium very rarely refuses to bloom with a lack or excess of lighting.... Under optimal growing conditions, it blooms even in partial shade or when direct sunlight hits its leaves. It is also extremely rare for her to have no flowers due to pest damage. Harmful insects do not often settle on pelargonium.

Pot size and transplant

Do not plant indoor pelargonium in too spacious. In it, the flower begins to grow intensively, forms many new shoots and leaves.

The rapid increase in leaf mass is reflected in flowering: The plant cannot grow leaves and form buds at the same time. Usually, the growth of greenery occurs at the expense of flowering. Geranium does not bloom or blooms very poorly.

You also need to make sure that the pot is not too tight for the flower.

The geranium pot must be selected so that the roots fit in it, but there was little free space around the edges - no more than 1 cm.

No annual replanting to fresh soil root system pelargonium grows strongly and comes out through the drainage holes. In a cramped pot, the flower greatly slows down its growth, its leaves turn yellow and dry out, and the buds stop forming. You also need to remember to replant the plant every year with the obligatory pruning of the roots.

This article is often read:

Geranium root diseases

Geranium is susceptible to fungal and bacterial lesions of the root system. These diseases are not immediately noticeable.

Often the flower still looks healthy for some time, but its growth slows down, and the buds do not form. Then, if no measures are taken, the plant will die quickly.

Most often, the roots of the plant get sick due to the abundance of moisture in the soil or high humidity air... In no case should the plant be flooded.

Geraniums are watered only when upper layer the earth in the pot dries up. The room where pelargonium grows must be regularly ventilated. If moisture stagnates in the soil, you need to check the drainage layer and replace it if it is clogged.

Damage by pests

They feed on plant sap, often infect pelargonium. Those flowers that are brought out into the open air in summer are especially affected.

Harmful insects primarily affect young shoots and buds. At the same time, the plant loses its decorative view, its leaves turn yellow and the buds fall off.

A plant affected by pests will not bloom. To wait for flowering, you need to treat the bush with insecticidal preparations, and then repeat the treatment until the insects are completely destroyed.

Lack of rest period

For the successful laying of buds in spring, geraniums must winter period kept at a low temperature.

In she rests and practically does not grow - this mode is natural for the plant. With the onset of heat, its intensive growth begins, and then buds and flowers appear.

If geranium is kept at room temperature in winter, it continues to grow as intensively during this period as in summer. She does not get rest before the spring growing season, so she does not have enough strength for flowering.

In winter, geraniums often do not have enough light, so the shoots are strongly stretched and weakened... Thin stems usually have no buds. Only when correct content plants in winter, you can admire its abundant and long flowering.

Why does geranium not bloom in winter - because the plant has a dormant period.

Improper watering and irregular feeding

Abundant and frequent watering will inevitably lead to root rot and death of the plant. In this mode, it does not bloom, but slowly dies. But even very poor watering will also not ensure its flowering.

The lack of moisture is reflected in its appearance: the leaves wither, turn yellow and fall off, the stems are bare. These are too harsh conditions for the development of pelargonium. It can survive for some time with a lack of water, but it will not bloom.

In order for geranium to form buds, you need to water it moderately and regularly.... The soil in the pot should always remain moist. Drying out of a clod of earth leads to drying out of the roots and death of the plant.

But you need to make sure that the water does not stagnate in the pot. This can be due to poor drainage, or if the roots are overgrowing and block the drainage hole. An annual root pruning will help avoid this.

Do not forget about feeding geraniums... During the growing season and flowering, the plant consumes a lot of nutrients and the soil in the pot is quickly depleted. Therefore, it is imperative to feed geraniums with complex mineral fertilizers in the spring and summer.

Top dressing is carried out every 2 weeks during the growing season and flowering. Fertilizers are applied only to wet soil.

Observing these simple rules care for room geranium, it is easy to achieve its abundant annual flowering. Healthy plants bloom from early spring to late summer, and sometimes until mid-autumn.

Other reasons

Now let's look at other reasons why geranium does not bloom.

Lighting

Geranium grows and blooms best in diffused lighting. In direct sunlight, burns can form on its leaves, and the resulting buds dry out and fall off.

Pelargonium should not be kept in partial shade and shade... Lack of lighting also greatly affects the flowering regime. Under these conditions, buds are laid much later, and sometimes pelargonium does not bloom at all.

Temperature regime

Geranium grows in a wide temperature range, but optimal for its growth and flowering is room temperature 20-25 ° C. At low temperatures in summer, the beginning of flowering can be delayed. The plant also reacts to cold drafts.

In winter, during the dormant period for zonal pelargonium, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of 10-15 ° C. In a warmer room, it continues to grow, stretches, which will definitely lead to poor flowering in spring and summer. But most ampelous varieties do not withstand temperatures below 12 ° C.

Irregular pruning and plant age

In order for the geranium to look like a lush bush and bloom profusely, it is necessary to carry out its formative pruning.

Consider how to prune geraniums to bloom.

Usually in the spring, before the beginning of the growing season, the geranium bush is heavily pruned, shortening all long shoots by 2/3. This stimulates the branching of the plant, and in the future, buds are laid on the top of each new shoot.

Inexperienced growers often and unsuccessfully try to achieve flowering of very old plants. It should not be forgotten that pelargonium grows well and blooms profusely for no more than 4-5 years. After that, it is better to renew the plant by cutting and rooting the cuttings.

How to make geraniums bloom

Pelargonium owners often complain that their plants refuse to bloom. To identify a care error, you must first examine the flower. According to him appearance you can immediately determine the reason for the failure.

If the plant looks nice and green, with many leaves and shoots, then the reason for the lack of flowering is too large a pot or too nutritious soil.

At the same time, the bush increases the leaf mass, and flowering will have to wait for a very long time. It is better to transplant the plant into a smaller pot, and use soil with less humus for planting.

The plant has very long and slender shoots. The reason for the lack of flowers is poor lighting.... Pelargonium looks the same in the absence of a dormant period, if it was not pruned in the spring. It is necessary to cut the plant, removing the weakest shoots, and shorten the rest by 2/3. After that, it needs to be rearranged in a more illuminated place.

The plant is losing leaves. The leaf blades dry along the edge, then turn yellow and fall off. Many "bald" shoots with leaves only at the tops. So pelargonium can react to lack of feeding and poor watering. It looks like very old plants that need to be replaced with young specimens.

Now you know how to care for geraniums to bloom.