Geraniums bloom in clusters, as beautiful as a painting

Geranium, also known as pelargonium and zonal geranium, is a perennial evergreen herbaceous or subshrub-like flower of the Geraniaceae family. Because of its beautiful flowers, rich colors, and ease of growing and care, it is deeply loved by the general public.

(1) Common varieties are divided into single-petaled and double-petaled types.

1. Horseshoe geranium (Pelargonium zonale): the leaf edges have horseshoe-shaped light brown halos, and it can be used for foliage viewing. The flowers also come in single-petaled and double-petaled types, and the flowers are also very beautiful. Other characteristics are the same as single-petaled geraniums.

2. Ivy geranium (Pelargonium peltatum): also called trailing geranium, with trailing stems and shield-shaped leaves, almost without fuzz, and it can be used for vertical greening. The flowers come in single-petaled and double-petaled types, and other characteristics are the same as single-petaled geraniums.

3. Butterfly geranium (Pelargonium domesticum): also called show geranium and zonal pelargonium, with slightly smaller leaves and relatively deep wrinkles, and leaf margins with serrated notches. The inflorescence has slightly fewer flowers, but the flowers are relatively large, and the stems are thick and strong. The flowers come in single-petaled and double-petaled types, and the flower shape and flower color are not greatly different from ordinary geraniums.

4. Scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens): also called scented leaf and touch-me-scent, often cultivated as a fragrance crop. The stems are short and thick, the old stems are dark brown, and the leaves are heart-shaped with slight wrinkles. The leaves are aromatic and can be used to extract essence. After touching the leaves with your hands, your hands will carry the fragrance, hence the name "touch-me-scent." The flowers cluster on creeping stems, white with a slight light pink, the size of mung beans, and sometimes they set fruit after flowering.

(2) Cultivation methods:

The suitable growth temperature for geraniums is 10-30°C. Long-term temperatures above 35°C or below 10°C will cause it to enter a dormant state, and below 3°C will cause frost damage. It is not very strict about soil requirements, and garden soil, humus soil, and organic fertilizer mixed evenly in a 6:2:1 ratio is sufficient. This kind of culture soil is quite suitable for cultivating geraniums.

Geraniums like light. If there is too little light, it will cause adverse effects such as elongated internodes and a small number of flowers.

Geraniums are not very strict about water requirements, and keeping the potting soil moist is sufficient. Adhere to the principle of "water thoroughly when dry." Too much water will cause root rot.

Geraniums usually hardly need pruning, and it is only necessary to promptly remove spent flowers and withered leaves. Generally speaking, geraniums cultivated for more than two years should be cut back in spring or autumn, cutting off everything above 15-20 cm from the surface of the potting soil, so that they send out new branches, and then lightly prune a little more. Only in this way will they bloom more.

Geraniums generally have their pots changed and soil replaced once a year, and spring and autumn are the best times.

Geraniums like fertilizer, and usually adding only a small amount of compound fertilizer each month is enough for them to grow well.

Geraniums are mostly propagated by cuttings, and spring and autumn are the best times.