Pelargonium (geranium): 70 photos, types and care

Kalachiki plant (geranium, pelargonium): home care, photo + video

Today we will talk about rolls or geraniums (pelargonium), which have been the most famous and popular home ornamental plants for many years.
I also have such flowers in my flower collection, and over time I began to grow quite a lot of varieties. The rolls are very unpretentious, the flowering is magnificent, and care is quite simple. Of course, there are some peculiarities in care, but they are simple, and even a novice gardener can grow such a plant. I want to share my experience of caring for rolls or geraniums at home.

Short description

Everyone knows this plant and loves it. In total, more than 400 species of rolls are known in the world, which can be annual or perennial. Almost all varieties bloom for almost a whole year and are a decoration for any interior.

Advantages of rolls (geraniums)

Some time ago, this plant lost popularity due to the appearance of other exotic flowers, but now it is again regaining its leading position in home flower collections of gardeners. Geranium has a number of undeniable advantages.
Firstly, this is a brightly flowering beautiful plant that has a long flowering period and does not require special care.
Secondly, the rolls have a specific aroma and healing properties. The smell drives away many pests, including indoor ones.
Kalachiki can be grown both indoors and in the garden. There are a lot of varieties, and you can choose to suit every taste. The plant was brought from South Africa. From the 15th to 16th centuries it became a favorite, first in the homes of aristocrats, as a decorative and elegant plant, and then gained popularity among all segments of the population.

Features of cultivation - general recommendations

In winter, this flower needs to be kept at a cooler air temperature than in other months of the year. However, it should not be less than +10 degrees.
Unlike many indoor flowers, kalachiki (geranium) is not afraid of the sun and loves it very much. You can place this flower on the south side, and it will delight you with lush greenery and beautiful inflorescences.
The plant is exotic and tropical, so it can delight its owners with flowering almost 365 days a year. To do this, you need to provide good care and the right amount of light.
In order for the bush to grow in breadth and be fluffy, you need to periodically pinch the tops of the branches. Flowers that have bloomed should be removed immediately so that they do not take nutrients from the plant. Plants also need pruning.
Kalachiki rarely get sick, and the cause is poor care and excessive watering. Gray rot and black leg are a consequence of waterlogging of the soil.

Winter care

Geraniums do not tolerate cold well. Therefore, all care for pelargonium in winter consists of caring for the flower, which boils down to keeping it in a sunny, warm place. Even the slightest cold snap can cause pelargonium to die.

One way to preserve the balls in winter is to place them in spacious pots that allow the roots to grow freely. Then you need to trim the geranium, leaving only half or a third of the plant in height. You should also not forget about regular watering and a sunny location.

We care for rolls (geraniums, pelargoniums)

As already mentioned, care is the simplest and minimal, but if you do everything correctly, the plant will bloom constantly and will have a healthy appearance and a lush crown.

Place

The main rule is that there should be a lot of sun, the south side is the ideal place for the plant. Only on very hot and dry days can you shade the window a little so that the leaf plates do not get burned.
If you place the plant in the shade or in a damp corner where windows open and there are drafts, the balls will react with yellowing leaves and a lack of flowering.

Watering

It is strictly not recommended to water the rolls with cold tap water containing a high content of chlorine and lime. Only warm water is used, which is pre-settled. You can use filtered.

During the autumn and winter months, watering is carried out several times a week as the top layer of soil dries. On hot summer or spring days, water the soil in the pot daily. But you can’t overfill it, so that the root system doesn’t start to rot.

Be sure to make a drainage layer in the flowerpot where the geranium grows so that moisture does not stagnate in the root system. The pot is not very large in size. It is necessary that the roots completely occupy the entire volume. In a pot that is too large, the flower will not bloom until the root system grows.

Humidity

This plant does not tolerate spraying or showering. Also, do not wipe the foliage with wet wipes. This procedure can only be carried out very rarely when the flower becomes too dusty. High humidity has an extremely negative effect on the rolls.
If there are plants nearby that need increased moisture and spraying, then try not to get on the geranium.

Temperature

Kalachiki grow well at normal room temperature throughout the year. In the autumn - winter period, the air temperature should be within +10 - 15 degrees. It is worth moving the pot with the balls to the windowsill or to a room that is not so heated.

Fertilizers

It is strictly not recommended to add organic matter to the soil. Geranium tolerates it extremely negatively.
During the growing season (growth and flowering), you need to apply fertilizers for indoor flowering plants. The scheme is no more than several times every 30 days.
Fertilizers are applied in liquid form. It is advisable to combine it with watering.
During the development period and for longer and more abundant flowering, you can use the following feeding recipe: dissolve 1 drop of regular iodine in 1 liter of water. You need to water along the walls of the pot so as not to burn the root system.

Trimming

This procedure is usually carried out in the autumn. Leave shoots that should have only 6 - 8 leaves.
It is necessary to remove branches that grow not from the soil, but from the axils of the leaf blades.
In the third ten days of February and until the beginning of March, pruning can also be done. Remove the branches and leave only a few buds on the shoots.
Use the branches that you cut for propagation. Makes excellent cuttings.
If you want to make the bush of balls more luxuriant and denser, pinch out the top parts of the branches, leaving 4 - 5 leaves.
In winter, pruning is not carried out.

How to care for geraniums

Caring for geraniums at home, photos of which are easy to find, has borne fruit; basic conditions must be met:

Geranium feels great at room temperature: in summer it can fluctuate in the range of +20-25 degrees, in winter it should not fall below +10-14 degrees. It is better to choose a place away from drafts.
But the flower is more capricious when it comes to light: the plant can even be left in direct sunlight without fear of harm, since the lack of light leads to the shrinking of leaves and flowers. The only thing that may be required is to turn the pot from time to time so that the plant is formed on all sides. In winter, the lack of light is compensated by fluorescent lamps. If there is not enough light, the leaves will begin to rapidly turn pale.
The simplest commercial universal soil is suitable for geraniums. You can prepare it yourself by mixing 1 part of turf and foliage, one and a half parts of humus and half of sand. It is necessary to put drainage at the bottom of the pot.
The flower loves moisture and requires regular and frequent watering. In this case, water should not stagnate in the pot or fall on the leaves. High humidity is also contraindicated. You can use settled tap water; rain and melt moisture are also suitable. In winter, it is necessary to reduce the frequency of watering by half, since the plant is dormant.
Replanting is required only if the pot has become small. You should not choose large pots: geranium does not treat them well and blooms profusely only in “crowded conditions.” The optimal dimensions will be: height 12 cm, diameter – 12-15 cm.
The plant is not demanding on complementary foods and is content with standard mineral fertilizers. They are applied twice a month from March to September. You can also use specialized fertilizers for geraniums.
To create a beautiful appearance, you can occasionally trim the top and side branches, as well as remove dry leaves and flowers.
Pelargonium is propagated by cuttings at any time of the year.

How to replant rolls

The flower does not really need such a procedure. In addition, the rolls do not like to be transplanted, so this event should not be carried out too often and unless absolutely necessary.

The plant needs to be replanted only when the roots begin to peek out of the pot. It is recommended to plant or replant a flower only in the first half of spring, when the growing season begins.

Choose a new pot that is only a few centimeters larger than the previous one. In a pot that is too large, flowering will not occur soon.

Be sure to place a layer of drainage at the bottom of the flowerpot, and then fill it with regular universal soil for flowers. You can only use garden or vegetable soil.

Reproduction methods

There are several basic methods that gardeners use when breeding rolls. Let's see what is needed for these events.

Seed method

Unlike many plants, this option for propagating geraniums does not present any difficulties at all. The seed material germinates very well and the germination rate is almost 100%.
If you plant seeds from balls that you have at home, the grown plant will differ from the mother plant, as it will lose its varietal characteristics. This is especially true for hybrids.
You can prepare a nutritious soil mixture yourself, mix the following components: 1 part - peat, 1 part - river sand, 1 part - turf soil. Before planting, you need to moisten the soil. After planting, sprinkle the seeds on top with the same soil. You can sprinkle a layer of moistened sand no more than 1.5 cm.
Before planting, the soil is disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate so that the rolls do not get sick with such a dangerous disease as “blackleg”.
Next, the planted seeds are covered with film or glass and the temperature is maintained at +18 - 20 degrees. When the seeds germinate, the shelter must be removed and the temperature reduced slightly to +16 - 20 degrees. Place the container in a sunny place.
After 2 months, several independent adult leaves will grow. Then you need to carry out the picking procedure, that is, plant the sprouts in separate small pots.
If there are 5 - 6 leaves, it is advisable to pinch the upper parts of the shoots so that the crown becomes lush and grows.

Cuttings

Sprouts can be harvested after pruning and throughout the year. But the strongest cuttings will be those cut in the spring.
Their length should be 7 - 8 cm, leave a few leaves on each. Next, dry the sprout for 24 hours, and treat the cut area with finely crushed activated carbon.
Then plant the sprout in a nutrient substrate. It should be very loose; you can even use moistened sand.
When moistening the substrate, avoid getting moisture on the leaves and stems of the plant. The room temperature should be about 22 degrees Celsius.
There is no need to cover the cuttings. When the cuttings take root, they are then transplanted into permanent pots.

Propagating geraniums at home

Pelargonium is propagated mainly by cuttings. Mother plants (for cuttings) are kept in bright places at a temperature of 10 - 15 degrees, the emerging buds are broken out.

From 5 to 10 cuttings are taken from one plant. They are cut from March to July with 3 - 5 leaves. Before planting, geranium cuttings are slightly dried and then planted.

Substrate for planting cuttings: turf, leaf, compost soil (4:4:1) and sand in a layer of 2 - 3 cm. I plant at a distance of 7 x 7 cm. When watering, the leaves are not wetted. Zonal geranium takes root very well in perlite.

Rooted early cuttings are planted in pots with a diameter of 9 cm and fed through watering. Geranium blooms in June. Adult geraniums are fed each time or skipping one watering.

The soil mixture for planting should be nutritious: peat, turf soil, humus, sand (1:1:1:1).

Summer to October. geraniums must be watered with mineral fertilizers with microelements, and fertilizing is resumed from January - February.

You can buy universal soil from commercial soil, but you need to add humus, perlite and sand to it.

Pelargonium obtained from summer cuttings is transferred into pots with a diameter of 9-11 cm in August or March of the following year. In winter, they are kept in a bright place at the desired temperature of 6-12 degrees.

At this temperature, the maximum number of buds is formed. This geranium blooms in April. If pelargonium is used for summer ground flower beds, vases or balconies, then with the onset of frost it is transferred indoors.

In winter, geraniums are watered moderately; in February they are pruned, using the removed parts for cuttings. At home, the flower develops well in a sunny window. The optimal temperature for growing in summer is 18 - 22 degrees. Loves fresh air.

Types of pelargonium.

Pelargonium is one of the most popular potted plants for the home. Often in everyday life it is called geranium or kalachik, although in fact they are not the same thing. Pelargonium zonalis is more common in home floriculture. It can bloom throughout the year and does not have a pronounced dormant period.

There is an unimaginable number of varieties of zonal geraniums. They differ in height, color, shape, etc. Depending on the shape of the flowers, double, non-double and semi-double varieties are distinguished. Ampelous geranium is also quite widespread in indoor floriculture. It is used for landscaping balconies and loggias, as well as for growing in hanging pots.

Royal pelargonium deserves special attention. It is more demanding in terms of maintenance conditions, but is distinguished by greater decorative appeal due to large flowers of heterogeneous color.

Description of the mallow

Mallow, or mallow, is a herbaceous plant from the Malvaceae family. The stems of the crop are branched, up to 120 cm long, and can be either straight or creeping. The root is taprooted, thin, with numerous lateral branches. The leaves are rounded-heart-shaped with several lobes and a serrated edge, up to 6 cm in length, with bare or slightly pubescent sides. The color of the leaf plates of the mallow is rich green and bright.

Mallow, mallow or kalachiki, is a perennial plant with pronounced medicinal properties.

From July to August the plant bears small whitish-pink buds. On the stalks they are located one at a time, but at the same time the mallow is covered with inflorescences abundantly, so in mid-summer it becomes very decorative. Upon completion of flowering, fruits appear in place of the buds - schizocarps in scientific language and “kalachiki” in popular parlance. Both the fruits and other parts of the mallow are completely suitable for internal consumption; they do not have poisonous properties.

The buds of the mallow are located close to each other and form beautiful abundant flowering

The perennial is native to Central Asia, but currently it grows almost all over the world. In Russia you can see kalachi in Crimea and the Krasnodar Territory, in Siberia and the Far East, in the middle zone. Mostly, mallow is found near roads and in vacant lots, in parks and vegetable gardens.

Attention! There are several dozen varieties of mallow; they differ in height and shade of flowers, but are the same in terms of medicinal properties.

Geranium is easy to care for.

Watering. Water pelargonium as the soil dries. The plant loves abundant watering, but it is strictly forbidden to overwater it - this leads to rotting and the occurrence of diseases.

Light. The plant is light-loving. Can tolerate light partial shade. On northern windowsills, additional lighting is needed for flowering.

The soil. Indoor geranium grows well in neutral and slightly alkaline soils. To reduce the acidity of the soil, you can add a little ash to the substrate, which is also a good fertilizer. In general, the plant does not require nutritious soil. And even the presence of a ventilated and loose substrate is not necessary. The main thing is to ensure good drainage, which will avoid stagnation of water in the soil and rotting of the root system.

Fertilizer. Like most plants, geranium responds well to fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. However, overuse of fertilizers can lead to chemical burns. Also, you should not feed the plant with organic fertilizers; it is better to purchase a special fertilizer for pelargonium or decorative flowering indoor plants with a high content of phosphorus and potassium. The royal pelargonium will be especially grateful to you for this.

Temperature. If in the spring-summer period geranium feels good at a temperature of 20-25°C, then in winter it needs to create cool conditions - up to 15-16°C. This is especially true for royal geranium, for which the optimal temperature in winter is 10-13°C. Dry air is also harmful to the plant, but geranium does not like spraying. It is enough to place a container of water next to the plant or use special air humidifiers to ensure normal care during the wintering period. Too dry air and high temperatures do not allow pelargonium to gain strength for the new season, and often in spring, instead of a luxurious and lush bush, you can see elongated pale green branches that are not able to bloom profusely.

Trimming. In spring the plant needs pruning.

Young pelargoniums are pinched from above, leaving 4 to 8 internodes for branching. Adult geraniums are pruned to improve their appearance: elongated stems, yellowed leaves and diseased branches are removed. The plant does not require severe pruning; cosmetic shaping is sufficient.

Transfer. To get a profusely flowering plant, it must be transplanted into a small diameter pot. In spacious pots, pelargonium develops and bushes better, but produces fewer flowers. Geraniums are replanted as needed: if they have outgrown the pot or need to update the substrate.

Reproduction. Geraniums are propagated in two ways: cuttings and seeds. The first method is the most popular: the plants quickly take root and grow.

Propagation by seeds is used to obtain more hardy and abundantly flowering plants. Geranium seeds are small and elongated. Germination rate is not too high, so a lot of seeds are planted. Surface sowing in a moist, well-drained substrate. The first shoots appear within a month.

Types of pelargonium

The genus Pelargonium unites about 250 species of different plants of the geranium family. Among them there are herbaceous ones, as we are used to seeing them, and shrubs. The plant called geranium is classified as a separate genus. But often the indoor flower pelargonium is called geranium. The name of the flower comes from the Greek word “pelargos”, which means “stork”. After all, its flowers resemble the head of this bird. We usually call it a kalachik. This is probably due to the round shape of the leaves.

All numerous types of pelargonium, or kalachik, are conventionally divided into:

The hanging ones grow downwards, the bush ones - upwards.

Zonal Kalachiki are plants with beautiful flowers that can have 5, up to 8 (semi-double) or more (double) petals.

Sometimes it's hard to believe that these are all balls. Flowers (photo) can be of a wide variety of shapes.

They are collected in a hemispherical umbrella. Various colors: from white, salmon, pink to burgundy, almost black. There are only pure yellow and blue balls. Flowers are often two colors. In this case, their location can be like this:

inside – light, outside – darker;
rim around the edge of the petal;
different petals are painted in different colors.

The leaves can also be monochromatic or with multi-colored zones (that’s why the ball is called zonal). They can even be three colors. Varieties with very brightly colored leaves are classified as a separate subspecies. Their colors can be red, brown, yellow, white, purple.

Royal (English grandiflora) flowers are so large that they reach a diameter of six centimeters. They, like a princess, require special care. In winter, they need to be illuminated, and the temperature should not be higher than 10 degrees, otherwise flower buds will not form. And they bloom for only 3-4 months.

Rolls of this species are distinguished by dark burgundy spots or dark stripes near the veins on the lower petals.

Kalachiki “Angels” have flowers similar to violas. The 30 cm tall bush blooms all summer.

Many pelargoniums have a strong odor. This flower is called fragrant pelargonium. It blooms with small purple or pink flowers. All its charm lies in its dissected leaves, which smell like mint, lemon, lilac, pine needles, pineapple, roses and many other aromatic plants. Geranium oil is extracted from the leaves of this plant.

Ampelous rolls have stems up to a meter long with small ivy-like leaves and multi-colored buds.

There are also succulent balls, but they are not common here. They are used to create bonsai-style compositions.

The geranium bush grows in height from 10 cm (miniature) to 60 centimeters. But it can be higher, reaching 80 cm (airines). There are also microminiature rolls, the height of which is less than 10 cm.

The plant blooms in our latitudes from late March to November.

What is pelargonium

Pelargonium is native to African savannas. The heat-loving crop easily tolerates dry air. Plants of this genus have straight and creeping branched stems. They have slightly pubescent leaves, round in shape, palmate or palmately dissected. The color of the foliage of different species varies from light green to emerald. Some representatives of the genus have light leaf blades with dark patterns.

The umbrella-shaped inflorescences of the culture consist of 20 five-petaled flowers. Their petals are painted in white, yellow and red in all shades. Varieties with double flowers have been bred. The fruit is a capsule with retained sepals.

Description of geranium

Pelargonium is a source of valuable geranium oil. The flower secretes phytoncides that kill microbes. In cosmetology, indoor geranium extract is used as a component of masks for the face and hair. In folk medicine, geranium oil is used against inflammation, stress, and to improve blood circulation.

Pelargonium species

“Granny's little balls” is what the common people called the most common (zonal) types of pelargonium. Today there are about 75 thousand varieties and hybrids of the crop. The species diversity is impressive in the shape of the flowers and the brightness of the inflorescences:

Rose-bud Zonal. Double showy flowers look like roses. In inflorescence they look like a miniature bouquet. A rare species found in the collections of experienced flower growers.
Tulipe-bud. The tulip-shaped variety was obtained through a spontaneous mutation of the plant. The inflorescences look like a bouquet of unopened tulips.
Stellar Zonal. Due to the pointed shape of the petals, pelargonium is called “star-shaped”. Varieties with double flowers of various colors have been bred.
Cactus. The flowers of cactus-shaped pelargonium are large, with pointed, needle-shaped petals. The inflorescence has a perky “disheveled” appearance.
Carnation. The inflorescences look like a miniature bouquet of carnations. The edges of the petals are serrated.
Ivy-leaved. The ampelous leaves are similar to the leaf blades of ivy. Creeping stems can reach about 1 m in length. The flowers are often double. The variegated species is distinguished by dark leaves with a light web-like pattern and an inflorescence of simple 5-leaf flowers.
Regal Pelargonium. Each flower is up to 7 cm in diameter. Its contrasting shades, veins highlighted in a different color, variegated spots, specks are a distinctive feature of the species. Flowers can have single or double petals.
Angel. An ampelous appearance with a lush green mass and small flowers of delicate color. The middle or edging of light petals is often burgundy (red).
Unique. The “Unicum” species combines several varieties with small petals of a multi-color palette. The leaves are intricately dissected. There are varieties with corrugated foliage, which emits an unusual smell. For example, the leaves of the Paton's Unique species smell fruity.

Pelargonium varieties

Reproduction

Kalachik is a flower that is easily propagated by cuttings. They are broken off or cut off from the side branches or tops. The length of the cutting should be from 5 to 7 centimeters and have at least two leaves. Plant immediately in a permanent place in light soil. The cut area is treated with ash.

You can take cuttings all year round. But it is better to do this in the spring - in March or April, and in the fall - in August and September.

Cuttings help improve the appearance of the plant. If it is very long and the flowers are placed only at the top, cutting off the top causes the growth of lateral shoots from dormant buds. Later they will be covered with flower stalks.

Withered flowers are removed so that new ones can form as quickly as possible.

Description

The plant is 10-50 cm tall, green with a thin long tap root. The stems are numerous, straight or erect, less often recumbent, usually branched from the base, sometimes dirty purple below, covered with sparse simple hairs or bare.

The leaves are long-petiolate, with a kidney-shaped blade, 2-6 cm long and 3.5-8.5 cm wide, with five full semicircular lobes and two poorly developed marginal ones, irregularly toothed or almost crenate along the edge. The leaves are glabrous above or sometimes between the lobes with sparsely scattered hairs; below they are also glabrous or with a few simple hairs along the veins, rarely completely pubescent with simple hairs. The petioles are densely pubescent along the groove above, and almost bare in the rest of the part. Stipules are green, lanceolate, almost glabrous, with long ciliated edges.

Flowers are 2-10 in the axils of the leaves almost from the base of the stem, on pedicels that are two to three times longer than the flowers, becoming much elongated with fruits. The bracts are similar to the stipules, paler, filmy. Subcups of three narrow linear leaves. The calyx is cut up to ⅔ into ovoid-triangular lobes, mostly bare, covering the fruit. Corolla whitish or pale lilac; petals are oblong-lanceolate, slightly notched at the apex, up to 10 mm long, no more than 1.5 times larger than the calyx, barely protruding from it.

The fractional fruits are divided into 8-12 mericarps, glabrous or short pubescent, the lateral edge is reticulate-wrinkled, the ribs are raised and sharp.

Chemical composition

The leaves contain up to 85% tannins, and the fruits contain 0.1% ascorbic acid. According to other data, the leaves contain 112.2-243.2 mg%, and the fruits contain 30 mg% of ascorbic acid. The leaves contain 10.2 mg% carotene. There are no alkaloids in all parts of the plant, but there is a lot of mucilage.

The carbohydrate octocosane is found in the grass, the anthocyanin malvidin is found in the flowers, and up to 18% green fatty oil is found in the seeds.

Lighting

Kalachik is a flower that loves sunlight very much. It easily tolerates even direct sunlight. This allows you to grow rolls in flower beds. In very hot weather, they are shaded a little so that the leaves do not turn red or burn.

Grows well in partial shade. You can create beautiful compositions using such as balls and flowers.

Water the plants as the soil dries out. Kalachik is a flower that loves moisture, but it should not be flooded. In summer, the ball is watered more often, and much less frequently during the dormant period. But still, the soil must be constantly moist.

Excess moisture comes out through the pan. But the drainage in the pot must be of high quality.

The roll does not need to be sprayed. He loves dry air.

Kalachiki are indoor flowers. But in summer they feel better in the fresh air.

And feeding them won't hurt. It is carried out once every two weeks with liquid complex mineral fertilizer. You can use the “Bud” product.

Application

The fragrant roll has bactericidal substances. While in the air, they kill many pathogenic microbes and even staphylococcus.

Fragrant pelargonium helps treat sore throat. For this, an infusion of leaves is used.

For otitis media, geranium leaves are kneaded and a compress is applied to the ear, which relieves pain and reduces inflammation.

The same compress, but with more leaves, is applied for radiculitis or osteochondrosis.

The smell of the fragrant roll has a beneficial effect on patients with neurasthenia, hypertension, heart and stomach diseases, and suffering from insomnia.

But its main purpose is to decorate our lives. As soon as the threat of frost has passed, a huge number of rolls of all kinds and colors appear on city streets.

Why doesn't the little ball bloom?

This may be because the room is too warm in winter and the flower cannot enter a dormant state. Therefore, it continues to produce leaves rather than flower stalks.
Due to damage by mites, weevils and other pests or gray rot.
Due to improper watering. From excess moisture, the plant rots and withers. With its deficiency, the leaves dry out.
Root damage by fungal and bacterial diseases.
A very large pot.

Among these causes, diseases and pests are of particular concern. Without eliminating them, the ball will disappear.