Geranium - Pruning for lush bloom to bloom and be fluffy

Content:

When to prune geraniums
Why do you need pruning
Lush crown formation
Features of autumn pruning
Spring pruning features
Topping
Care after pruning
Common mistakes in the trimming process
Video

Geranium (aka pelargonium) is very often grown in ordinary city apartments. It is difficult to find a house devoid of this vibrant living decoration. This popularity is due to the beauty and unpretentiousness of the flower. In addition, the plant boasts a wide variety of species and varieties. Geranium can be grown not only in flower pots, but also in open beds. In addition, pelargonium has protective functions: it repels harmful insects with its smell.

Such a wonderful flower deserves better living conditions. To increase and preserve the decorative properties of the culture, you need to prune geraniums on time. Otherwise, pelargonium will not only lose its spectacular flowering, but also lose its standard decorative qualities: as the upper shoots grow, the lower branches will gradually become bare, which will make the flower unattractive. Many, faced with this problem and not understanding its causes, throw geraniums away. But it is enough just to carry out pruning on time, then the flower will retain its beauty for many years.

Many inexperienced owners are wondering how to prune geraniums to make them bloom and fluffy. The procedure is part of a mandatory and at the same time uncomplicated plant care program. If the flower is left unattended, flowering will be scarce and rare, foliage will begin to fall off, and the culture will wither. Pruning is a very important procedure that allows you to form a lush, even bush, to make the flowering brighter and longer. There are 3 ways to prune geraniums:

Home (autumn);
Topping;
Autumn.

When to prune geraniums

The time of the procedure depends on the specific method. The main pruning is carried out immediately after wintering, that is, at the very beginning of spring (late February - early March). By this time, the growing season has not yet begun, so all damaged parts of the plant after pruning will have time to recover.

Pelargonium

The autumn procedure falls on the time when flowering ends, namely from the beginning of September to December. It consists in removing dry leaves and peduncles. This type of pruning improves the decorativeness of geraniums, while not affecting the subsequent flowering in any way. Manipulations take place in October. If diseased stems are observed, the damaged parts can be removed earlier than expected. This pruning prevents the spread of the disease to the rest of the plant.

On a note. In regions with a temperate climate, geraniums are often grown in a flower bed and, if the winter is not very cold, they are left there for the winter. In places where a cold climate prevails, geraniums are transplanted into a pot for the duration of the frost.

Pinching is not allowed in the winter, since the plant is dormant. The exception is those varieties of geraniums that can bloom in winter.

Important! Pruning requires timeliness. Delayed manipulation will cause the geranium to bloom too late (the plant may not bloom at all).

Pruning should also not be carried out in winter, unless the shoots have time to grow too much (in February, it is allowed to remove one problem stem). In this case, it is recommended to replace pruning with pinching.

Pruning geranium

Geraniums are of two types: annual and perennial.In the first case, pruning is optional and is done only to correct the shape of the flower. In the second case, it is carried out 2 times a year, while young geraniums are recommended to be cut once a year.

The frequency of the procedure also depends on the type of pelargonium. Miniature varieties need such manipulations much less often than others.

Need to know! In the first year of life, the plant cannot be pruned. To shape the flower, the shoots can be partially removed.

Why do you need pruning

As the stems lengthen, the lower shoots begin to bare. As a result, leaves remain only on the upper shoots. The fact is that geranium almost never gives lateral shoots. To "wake up" the buds located on them, it is necessary to do pruning. Due to this, new shoots with young buds are formed.

Geranium - pruning for lush bloom, how to pinch

The main procedure is aimed at stimulating profuse flowering and the formation of a symmetrical bush.

Autumn pruning serves as a preventive measure, pinching is done if necessary.

Attention! Lack of sunlight in winter causes the plant to stretch out. As a result, the decorativeness of pelargonium is greatly reduced. However, you should not rush to shorten the stems, it is better to wait until the end of the season. At the end of February, the stems can be cut 2/3 of the length. The procedure can be avoided if you take care of high-quality lighting for geraniums in advance by adding phytolamp illumination.

Thus, pruning is necessary for:

Awakening of young kidneys.
Create a neat bush shape.
Formation of new inflorescences.
Achieve abundant flowering.
Increased flowering duration.
Reproduction of the culture by means of new shoots (seed, leaf plate and cuttings can be used to grow geraniums).
Removing damaged areas of geranium.

Lush crown formation

Reproduction of geraniums at home, when to plant, so that it blooms in summer

Regardless of the type and variety to which the plant belongs, pruning is mandatory. Next, we will talk about the rules for pruning, including the features of each method, how to pinch geraniums so that it grows thicker.

Lush geranium bloom

For a high-quality procedure, you will need a very thin blade or knife.

Recommendation. It is better not to use simple scissors, since during manipulation they can damage the stem at the cut site.

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Before starting a haircut, you need to carefully examine the flower and determine which parts will have to be removed so that the result is an even, neat bush, and there are no bare stems without leaves and inflorescences.

Important! At the end of summer, when the wilting process begins, cutting the geranium becomes mandatory. If, after the procedure, the main stem remains green, the plant will survive, and new leaves will form in 3-5 days. If, after trimming, the trunk darkens and begins to dry out, the geranium will die.

Haircut instructions include the following algorithm of actions:

First you need to remove dried leaves and flowers that are starting to fade. As a result, the plant will not waste energy on the formation of new shoots and the restoration of old tissues.
Determine which parts of the plant you want to remove.
Make a cut with a sanitized blade over the leaf node, which should be facing the outside of the bush. The treatment is carried out with alcohol, boiling water or a special disinfectant. Hands should also be clean.
Geranium is cut in half, which will provide air exchange inside the bush and access light and moisture to the distant lower leaves. This will reduce the risk of developing fungal diseases. You need to remove those branches that are directed inward of the crown, leaving only those growing outward.
Treat the cut sites with crushed activated carbon and cinnamon powder. This is necessary so that the stem does not rot.

It is very important to take into account the characteristics of a particular type and variety of geranium. One type of plant may have a very small main stem that grows wide at the bottom of the bush. The other is characterized by cascading shoots. The third has a high stem that tends upward.

Need to know! With the help of pruning, it is impossible to radically change the shape of the bush. Such attempts will lead to the death of the flower.

Garden knife for removing shoots

Features of autumn pruning

Pruning jasmine after flowering and to form a bush

First, the geranium must bloom, only then can it be prepared for hibernation. In the period from December to mid-February, the plant is very weakened, therefore, pruning cannot be carried out at this time.

Long unnecessary shoots must be removed in the place of the first leaf node. In this case, the stems will not sprout in the future. In order for the pruned branches to continue growing in the future, they must be removed in a place located above the node.

The main stem is also trimmed by 1/3.

Spring pruning features

The procedure is carried out at the end of February - mid-March. The manipulations are carried out taking into account the size of the geranium. A large bush should not be subjected to radical manipulation (even taking into account its size). Otherwise, the plant will devote all its strength to the formation of leaves and shoots to the detriment of the formation of inflorescences (they will appear with a great delay or they will not be at all). Therefore, it is enough to cut too long, bare stems, diseased branches. For a small bush, you can make a larger adjustment.

Topping

Before pinching geraniums, you need to find the largest upper bud on the stem, which is responsible for the growing season. You can pinch it off with your fingers, carefully separating it from the shoot. A tightly seated bud can be pinched off with a garden pruner.

On a note. Flowering usually begins in May. A pinch of geranium is the reason that the culture begins to bloom later than usual (in May). This is due to the fact that nutrients are consumed in the formation of lateral processes.

Pinching geraniums

Care after pruning

In this case, no special care is required. The standard program includes the following actions:

At the end of the procedure, the geranium is placed in a cool place.
The cut sites are treated with a healing agent: cinnamon or activated carbon.
The number of watering and spraying is reduced. Excess moisture will lead to the death of the flower.
Provide diffused lighting. With a lack of light, geraniums are placed under an artificial lamp.
The plant is fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers so that new shoots appear as soon as possible. Boric acid for geraniums is also recommended as a fertilizer before flowering. How to use it is indicated on the package (dissolve 0.5 g of the drug in 1 liter of water and spray the plant, 2-3 treatments will be enough). Yeast can be used for feeding.
After spring pruning, the flower needs a 2-week rest. Geranium is placed in a well-ventilated room with optimal temperature and humidity.

Caring for pruned geraniums

Common mistakes in the trimming process

Despite the simplicity of this procedure, novice gardeners often commit wrong actions leading to the death of the plant. Common mistakes include the following:

If the plant has been outdoors most of the time, the flower should stand in the room for several days before spring pruning to get used to the home climate. Inexperienced owners begin the procedure immediately after the flower is brought into the room. That is why plant tissues turn yellow, and it is impossible to get rid of this problem later.
Disregard for the rule of disinfection of cutting equipment. Before starting work and after its completion, tools must be treated with a disinfectant.
Abundant watering after autumn pruning. Another important point is how to water geraniums.The water must be clean, preferably filtered. Melt water or rainwater will also work. Another option is settled or boiled.

One of the most beloved plants of many flower growers is geranium. Pruning for lush flowering does not require much work and special skills, the culture can bloom almost all year round and does not need special care. Knowledge and adherence to simple rules on how to pinch geraniums, how to properly cut geraniums, will help to successfully grow a flower, preserve the decorative properties of a culture without harm to its health.