How to grow scented geranium (rose geranium)? A detailed guide to cultivation methods

Scented geranium (rose geranium)

Scientific name: pelargonium graveolens

Aliases: Momoxiang, Xiangyangkuai.

Family and genus: Geraniaceae, Pelargonium.

Morphological characteristics: perennial herb or shrub, up to 1m tall, stems erect, base woody, upper part fleshy, densely covered with glossy soft hairs, fragrant. Leaves alternate; stipules broadly triangular or broadly ovate, 6~9 mm long; apex acute; petiole nearly as long as the leaf blade, covered with soft hairs; leaf blade 2~10 cm in diameter, palmately 5~7-lobed to the middle or nearly to the base, lobes oblong or lanceolate, the edges of the small lobes irregularly toothed or serrate, both surfaces covered with long rough hairs. Umbel inflorescence, opposite the leaves, with 5~12 flowers; bracts ovate, covered with short soft hairs, edges with green hairs; pedicels 3~8 mm long or nearly sessile, sepals oblong-ovate, green, 6~9 mm long, 2~3 mm wide, apex acute; petals rose-colored or pink, twice as long as the sepals, apex obtuse-rounded, the upper 2 larger; stamens nearly as long as the sepals, expanded at the lower part. Capsule about 2 cm long, covered with soft hairs. Flowering period May~July, fruiting period August~September.

Ecological habits: prefers warmth, not cold-tolerant, optimum growth temperature 22~30°C. Prefers ample light, drought-tolerant, afraid of waterlogging, suitable for well-drained fertile loam.

Cultivation management: mainly propagated by cuttings, mostly carried out in the two seasons of spring and autumn each year. When cultivated as an annual crop, seedlings are generally raised in a greenhouse or hotbed in the winter of the previous year; the cuttings use well-developed mature new shoots about 15 cm long, retaining 1~2 top leaves. After rooting, 8~10°C must be maintained. After the late frost of the following year, plant out, with a row spacing of 50~60 cm. During the growing period, apply organic fertilizer and ammonium sulfate, superphosphate, potassium fertilizer, etc., and pay attention to preventing damage from aphids and red spiders. Each year in June~July and mid-October, one harvest can be made, and more can be harvested 3~4 times.

Application: in courtyards it can decorate flower beds and flower borders; as a potted plant it can accent living rooms; it can also be used as a cut flower. The stems and leaves can repel mosquitoes and insects.

Basic information about scented geranium:

Scented geranium is a type of geranium native to southern Africa, especially South Africa. They are sometimes called cranesbill or mosquito-repellent grass because they belong to the same family Geraniaceae, but they actually belong to the genus Pelargonium. Scented geranium holds a very important position in the perfume industry. They are widely cultivated and the leaves are distilled for fragrance.

Scented geranium is widely popular because the plant has a volatile aroma. It can be used to make essential oil, whose main components are geraniol, citronellol, linalool, etc. Scented geranium has many scents, including rose, citrus, mint, coconut and cardamom, as well as various fruit flavors. Because cultivation and management are easy and essential oil yield is high, it can be used as a substitute for other essential oils with low yield, such as rose essential oil or neroli essential oil.

A common name for scented geranium is rose geranium.

In addition, the leaves of scented geranium are not the "bay leaf" used as a culinary spice. Bay leaf is the leaf of the laurel tree.

Is scented geranium toxic?

Geranium essential oil is formed from more than 30 kinds of terpenoid compounds and their derivatives, and its main components are geraniol (geraniol), citronellol (citronellol), linalool (linalool), citronellyl formate (citronellyl formate), geranyl formate (geranyl formate) and menthone (menthone), etc. Scented geranium oil can be used as a substitute for rose oil, to blend essences, and as an additive for foods, soaps and toothpaste, etc.

Through the inheritance behavior of plant flower color or leaf spots, etc., it is helpful to establish a genetic model for the aroma components of scented geranium. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry) was used to analyze the aroma components of scented geranium. From these results, its inheritance behavior was deduced, and then the correctness of the model was verified through controlled cross combinations. The purpose is to provide material selection for future cross-breeding, or to find special components from the aroma, as a means of variety identification for scented geranium.

Overall, geranium is not very toxic, but the fine particles released by geranium can cause skin allergies and itching in people, so it is better not to use it during pregnancy.

Cultivation methods for scented geranium:

1. Soil:Geranium requires fertile, well-drained soil. For potting soil, use 1/3 leaf mold, 1/3 chaff ash, and 1/3 garden soil, then add a small amount of superphosphate and mix evenly.

2. Watering:Geranium is drought-tolerant and afraid of water accumulation. Therefore, during growth, the principle should be: "do not water when dry, water thoroughly when watering, better dry than wet," and control water appropriately. Too much watering and excessive water content in the potting soil will cause leggy growth or root rot. In spring and autumn when growth and flowering are vigorous, water a little more, but it should still be appropriate to keep the potting soil moist. In winter when the temperature is low, the plant grows slowly, so water as little as possible.

3. Light:Geranium originates from South Africa and prefers environmental conditions with ample sunlight, warmth and good ventilation. In spring and early summer when the light is not too intense, the flower pot can be placed in a place with ample light so it receives sufficient light, but in the hot seasons of midsummer and early autumn, it should be placed in a shaded place, avoiding direct strong light, otherwise the branches and leaves will be scorched.

4. Temperature:The optimum growth temperature is 15-25°C. It is not tolerant of high temperatures and grows poorly in summer.

5. Fertilizing:During cultivation, in addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer, during the growing season, especially at the peak of flowering, apply a thin liquid fertilizer once every 7-10 days. Diluting decomposed livestock and poultry manure with water is even better, and decomposed cake fertilizer water can also be used for watering. 3-5 days before fertilizing, water less or not at all; watering when the potting soil is on the dry side is more conducive to root absorption.

6. Pruning:To make the plant shape attractive and produce more flowers, if the plant grows too vigorously in spring, thinning and pruning can be carried out. After flowering, promptly cut off faded flowers and overly dense branches. During the dormant period, prune once more, cutting off yellowing old leaves, thinning out overly dense branches, and shortening overly long branches, so that after the dormant period ends, new branches can sprout and continue to form buds and bloom. In addition, geranium itself has a special odor and is rarely attacked by pests. So no control is needed.

Scented geranium essential oil price

Scented geranium is an excellent herbaceous flower, and it is most popular in the perfume world, so it is widely made into essential oil, etc. A drop of scented geranium essential oil makes people feel relaxed and comfortable. As for the price of scented geranium, generally only a few dozen yuan is enough to buy a bottle; of course, for some high-end essential oil products, the price is over a hundred yuan.

Afu Essential Oil Geranium Essential Oil 10ml Price: ¥238.00

Isilandon Geranium Single Essential Oil 10ml Price: ¥129.00

British AA Network Essential Oil Geranium Essential Oil 10ml Price: ¥79.00

AFU Afu Geranium Essential Oil 10ml Price: ¥188.00

Meishantang Geranium Single Essential Oil 10ml Price: ¥219.00

Qianzilan Authentic Pure Plant Geranium Single Essential Oil Second Generation 10ml Price: ¥185.00

Florihana Rose Geranium Essential Oil 5g Price: ¥192.00

Is scented geranium toxic? From the above introduction, I believe everyone can understand that scented geranium is not toxic, but it causes allergic reactions in some people, so if you are allergic to scented geranium, do not use it. For more information about indoor plants, please follow the Flowers section.

How to cultivate scented geranium, scented geranium price, scented geranium pictures

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      Because the stems, leaves and flowers of scented geranium all contain volatile aroma, scented geranium oil can be extracted. Because cultivation and management are easy and essential oil yield is high, many people like to grow it. So how is scented geranium cultivated? Today the editor will briefly introduce how to cultivate scented geranium and show everyone scented geranium pictures.


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      How to cultivate scented geranium: scented geranium requires fertile, well-drained soil. For potting soil, use 1/3 leaf mold, 1/3 chaff ash, and 1/3 garden soil, then add a small amount of superphosphate and mix evenly. Choose robust-growing 1-year-old branches with short internodes for cuttings.
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       After the cuttings grow new leaves, they can be potted and given ample light. During the growing period, topdress once every 10 days. Grasp the principle for potting soil: “do not water when dry, water thoroughly when watering”. In the high-temperature season of July-August, the leaves turn yellow, indicating that the plant has entered a dormant state; at this time place it in a cool, ventilated place and prevent rain from falling on it.
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      Scented geranium originates from South Africa and prefers environmental conditions with ample sunlight, warmth and good ventilation. In spring and early summer when the light is not too intense, the flower pot can be placed in a place with ample light so it receives sufficient light, but in the hot seasons of midsummer and early autumn, it should be placed in a shaded place, avoiding direct strong light, otherwise the branches and leaves will be scorched.
.....

.....

      How to cultivate scented geranium: scented geranium is drought-tolerant and afraid of water accumulation. Therefore, during growth, control water appropriately. Too much watering and excessive water content in the potting soil will cause leggy growth or root rot. In spring and autumn when growth and flowering are vigorous, water a little more, but it should still be appropriate to keep the potting soil moist. In winter when the temperature is low, the plant grows slowly, so water as little as possible.
.....

.....

      During cultivation of scented geranium, in addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer, during the growing season, especially at the peak of flowering, apply a thin liquid fertilizer once every 7-10 days. Diluting decomposed livestock and poultry manure with water is even better, and decomposed cake fertilizer water can also be used for watering. 3-5 days before fertilizing, water less or not at all; watering when the potting soil is on the dry side is more conducive to root absorption.
.....

.....

      To make the plant shape attractive and produce more flowers, if scented geranium grows too vigorously in spring, thinning and pruning can be carried out. After flowering, promptly cut off faded flowers and overly dense branches. During the dormant period, prune once more, cutting off yellowing old leaves, thinning out overly dense branches, and shortening overly long branches, so that after the dormant period ends, new branches can sprout and continue to form buds and bloom. In addition, geranium itself has a special odor and is rarely attacked by pests, so no control is needed.
.....

.....

      Because the stems, leaves and flowers of scented geranium all contain volatile aroma, scented geranium oil can be extracted. Its main components are geraniol, rose alcohol, citronellol, linalool, etc. What is generally sold on the market is scented geranium essential oil, commonly used in cosmetics, priced at several hundred yuan per kilogram, while the price of the scented geranium plant is not expensive: seedlings cost a little over one yuan each, and potted scented geranium only costs a little over ten yuan.
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      Scented geranium can be used outdoors to decorate rock gardens, flower beds and flower borders, and as a potted plant it can accent living rooms, rooms, meeting halls and other public places; it is very suitable for home cultivation. Today the editor's introduction to how to cultivate scented geranium and the price of scented geranium ends here. Thank you all for accompanying the editor in enjoying the scented geranium pictures.