How to Plant Geranium Seeds? A Detailed Guide to the Method
Geranium, also known as zonal geranium and fish geranium, originated in southern Africa and is now widely cultivated around the world. Next, let us learn about growing geraniums.
Geraniums are naturally robust and rarely troubled by pests or diseases; they are also highly adaptable and can grow in all kinds of soil, but grow best in sandy loam rich in humus; they like sunlight, prefer warmth, tolerate drought slightly, fear waterlogging, and cannot stand the intense heat of midsummer or exposure to scorching sun. When summer arrives, the plants stop growing, the leaves age, and they enter a semi-dormant state. At this point, they can be moved to a shaded spot outdoors, liquid fertilizer should be stopped, watering should be done on schedule, and on rainy days the pots should be laid on their sides to prevent waterlogging and root rot.
By September, when the heat has passed and the weather is pleasant, the pots can be repotted and the soil changed. First cut the branches short, leaving only about 10 cm at the base of each branch, so that new buds sprout and new branches replace the old ones. Geraniums should be watered moderately; the potting soil must not be too wet, and it is best if the soil is semi-dry half a day after watering.
Geranium propagation is mainly by cuttings, mostly carried out in spring and autumn, though those with greenhouse facilities can also take cuttings in winter. Generally, spring cuttings can bloom between New Year and Spring Festival; autumn cuttings can bloom by the end of April. Use new or old branches as cuttings, but tip cuttings from young shoots grow best after rooting. Choose cuttings about 10 cm long, keep two to three leaves at the upper end; if using old branches, they can also be without leaves. After slightly drying the cut end in the shade, insert it into clean sandy soil. The sandy soil should be kept slightly moist, never soaked. First place it in semi-shade to keep the leaves from wilting, then after three to five days gradually expose it to sunlight. Roots generally form in about two weeks, and once the roots are 3 to 4 cm long, the plant can be potted up.
Conditions for Planting Geranium Seeds
Soil selection: Geraniums are suited to growing in sandy soil; mixing some sandy soil into the soil bought at the flower market is more beneficial to geranium growth.
Weather effects: Strong winds can snap geraniums, while heavy rain can cause the roots of geraniums to be soaked in rainwater, resulting in a lack of oxygen for root respiration and thus rot.
How to Plant Geranium Seeds
Geraniums like warm winters and cool summers and enjoy sunlight, so geranium seeds can be planted in both spring and autumn, with indoor pot sowing in spring being preferable. The suitable germination temperature is 20-25°C. Geranium seeds are not large, so after sowing, do not cover them with soil too deeply; they germinate in about 2-5 days. With autumn sowing, they can bloom the following summer. Seedlings grown from seed can be selected to breed excellent intermediate-type varieties.
Under suitable conditions, geranium seeds begin to germinate on the day of sowing, and the radicle emerges in about 1-3 days, up until the cotyledons unfold. Cover with coarse vermiculite to maintain moisture. Light is not required for germination, but providing 100-1000 lux of light will increase the germination rate and reduce the chance of leggy growth. From the 1st to the 3rd day after sowing, until the young roots appear, keep the medium saturated; from the 4th to the 8th day, reduce it to moist; from the 9th day onward, keep the medium alternately wet and dry. Keep air humidity at 100% until the young roots appear, then reduce it to 40%.
After the cotyledons unfold, to ensure that the environmental conditions are suitable and the nutrient supply is sufficient during the vegetative growth period, so that the plants can smoothly enter the flowering induction stage, generally they are planted in the ground in the south, while in the north they are best grown in pots and overwintered indoors. When planting in the ground, choose a spot that does not easily become waterlogged, and the soil should be loose, fertile, well-drained sandy loam. For pot cultivation, use a growing medium mixed with leaf mold, garden soil and sand. Before planting, first place a piece of tile at the bottom of the pot to aid drainage. After tending for a period, move it into a larger pot; at this point, apply an appropriate amount of decomposed barnyard manure in the pot as a base fertilizer, then fill in the growing medium on top, making sure the roots do not come into direct contact with the base fertilizer.
The above is the complete summary I have put together for you on how to plant geranium seeds. I hope this article can help everyone. Please also continue to follow us.