2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
With good care, pelargonium not only actively and luxuriantly blooms, but also looks very decorative during the absence of buds, forming a beautiful branched indoor bush, densely dotted with rounded plates of bright green leaves. However, it is not always possible to grow such a gorgeous plant. Often, flower growers complain that pelargonium not only stops blooming, but also begins to stretch, losing leaves and drying out before our eyes. What leads to this state of the plant? And how to save your favorite flower?
Why does pelargonium start to stretch
Such a phenomenon as stretching and exposing the stem can be observed in the autumn-winter period. The main reason is the reduction in daylight hours. If the plant does not have enough light, it begins to stretch. And this rule applies not only to pelargonium, but also to other plants.
Moreover, when the flowers have been on the street and then return to our houses and apartments, in addition to the lack of lighting, another factor is imposed. Namely, a warm microclimate. This gives the plant a signal to grow. Therefore, pelargonium is drawn out with a vengeance - both due to lack of light and at elevated temperatures. Add to this the stress of the abrupt change of "place of residence" after the abrupt movement of the pots from the street to the roof of your house - and the foliage will not be long in coming either. As a result, we can observe the following picture: pelargonium gradually turns from a lush bush into a dull palm with a sparse bunch of greenery at the top.
How to keep a flower from pulling
There are two ways to save pelargonium from stretching:
• the first - to provide additional lighting in a warm room;
• the second is to organize a dormant period, that is, reduce the temperature and reduce watering.
If there is nothing to supplement the illumination, then it remains only to resort to the second method. To do this, leave a pot of pelargonium in the coolest room of your home. If it is hot in all rooms in autumn and winter, you can leave the window in the ventilation mode. Better yet, leave the flower on the veranda or on the insulated balcony.
Just don't send the pot to the cellar. Still, pelargonium requires light even during dormancy.
Care for pelargonium during rest
During this period, you do not need to be afraid to dry out the pots of pelargonium. After all, the flower is at rest. In addition, if you water the flowers in a cool room in the same way as in summer, then the roots will begin to rot.
Watering should be carried out when the leaves lose their elasticity. The water should be warm. In addition, it is useful to add to it a means of preventing rot - biofungicide. But you must forget about feeding until February.
If, nevertheless, the pelargoniums stretched out
If your pelargoniums stretched earlier, there is a solution. You just need to cut the flower. Then the side shoots will begin to grow. And the cut off top should be rooted. This way you can turn a sour lemon into a sweet lemonade, because you get two beautiful plants at once. The old bush will begin to branch better and grow overgrown with greenery. And a new young plant from an apical cutting will bloom even better after rooting. Because it is noticed that pelargoniums bloom more abundantly and brighter on young roots.
However, pruning should not be done in the fall or winter. Since the plant needs to provide a dormant period so that it gains strength. And if you cut them off now, it will spend energy on the formation of side shoots. And there will be no strength left for lush flowering in the next season. Therefore, pruning should be postponed until February-March. In the meantime, the pot should be left in a cool place and watering should be reduced to a minimum.
These are the rules that will keep your flower pots in good shape and help the pelargonium overwinter without problems and without disease.
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