Pruning geraniums for the winter for lush flowering. What is the best way to prune indoor geraniums for the winter for healing

Pelargonium (popularly - geranium) got its name due to the unusual shape of the fruit, which resembles a crane's beak. FROM Greek"geranios" translates as "crane". To date, over four hundred varieties of geraniums are known, but only about a hundred species grow and are successfully grown in Russia.

ATTENTION: Geranium is divided into two large subspecies - indoor (pelargonium) and garden. Indoor geranium species are very sensitive to temperature changes and weather conditions, therefore, when landing in the garden, they may die.

On the windowsills of residential buildings and offices you can find the most various kinds room geraniums, which differ from each other in the shape and size of leaves, inflorescences and color. Among the many types, six of the most popular can be distinguished:

With proper and constant growth, geraniums will bloom constantly and profusely, increasing the number of inflorescences each year. But what is meant by proper care?

Why do you need to correct the shape of the plant?

No matter what kind of flower you are dealing with - indoor or garden - pruning of geraniums is necessary from the very beginning of its landing. Depending on the species, the branches of the plant can be long - decumbent or erect, as well as short and sloppy.

To give the flower the desired shape, you need to systematically monitor the newly emerging shoots and prune in time.

Despite the fact that geranium is very unpretentious, it is not able to independently give side shoots, although there are plenty of dormant buds on them - they are located in each node.

Pruning contributes not only to the formation of a beautiful shape, but also activates the growth of new side shoots. and promotes the emergence of new bud inflorescences. Thus, the plant will gain strength and every year its flowering will be more lush and long.

IMPORTANT: If you do not prune geraniums, then soon the plant will become shapeless, and the number of inflorescences will gradually decrease. Long stems eventually shed the lower leaves, and as a result, the flower looks very sparse - twisted bare stems with a few leaves on top.

Such a plant will not give good planting material to reproduce and soon die. Therefore, pruning at home is one of the main ones.

Read about how to care for geraniums at home, and from you will learn about recommendations for caring for a plant in open field.

You don't need any unique tools to prune geraniums.. You will need a clerical knife (it can be replaced with a blade or even a thin kitchen knife).

Scissors and secateurs are not suitable for this procedure, as they pinch the stem of the plant at the cut site. Before cutting, the tool must be processed disinfectant solution so as not to bring an infection into a fresh wound.

An ordinary solution can serve as such a solution. ethanol. Alternatively, you can boil the tool for several minutes.

Geranium pruning should be done on time - not too often, but not at long intervals, and at the right times of the year. It is impossible to cut many shoots at a time, or to carry out this procedure in winter time, but is it possible to prune geraniums in the summer? Geraniums are pruned in spring and autumn. But even here there are differences that you need to remember when planning to ennoble the plant.

Watch a video on the correct pruning of indoor geraniums (pelargonium):

Giving the desired shape in the spring

Before proceeding with the procedure, you should examine it well and carefully consider the desired shape of the flower. Having prepared the tools and processed them, you can safely get to work.

1. Remove yellowed and dry leaves by hand, carefully cut off weak and injured branches.
2. Gradually cut off the side stems, leaving the strongest and strongest.
3. Remove the lateral lower shoots from the remaining stem.
4. If the stem is too tall, carefully remove part of the top.
5. If the stems are crooked and long, they need to be cut, leaving only 10 cm. After a few weeks, young leaves will appear in place of these stumps.
6. When saving a kidney on neighboring stems, it is important to pay attention to the direction of its growth - it should be opposite to the main stem.
7. Apply disinfectants to the cut points - wood ash, ground cinnamon, crushed activated carbon.

After pruning a geranium in the spring, it will give new inflorescences a few months later than when bringing this procedure in the fall, since the plant will take longer to recover. If you need to pinch in the spring months, you can remove up to 20% of the shoots so that it is lush. Abundant pruning can affect the timing of the next geranium bloom, sliding it all the way to next season.

Autumn pinching is the best option, as the plant will take less time to recover. The cuts are made with a sharp disinfected knife at an angle of 45-60 degrees directly 5 mm above the leaf node.

You need to prune only those nodes that have a direction of growth opposite to the main stem. New shoots from such buds will not grow upward, but will be directed to the sides, which will prevent the crown from thickening.

Before starting work, you need to prepare tools and carefully examine the flower, studying its shape and arrangement of stems.

1. All cuts are made only above the leaf node. Shoots growing inside the bush, crossing or dried up, are immediately removed.
2. First of all, the outer stems are cut so that you can get to the center. If you need to cut a lot of stems, then it is better to carry out this procedure in several visits with an interval of 2-3 weeks. So the plant will be able to restore strength each time before a new pinching.
3. For the formation of new peduncles, it is necessary to trim the tips of the stems, leaving 4-5 leaf nodes.
4. Apply ash, crushed activated charcoal or crushed cinnamon to fresh wounds - they have a disinfectant property.
5. To support the flower, add fertilizers with a nitrogen content to the soil (read about what the composition of the soil should be for indoor geraniums, whether universal soil is suitable). Provide enough light and warmth for the upcoming winter (how to care for domestic geraniums to keep them in winter and whether it can be transferred garden flower in the basement, you can find out).

Such pruning procedures are carried out so that the plant feels comfortable, always pleases the owners with greenery and bright colors. If the purpose of pruning was to form a certain crown shape, then it is important to take into account several features.

The frequency and duration of flowering of domestic geraniums depends on its type, on the conditions in which it grows, and, of course, when pruning is done. To make it fluffy, you need to cut the geranium in the fall..

If during the winter the stems stretched too much, do not touch them. At the end of February, you can shorten them by only 2/3 of the total length, and pinch them in the spring.

If we are talking about a large and dense plant, then many stems cannot be cut at once, since all the forces of the flower will be spent on restoring the stems and leaves. It is enough to shorten the broken stems so that the flower again acquires a beautiful shape.

A lush bush is obtained with constant care and systematic pinching. If you need to achieve lush leaves, then you need to trim the outer stems under the hemp, leaving them small - 7-10 cm.

Then the flower will be able to give new inflorescences, and new young leaves will appear in place of the stumps. In the future, you just need to shorten the long stems just above the leaf knot, from which young shoots and leaves will then go.

Formation of a stem tree

First of all, you need to remove the side shoots, and fix the central stem in several places to a vertical support.

You can cut the shoot only when it exceeds the height of the support. Due to frequent pinching, the central trunk will branch, which will later form a lush crown.

ADVICE: Shoots need to pinch after the formation of every fourth leaf. However, with this treatment, flowering can begin only after a year.

Further care

After pruning, home care is required: fresh wounds of geraniums must be sprinkled wood ash or activated carbon . Minimum watering will be optimal, as the amount of foliage has decreased significantly, which contributes to prolonged evaporation.

Feeding will not be superfluous nitrogen fertilizers, which will help recover from stress and activate the growth of new shoots (read about what is better to feed and when to use fertilizers, and from you will learn how to properly use iodine with hydrogen peroxide for beautiful flowering). Every plant needs to be looked after.

Geranium, being unpretentious in terms of watering and climate, requires constant attention and systematic pruning. The shape of the bush, the duration and frequency of flowering directly depend on how frequent and competent pruning will be.

Geranium (pelargonium) for many grows both at home in pots and outdoors in containers or in the ground. Care for each has its own subtleties and secrets. One of these secrets is correct pruning geraniums for lush blooms and a healthy looking flower. Pruning is carried out both in autumn and spring, depending on the goals pursued by the gardener or his capabilities.

My mother told me that in her childhood, geraniums were cut in the fall and placed under the beds. It was a long time ago, because now my mother is already over 80 years old. The beds were fitted with lace valances covering flower pots. There the plants remained until February without watering. So this kind of flower care has rather deep agrotechnical roots.

In winter, geraniums find it difficult to maintain their beauty. For a beautiful full bloom in winter period on the windowsill they simply do not have enough light. And if they are not illuminated with special lamps, then they will turn into long bare stems with stunted leaves at the top and one or two flowers. I have no lamps, just as there is no place for winter garden, so I will agree with my great-grandmothers and give the flowers a rest.

Pruning geraniums in autumn

In order for the plant to have a beautifully formed lush bush and bloom profusely, it must rest.

The meaning of autumn pruning is in preparation for winter holidays. In winter, geraniums will rest from flowering, gain strength and give growth to dormant buds.

What are these dormant buds? Here is the trunk, there is a leaf on it, it grows from a leaf node. When the leaf dries and falls off, a scar will remain in its place.

Just above this scar is the sinus of the sleeping kidney, it is from there that the kidney will hatch under certain conditions.

A young shoot will form from the bud, capable of providing lush flowering of geraniums by May June.

How to prune a geranium

The soil before pruning should not be wet. The plant is left without foliage and will have nothing to evaporate moisture. Wet soil will create good conditions for rot, and the flower can be lost.

1. How and what to cut
2. How high to cut geraniums

How and what to cut

Proper pruning is done with a sharp tool - a knife, blade, sharp disposable cutter, secateurs. This is important, since a dull blade of scissors or secateurs flattens the stem a little, and it tightens worse.

The cut surface should be even and perpendicular to the trunk, then a film is easily formed on it, which will tighten and dry the cut surface.

The cut should be made 5-10 mm above the sleeping kidney.

This is a short and very clear video:

How high do you cut geraniums?

They are cut either under the "stump", leaving 2-3 dormant buds, or to a height of 10-15 cm. In the second case, you can get more shoots for spring rooting. So it's more of a matter of reproduction. And geraniums, cut off “under the stump, are more often used in the future as an independent updated lush bush.

And so: Autumn pruning is done before being brought into the cold (basement, veranda). They get it in January - the buds wake up and begin to grow, give material for cuttings, cuttings are planted in February. During autumn pruning, geraniums are also cut into pots, in which case they will bloom earlier.

What to do after autumn pruning

Pots of cut geraniums are stored until January or February in cool places, severely limiting watering or not watering at all.

Why until January or February. December is the month when the light lengths of day and night are compared, this is the time of astronomical winter. geraniums natural light in such a short period is not enough and they sleep. After the winter equinox, daylight hours begin to increase. By January, there will be enough daylight hours to awaken dormant buds. Therefore, the pots are taken out into the light and into heat and begin to slowly water. Water moderately, remembering that while there are no large leaves, the plant will not be able to evaporate moisture.

Where are pots stored?

• In a dark cold basement at a temperature of 0-10 degrees, without watering
• On a cold veranda without watering
• In the room, on the cold windowsill. In this case, you need to water a little, because the air in the room is very dry. Once a month is enough.

Cropped cuttings can be rooted in pots, simply put in water to take root (you won’t believe it, but this method works, many cuttings will have excellent roots by spring), or put at home in vases for beauty, especially since pruning takes place on still flowering plants.

In January, when the day lengthens, the pots are brought into the heat and begin to be watered, having previously pierced a clod of earth in several places.

Shoots of such an overwintered geranium (it is called a mother plant) are used as cuttings for propagation or left to bloom on their root.

Preparing ground, balcony and room geraniums for pruning

Now it's Indian summer, and geraniums are in full bloom, blooming so much that you don't even want to think about pruning. Such a beauty.

If the geranium grew in the ground in the garden

Geraniums that have grown in the ground are usually dug up and transferred to pots or containers. Before pruning, she is given a week, another to get used to a new place. As a rule, only those plants are transplanted whose variety or color the gardener wants to keep for the next year. The rest bloom like annuals.

If the geranium grew on an open balcony or terrace in containers

Geraniums from the balcony in the same way can be transferred into one large container, or individual pots can be brought in, if there is a place.

If the geranium is indoor

home, indoor geranium no need to transfer anywhere. You need to prepare for pruning those specimens that you want to rejuvenate.

Any fall pruning will result in new strong young shoots for lush flowering in late spring and summer.

In the spring, you can plant the resulting shoots in pots or leave them on the mother plant, correcting the shape of the bush, with spring pruning.

Alla Sivak has an excellent video of cardinal pruning of geraniums for lush flowering under a stump and what to do after pruning. In winter, her flowers stand at home in the light, in warmth.

The video is not long, but if you need to quickly, then there is such an opportunity. There is a wheel icon in the bottom right corner of the video. Click on the wheel, in the drop-down menu, find the word "speed". You can select speed 2 and watch videos twice as fast.

My way to keep balcony geraniums indoors in winter

Every year before the onset of cold weather, and we have it in October or November, I bring my geraniums into the house. This is not easy, because I have about 40 bushes. Therefore, I bring them not for flowering, but for wintering.

They overwinter in a compact form. I roll over a few bushes in a couple of three large pots so that they do not take up much space and put them "in the far corner." Before the far corner was wide window sill behind the curtain. And now it is a large shelf in the corner of the insulated balcony. It's not very bright and not very warm.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a cold dark basement and no wide illuminated window sills. And I don’t want to put it under the beds, as my great-grandmother did, and the beds themselves have changed a lot since then.

Since there are a lot of flowers, I do not bring in all, but only those that I definitely want to leave as a mother plant to obtain planting material by spring. And from the rest I take cut cuttings and distribute them to my neighbors, or simply put them in jars of water. It sounds rather strange to leave the shoots in the water until spring, but it works for me. By spring, some of the shoots are growing big roots, and I plant ready-made cuttings with roots.

In the "far corner" I water the plants once a month. And so on until January. I start watering once a week in January. Young shoots become plump, I use them as cuttings for seedlings, later they will give a good lush flowering. And also I divide the entire long stem into cuttings and root them too. More about this in the article. .

Basically, I apply spring pruning of geraniums.

Dacha, plants, cooking, health, do it yourself

As a rule, manipulations associated with changing the shape of a plant, removing extra parts, are carried out after the plant has overwintered or before this period. Geraniums are pruned in late autumn, in early spring or in winter. Yes, that's right, winter pruning of the flower is also carried out. The important thing here is simply to know when to prune geraniums in winter so as not to harm them.

For pelargonium, the winter period is a period of rest, but under certain conditions (microclimate in the house, care conditions), preventive pruning is carried out at the end of February. However, it will be better if you do this before December or early spring. Before wintering, the shoots are shortened by a third. Don't be afraid - proper care and the content of the flower will ensure the development of new shoots. Pruning before the dormant period is mandatory, but it is important to take care of the pelargonium in early spring. It is not necessary to shorten the stems so radically, but you should not hesitate with this either. Removing old parts of the plant will inevitably harden new buds.

How to properly prune geraniums, you will be prompted in a gardening store. But nothing difficult this process no. Follow the following guidelines and everything will go smoothly. Pruning geraniums at home requires certain preparations. First, disinfect the instrument.

Choose any method: ignite, boil, treat with alcohol. The tool (usually a knife) must be sharp. To avoid the possibility of infection, it is important to wear gloves, wash your hands well with soap and water. If the plant long time was on fresh air, he will need some time to acclimatize in the room in which he will spend the winter. After two weeks, pelargonium can be cut off.

Pruning geraniums for the winter must be carried out after the plant has completely faded. This measure will help pelargonium to maintain vitality and nutrients for the development of young shoots. First, inflorescences and stems that have faded and wilted are removed. Dried, diseased and beginning to wither leaves are also removed. In parallel, you can shape the crown to your liking.

Inspect the pelargonium and cut off the parts that need to be corrected. Remove any stems that are too long from the lower node. In the event that you want new shoots to appear from the place, cut off above the node. New shoots will very soon hide the void near the stem. As noted earlier, in autumn the stems are cut by a third, but since homemade pelargonium continues to grow in winter, after the appearance of the fifth bud, the plant should be pinched.

Be sure to note that not all varieties of pelargonium need autumn pruning. Amphipelous or zonal varieties can wait until spring, unless you want to correct the shape. Variegated varieties are generally not recommended to be cut, so as not to provoke prolonged stress in the plant. Miniature pelargoniums require only a little intervention, but royal geraniums are trimmed quite boldly. Sections heal quickly and give new young shoots.

Pruning a geranium in the spring may be necessary if you haven't taken care of the flower in the fall, or if the plant has grown too big over the winter. High-quality spring pruning is the key to the emergence of new healthy shoots and the formation of flower stalks. Of course, pruning a flower will delay the flowering process, but will contribute to an increase in its intensity. The color should be cut in early March.

Plant big size it is not recommended to prune strongly: it takes not so little time for the growth to recover. You can cut off the extra, in your opinion, branches so unsuccessfully that the pelargonium will not bloom at all. Limit yourself to removing too long, damaged, diseased shoots. Bush small size form as desired, while leaving at least two buds on the stem. Don't forget to inspect stems cut in the fall.

If the cuts are blackened, they should be updated.

Do not rush to throw away cut shoots. Use them to breed a flower: healthy shoots will make excellent cuttings. In addition, geranium leaves are often used to make folk remedies. It is useful to prepare decoctions and infusions that help with headaches and joint pains, problems with the digestive system.

After pruning, geraniums should be placed in a cool room. The cut surface is treated with cinnamon powder or finely ground charcoal. special care plant is not required. It is important to reduce the number of waterings so as not to harm the flower. In order for the flower to quickly acquire young dense shoots, the flower needs to be fed with fertilizers containing nitrogen. It is important to take care of good diffused lighting.

Regular trimming of pelargonium is necessary not only for aesthetic reasons. When excess, dry and diseased shoots are removed, free space is formed. A thinned bush is well ventilated, the risk of infection with fungal diseases is significantly reduced. The shape of the plant becomes more neat, orderly and attractive. The mass of shoots becomes smaller, but the number of inflorescences and their quality increase.

This video will show you when is the best time to prune geraniums.

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When is the best time to prune a geranium for lush flowering?

One of the most important tricks for the care of geraniums - pruning the crown. Shaping the plant by removing excess shoots not only helps to heal the bushes, but also makes them look neater. In addition, without constant pruning of the shoots, it is impossible to achieve beautiful and lush flowering.
After cutting off the elongated tops, numerous lateral buds wake up on the stems, leaves grow on them and many peduncles form.

The best time to prune geraniums at home

There are many opinions about when to prune geraniums, what time of the year is most suitable for this? It is difficult to answer this question unambiguously, since it all depends on many factors: the variety, the condition of the plant, its age, the purpose of pruning. In general, flower growers and gardeners believe that bushes should be formed regularly, as needed. It occurs especially sharply when the shoots begin to stretch too much, lose foliage and, accordingly, external attractiveness. Basically, these are cosmetic pinchings of the apical parts.

Deeper pruning should be done once or twice a year, depending on how fast the flower grows. At the same time, a natural question arises, when is it better to prune geraniums: in autumn or spring, if cardinal regulation of its growth is planned? Most right time for this procedure - autumn. See an article about propagating geraniums using cuttings, leaves and seeds.

They reduce the temperature to + 5- + 12 ° C, reduce watering, stop feeding the plant, but keep it in a well-lit room. If the plant still tries to bloom in winter, then the inflorescences are immediately removed. Such a little trick allows you to get in the spring beautiful flowers. The fact is that cutting geraniums in the fall means ridding them of almost half of the shoots that have grown strongly over the summer. She is given a great opportunity to take a break from summer flowering and gain strength without spending them on “feeding” extra stems. In addition, this procedure will allow the plant to lay more buds, from which healthy leaves and flowers will form in the spring and summer. Knowing this fact, it is no longer necessary to figure out when to prune geraniums so that they bloom in summer, looking for this information on flower growing sites and forums.

Regarding when to prune geraniums and in what month, the answer is quite simple - immediately after flowering. Different varieties stop rejoicing with flowers in various terms. Therefore, at what time to cut geraniums in the fall, the flower itself can tell, ceasing to throw out inflorescences. But, as a rule, this period lasts from late August to early autumn.

In autumn, geraniums are subjected to significant pruning. Before cutting geraniums at home, old, dried stems, inflorescences and leaves are removed. Shoots "looking inside" are cut out so that they do not spoil the shape of the flower and do not obscure its basal part. Then healthy branches are cut off by about a third. The minimum number of leaves that should remain on the shoot after cutting is 2 pcs. But it is better if there are about five or seven of them. You should not be zealous in picking off the leaves, as they supply the root system with a lot necessary elements. Only completely dried, wilted, yellowed or deformed foliage is removed.

The autumn period is the best answer to the question: when to cut geraniums for seedlings, since seedlings planted for the winter will not only have time to take root well during the snowy period, but also branch out. Thus, autumn is the best time when cutting geraniums into cuttings is doubly beneficial: with the advent of spring, young plants will immediately bloom, and the remaining cuttings after spring, re-pruning can be used to further obtain new indoor flowers.

Geraniums are pruned in autumn, greatly elongated over the summer. Before you properly cut the stretched geranium, you need to carefully examine the plant and choose from two options: either remove too long shoots completely, or leave a small part of them at the root. The first option is suitable if the layering is sufficient for further flower formation. Then the elongated stem is cut completely near the lower node. If there are too few stems, and new shoots are needed that will begin to grow in place of the cut one, then the elongated geraniums are cut just above the very first node from the ground.

Before cutting geraniums for the winter, it must be borne in mind that it is easily exposed to putrefactive processes. To avoid infection on freshly cut parts, pruning is carried out either with clean gardening gloves or thoroughly washed hands. The tool must also be processed. Secateurs or scissors are pre-drenched in boiling water or wiped with alcohol. The cut is made at an angle of 90 °, at a distance of at least 0.5 cm from the internode.

After pruning, the shoots are treated with ground charcoal or activated charcoal.

There is a lot of controversy about whether geraniums should be pruned in the spring. But the controversy boils down to the following: to decide when to prune geraniums in the spring, and whether it is worth doing it at all, each grower should individually for a particular flower. During the winter period, the plant could grow strongly, especially if the conditions necessary for "rest" were not met.

If this happens, then the plant needs spring pruning. True, after it, flowering will begin later, but will not be inferior in quality. For experienced florist It is not a big secret when to prune geraniums in the spring - the timing is suitable for this operation - last days February - the first two weeks of March. This is the period when it is time to cut the geraniums into cuttings in the spring, since it is not recommended to carry out activities for pruning the shoots later.

Pruning in spring is not as drastic as pruning in autumn. Basically, overgrown shoots are pinched so that the plant spends its strength on laying lateral buds, from which new stems and peduncles will grow in the future.

If all the necessary requirements for ensuring winter recreation have been met, then deep autumn pruning will be enough. In the spring, the plant will wake up from its winter sleep and begin to actively recruit buds. All the rules for spring pruning completely coincide with the methods of plant formation in autumn.

The pruning technology described above is suitable for most varieties of unpretentious zonal geraniums. But there are flower varieties that are more demanding in care, including pruning. These include grandiflora or royal geranium. It blooms unusually beautiful, and most importantly big flowers, therefore it is often called large-flowered geranium. One flower in diameter can reach from 5 to 7 cm. But their decorative effect does not end there, as often the petals are corrugated, and the colors simply amaze with their diversity. You will not find monochromatic flowers on this type of plant. They are always decorated with some spots, rims, stripes. Outwardly, they strongly resemble petunias.

But such beauty is not without flaws. The main ones are demanding care and a short flowering period. If ordinary, zonal geraniums can bloom almost all year round, then grandiflora will please with its inflorescences only 3-4 months per season. This will only happen if it is properly taken care of. Knowing her capricious character, the owners of the flower are interested in how to prune the royal geranium, so that in the spring the wayward beauty will fully demonstrate all the varietal qualities inherent in it. The first step is to decide when to transplant and prune large-flowered geraniums - in autumn or spring. In this case, only the autumn period is suitable for pruning. Two problems are solved at once - the bush is preparing for wintering and material is being collected for further breeding of the variety - cuttings.

The procedure for pruning geraniums

Before cutting the geranium so that it blooms, it is necessary to disinfect the tool with which the stems will be cut. Scissors, pruning shears or pruners should be sharp to get a clean cut. Next, all obsolete parts of the plant and leaves are cut off. Leafless shoots are removed at the root, in front of the very first node from the ground. The same should be done with too elongated shoots. Then proceed to pruning the main shoot. It is cut by a third, since it is possible to cut a geranium for abundant and lush flowering only by sacrificing just such a part of the stems and leaves.

In winter, it is desirable to provide peace to the grandiflora. In no case is it recommended to carry out pruning in the period December-January. But sometimes it grows in winter. Faced with this problem, flower growers solve a dilemma: is it possible to prune a geranium in February if it has begun to outgrow? In rare cases, you can cut geraniums in February, but this can hardly be called a full-fledged pruning. Only one overgrown shoot is removed, which spoils the appearance of the flower too much. It is better to pinch the elongated stems, rather than cut them off completely. And the last month of winter - deadline, when the royal indoor geranium is cut, since in April it already releases the first inflorescences. Therefore, starting from the second half of March, pinching and pruning should be stopped for a while.

You can determine exactly when to prune geraniums after winter by looking at the flower. As already noted, grandiflora blooms for a shorter period of time than ordinary varieties. As soon as it fades in summer, further formation of the bush can begin.

Ampel or ivy geranium is distinguished by its unusual type of growth. It belongs to the "creeping" plants, and if planted in a hanging pot, the shoots will hang freely from the container, forming a beautiful bindweed with small leaves, shaped like ivy foliage, and beautiful inflorescences falling on the sides of the container. But to achieve a highly decorative flower, you will have to work hard, as it also needs constant pruning and pinching of its climbing stems. The principles of how to properly prune ivy geraniums largely coincide with the rules for pruning simple, zonal varieties.

For her, autumn pruning is also the most useful. It also involves cutting the third part of the plant, cutting out dried, withered and growing shoots inside. In addition, shoots sprouted from the axils of the leaf are cut off. Healthy stems that grow from the root are not cut off.

In the spring, she needs to form the correct crown if the bush has grown and extra layering has appeared. They are cut off, leaving a few buds. Throughout the spring season, the crown is maintained in order by pinching the stem after the fifth leaf. Such a haircut makes the plant more accurate, makes it possible to grow new shoots and peduncles. Often the subject of discussion is the question, is it possible to prune flowering ampelous geraniums in spring and summer?
The answer is simple: only those inflorescences that have already faded and have lost their visual appeal should be cut. The plant does not need any other interventions during flowering.

If you want to get a cutting from blooming geraniums, then this can be done, but only from one escape. At the same time, one should not forget that both cuts must be treated with charcoal or activated charcoal (sometimes ground cinnamon can also help out). The cutting should be cut off the inflorescence, as it will interfere with rooting. The cut shoot is planted in the ground, without preliminary germination in water.

pruning flowering plant, one cannot ignore the fact that at this time he is injured, and his beauty and splendor are also lost. Therefore, it is not recommended to cut more than 1-2 shoots. It is better to wait in general for the moment when it completely fades, carry out a planned pruning and at the same time get a large number of petioles for further reproduction. See the article: Why geraniums do not bloom at home and in the garden: how to fix it?

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Autumn and spring pruning of geraniums for lush flowering

Geranium (pelargonium) for many grows both at home in pots and outdoors in containers or in the ground. Care for each has its own subtleties and secrets. One of these secrets is the correct pruning of geraniums for lush flowering and a healthy look of the flower. Pruning is carried out both in autumn and spring, depending on the goals pursued by the gardener or his capabilities.

My mother told me that in her childhood, geraniums were cut in the fall and placed under the beds. It was a long time ago, because now my mother is already over 80 years old. The beds were fitted with lace valances covering flower pots. There the plants remained until February without watering. So this kind of flower care has rather deep agrotechnical roots.

In winter, geraniums find it difficult to maintain their beauty. For a beautiful full bloom in the winter on the windowsill, they simply do not have enough light. And if they are not illuminated with special lamps, then they will turn into long bare stems with stunted leaves at the top and one or two flowers. I don't have any lamps, just as there is no place for a winter garden, so I will agree with my great-grandmothers and give the flowers a rest.

In order for the plant to have a beautifully formed lush bush and bloom profusely, it must rest.

The meaning of autumn pruning is in preparation for winter holidays. In winter, geraniums will rest from flowering, gain strength and give growth to dormant buds.

What are these dormant buds? Here is the trunk, there is a leaf on it, it grows from a leaf node. When the leaf dries and falls off, a scar will remain in its place.

Just above this scar is the sinus of the sleeping kidney, it is from there that the kidney will hatch under certain conditions.

A young shoot will form from the bud, capable of providing lush flowering of geraniums by May June.

The soil before pruning should not be wet. The plant is left without foliage and will have nothing to evaporate moisture. Wet soil will create good conditions for rot, and the flower can be lost.

1. How and what to cut
2. How high to cut geraniums

Proper pruning is done with a sharp tool - a knife, blade, sharp disposable cutter, secateurs. This is important, since a dull blade of scissors or secateurs flattens the stem a little, and it tightens worse.

The cut surface should be even and perpendicular to the trunk, then a film is easily formed on it, which will tighten and dry the cut surface.

The cut should be made 5-10 mm above the sleeping kidney.

They are cut either under the "stump", leaving 2-3 dormant buds, or to a height of 10-15 cm. In the second case, you can get more shoots for spring rooting. So it's more of a matter of reproduction. And geraniums, cut “under the foam, are more often used in the future as an independent updated lush bush.

And so: Autumn pruning is done before being brought into the cold (basement, veranda). They get it in January - the buds wake up and begin to grow, give material for cuttings, cuttings are planted in February. During autumn pruning, geraniums are also cut into pots, in which case they will bloom earlier.

Pots of cut geraniums are stored until January or February in cool places, severely limiting watering or not watering at all.

Why until January or February. December is the month when the light lengths of day and night are compared, this is the time of astronomical winter. Geraniums do not have enough natural light in such a short period and they sleep. After the winter equinox, daylight hours begin to increase. By January, there will be enough daylight hours to awaken dormant buds. Therefore, the pots are taken out into the light and into heat and begin to slowly water. Water moderately, remembering that while there are no large leaves, the plant will not be able to evaporate moisture.

• In a dark cold basement at a temperature of 0-10 degrees, without watering
• On a cold veranda without watering
• In the room, on the cold windowsill. In this case, you need to water a little, because the air in the room is very dry. Once a month is enough.

Cropped cuttings can be rooted in pots, simply put in water to take root (you won’t believe it, but this method works, many cuttings will have excellent roots by spring), or put at home in vases for beauty, especially since pruning takes place on still flowering plants.

In January, when the day lengthens, the pots are brought into the heat and begin to be watered, having previously pierced a clod of earth in several places.

This geranium was brought from the basement in January

Shoots of such an overwintered geranium (it is called a mother plant) are used as cuttings for propagation or left to bloom on their root.

Preparing ground, balcony and room geraniums for pruning

Now it's Indian summer, and geraniums are in full bloom, blooming so much that you don't even want to think about pruning. Such a beauty.

Geraniums that have grown in the ground are usually dug up and transferred to pots or containers. Before pruning, she is given a week, another to get used to a new place. As a rule, only those plants are transplanted whose variety or color the gardener wants to keep for the next year. The rest bloom like annuals.

If the geranium grew on an open balcony or terrace in containers

Geraniums from the balcony in the same way can be transferred into one large container, or individual pots can be brought in, if there is a place.

Homemade, indoor geraniums do not need to be transshipped anywhere. You need to prepare for pruning those specimens that you want to rejuvenate.

Any fall pruning will result in new strong young shoots for lush flowering in late spring and summer.

In the spring, you can plant the resulting shoots in pots or leave them on the mother plant, correcting the shape of the bush, with spring pruning.

Alla Sivak has an excellent video of cardinal pruning of geraniums for lush flowering under a stump and what to do after pruning. In winter, her flowers stand at home in the light, in warmth.

The video is not long, but if you need to quickly, then there is such an opportunity. There is a wheel icon in the bottom right corner of the video. Click on the wheel, in the drop-down menu, find the word "speed". You can select speed 2 and watch videos twice as fast.

My way to keep balcony geraniums indoors in winter

Every year before the onset of cold weather, and we have it in October or November, I bring my geraniums into the house. This is not easy, because I have about 40 bushes. Therefore, I bring them not for flowering, but for wintering.

They overwinter in a compact form. I transfer several bushes into a couple of three large pots so that they do not take up much space and put them "in the far corner." Previously, the far corner was a wide window sill behind a curtain. And now it is a large shelf in the corner of the insulated balcony. It's not very bright and not very warm.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a cold dark basement and no wide illuminated window sills. And I don’t want to put it under the beds, as my great-grandmother did, and the beds themselves have changed a lot since then J.

Since there are a lot of flowers, I do not bring in all, but only those that I definitely want to leave as a mother plant to obtain planting material by spring. And from the rest I take cut cuttings and distribute them to my neighbors, or simply put them in jars of water. It sounds rather strange to leave the shoots in the water until spring, but it works for me. By spring, some of the shoots are growing big roots, and I plant ready-made cuttings with roots.

In the "far corner" I water the plants once a month. And so on until January. I start watering once a week in January. Young shoots become plump, I use them as cuttings for seedlings, later they will give a good lush flowering. And also I divide the entire long stem into cuttings and root them too. Read more about this in the article Propagation of geraniums.

Basically, I apply spring pruning of geraniums.

Pruning geraniums in spring has three options

• Form indoor plant, stretched out after the winter from lack of light
• Cut cuttings from a plant that has overwintered in the house.
• Cut cuttings from the mother plant, rested in the dark in the cold.

Due to the lack of light, any geranium will lose its appearance by spring. Cosmetic pruning of elongated stems will help shape the bush. Pruning should be carried out in the same way as autumn pruning, above the leaf bud, only cut off the upper stems.

Friends, do not forget that the video can be watched in accelerated mode. Click on the wheel icon in the bottom right corner of the video and select a speed.

Geranium Stem and Root Pruning Method - Refrigerator Storage - Review:

So: spring pruning Geraniums are made for cutting cuttings from the mother plant for propagation. For the formation beautiful bush after winter torment of plants in warmth without light, to stimulate the growth of side shoots.

Friends, pruning geraniums for lush flowering is a creative process. This was decisively proved by Natalya with her extraordinary reading of an English book on gardening. You can equally get excellent results by pruning geraniums in the fall, storing them in the refrigerator, in the basement or on a cool windowsill, or leaving them in the "far corner" to cut cuttings from warmly overwintered unpruned geraniums.

Guided by common sense, taking into account the length of daylight hours, given that stems without leaves do not evaporate moisture, which means they do not require watering, and knowing what a leaf node and a dormant bud are, pruning geraniums for lush flowering will become a simple and understandable process.

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Geranium (pelargonium) is a plant with a wide range of virtues. Regardless of the species, the flower has medicinal properties and repel pests. Geranium can be grown both on the windowsill and in the open field. It is important to maintain pelargonium in proper form, in particular, to cut it in a timely and correct manner.

Why geranium haircut

Every spring, we can watch how bushes and trees are trimmed on the central streets of the city, giving them the correct shape. But few people realize that this haircut is not only decorative. Plants are pruned for health and rejuvenation of the crown. The same applies to indoor specimens prone to intensive growth, such as pelargonium (geranium).

Purpose and benefits of pruning

The main purpose of pruning any plant is to thin out the crown to improve air exchange, lighting, and leaf nutrition. Without this event, the geranium will have a neglected and unhealthy appearance, stop blooming, turn into a shapeless and untidy bush.

Benefits of pruning geraniums:

• the flowering period is extended;
• metabolism is accelerated and its quality is improved;
• more side branches and young shoots are formed;
• wintering is easier.

The flowering time of geraniums depends on the variety and runs from early spring to late autumn, and in some varieties even in winter. In order for there to be a lot of inflorescences on the plant, it is necessary to cut the bush, but do it correctly and in a timely manner, according to the characteristics of the variety.

To form a beautiful bush and lush color, geraniums need regular pruning.

Autumn pruning is a more logical procedure than spring pruning. From November to February, geraniums begin a dormant period. The plant often slows down its development, while continuing to feed. In this state, it is very difficult to maintain a lush crown, but a haircut greatly facilitates wintering. Cardinal pruning allows the pelargonium to refresh the crown and re-form the bush.

If your pelargonium blooms all year round, then you can cut it at any time.

In winter, geraniums can be trimmed only if there are conditions for keeping a cut flower, at least two lower leaves are left. After the crown of the plant is rejuvenated due to cardinal pruning, it can be formed into a bush during the winter by pinching and decorative pruning. Zonal pelargonium has the feature of quick budding and early bud formation, so she will only be happy with a haircut;

• ivy pelargonium can be cut both in spring and autumn. If during the winter the bush is too long, it is cut in late February - early March;
• flower growers cut the ampelous geranium at their discretion, if the plant does not need pruning, then it is not touched until spring;
• variegated appearance is hard to tolerate autumn pruning, it is easier for them to go through such stress in the spring;
• mini geranium varieties are not sheared at all. The crown of these tiny pelargoniums is adjusted only for reasons of beauty and decorativeness of the bush;
• royal pelargonium is cut off "under the stump" and placed in a cool place. But such a cardinal haircut is not made regularly, but if necessary, because the plant does not develop as intensively as, for example, zonal geranium.

Photo gallery: geranium varieties

Ivy pelargonium can be cut in spring and autumn Mini varieties can do without pruning Variegated pelargonium tolerates spring shearing easier Ampelous pelargonium can be left alone until spring

Video: geranium crown formation in winter

How to form pelargonium in autumn

You can’t just take and cut the plants. In addition to a certain algorithm of actions, there are rules that are important to follow for the successful outcome of the event.

Step-by-step instruction

Video: the process of cardinal pruning for rejuvenation

Table: the right conditions after autumn pruning

Video: two-month-old geraniums after cardinal pruning

How to prune pelargonium in spring

Pruning geraniums in spring is different from pruning in autumn. It is simpler, more careful, but requires more attention, since the plant restarts its life processes in the spring, and at this moment it is easy to harm it.

The purpose and benefits of a spring haircut

Spring pruning is necessary to remove weakened and stretched stems. It promotes lush flowering, building up fresh green mass and is not produced as deeply as autumn. It is worth cutting neatly, superficially, otherwise you can delay the flowering of pelargonium for a long time.

Even pruned shoots, rooted in the spring, bloom faster than a radically pruned mother bush.

During the winter, geraniums stretch out strongly and often shed their leaves.

Classical pelargonium (zonal) during the winter can turn into a tall half-naked bush. In this, it differs from its dwarf counterparts, which almost never stretch during the rest period.

Winter pruning of a zonal geranium will only harm it, but a spring haircut will provoke a massive laying of new buds or the awakening of sleeping ones.

Step-by-step instructions for spring pruning

Video: how to prune flowering geraniums

Table: geranium care after spring pruning

How to form a fluffy pelargonium bush

Pinching the top of a plant stops the growth of the main stem, but does not stop its development altogether. This is a great opportunity, by limiting the vertical growth of the flower, to get a luxurious crown.

The essence of pinching

The essence of pinching geraniums is the elementary removal of the growth point, that is, the top of the plant. The flower loses its ability to form shoots from the center of the bush and begins to produce side branches. Thus, the plant becomes more magnificent, bushier, takes a spherical shape.

Young plants are formed by pinching, and the most favorable time for this is late winter and early spring.

Pinching the top of the royal geranium stops the growth of the central shoot and stimulates the development of lateral

In the case when the geranium was grown from a cutting, pinching is done after the ninth or tenth leaf, and if the pelargonium grew from a seed, after the seventh. Leave those shoots that grow from the axils of the upper pair of leaves.

Pinching leads to the active growth of young shoots

Mini-geraniums or very young, only rooted plants, you can pinch already on initial stage growth, if you want to get a low and round bush.

If you pinch a geranium in young age, it will turn into a small spherical bush

You need to pinch the plant with clean hands so as not to cause infection and not ruin the bush. To process the shoot, you can use ash or talc.

Video: how to pinch geraniums in spring

How not to harm flowers

Pruning geraniums is a simple procedure, especially if you follow correct sequence and remember the elementary needs of the plant, including seasonal ones. Nevertheless, there are cases when the bush dies due to rash actions.

The most common pruning mistakes

The grower needs to know three common mistakes that pelargonium lovers make when pruning:

Geranium is undoubtedly a living decoration of the house or garden. This flower attracts with its absolute unpretentiousness and aristocratic beauty. Having learned how to care for the geranium crown, you can admire the lush color and symmetrical crown of pelargonium from year to year.

Pelargonium, or the more familiar name of the plant for us - geranium, enjoys special love among domestic plant growers.

It attracts attention with simple cultivation, non-capricious disposition and generous flowering.

However, in order for the geranium to bush, it must be systematically pruned.

Pruning geraniums is not the most difficult task, but it requires certain knowledge and skills from the grower. We will talk about how to make geranium fluffy and achieve the most generous flowering from it in this article.

Why prune geraniums

Do I need to pinch geraniums- this is a question that torments many beginner growers. Very often, due to the fact that the grower does not know how to cut and pinch geraniums, this does not allow him to get a lush plant and becomes the main reason for stretching the shoots in length, which leads to a decrease decorative features bush. However, in order to get a neat, lushly flowering bush, you need to know how to properly form geraniums at home.

Basic rules for pruning and pinching geraniums

To form a lush crown, geraniums must be systematically cut, but subject to certain rules. Pelargonium is absolutely not whimsical, but pruning is an important component of its cultivation, contributing to its most generous and long flowering, and besides, the material obtained during pruning can be used to obtain new plants.

Did you know? The main task of pruning pelargonium bushes is stimulation active growth side stems and reducing the height of the bush.

Found both annuals and perennial species geraniums. But for those who doubt whether it is necessary to cut the geranium and when to carry out this manipulation, you should be aware that perennials must be pruned in spring and autumn. And now we will study in more detail how and when to pinch a geranium in order to achieve the active growth of its lateral branches and a generous increase in foliage.

How and when to prune geraniums (pelargonium)

Before cutting a geranium, carefully inspect the bush: it may have a long main stem, or it may, conversely, be low and bushy. Remember: when pruning a geranium, it is imperative to take into account its genetic characteristics and only on this basis proceed to the formation of a bush. One should not try to change the genetic form of a plant, it can only be improved through pruning.

Important! When choosing a place to cut, you need to remember that new shoots are formed from dormant buds located at the nodes, and therefore, when pruning, you do not need to leave long internodes at the top of the bush.

Pinching should be done only with well-washed hands, which will prevent infection from entering the cut area. The cut point should be treated with crushed charcoal or cinnamon powder. The stems turned inside the bush must be ruthlessly removed: this will free inner space bush and improve its aeration, which will reduce the likelihood of plant infection with a fungal infection.

Proper pruning of the bush allows you to get beautiful plant with a dense lush crown and many charming buds.

Features of spring pruning

Spring pruning of geraniums is a necessary procedure for the proper formation of the plant. Pruning indoor geraniums in spring contributes to an intensive growth of deciduous mass and will allow the plant to acquire a new green outfit and form a huge number of peduncles. However, despite all the benefits of pruning, it should be remembered that this manipulation postpones the timing of flowering, and therefore you should be as responsible as possible when choosing a date for it.

Geranium pruning is best done in late February or early March. If the pelargonium bush has big sizes, it is recommended to refrain from radical pruning, since the plant after such manipulation will grow leaves for a very long time, which will significantly delay the onset of flowering. In large bushes, only long, bare or diseased shoots can be removed. If the bush has a modest size, then you can safely remove all unnecessary, in your opinion, branches. When pruning, make sure that all shoots left have at least two buds.

How to prune geraniums in autumn

Pelargonium pruning in autumn is carried out only after the bush has finished flowering. First of all, pruning geraniums in the fall is to remove inflorescences that have already faded and withered stems. In addition, all dried and damaged leaves are removed from the plant. After you carry out the initial pruning, carefully inspect the bush and decide which shoots need to be removed to give the plant a beautiful crown.

Important! To achieve a more generous flowering of pelargonium in summer, remove all buds that have appeared on the bushes in winter. Qualitative winter holidays geraniums are the key to its generous summer flowering.

Long and bare shoots should be cut in the area of ​​the lower node. If you see that the formation of young shoots in this zone will improve the external data of the pet, then pruning should be carried out slightly above this node, since new growth will appear from it in the future, which will make the crown denser.

Geranium Pruning Secrets: How to Prune Geraniums for Lush Blooms

Geranium is a luxurious plant, but it needs systematic pruning for more lush flowering. Pruning geraniums should only be done with a sharp tool. Experts advise using a new blade or a clerical knife for these purposes. It is undesirable to use scissors for trimming geraniums, as they injure the tissues in the cut area. The cut should be made just above the leaf node. With an acute angle, the cut should look at the outside of the bush, since only in this case the young shoots will not interfere with each other to develop normally and will not provoke an increased density of the crown.

Did you know? When removing a young stem, you can do without the use of tools at all. In this case, pinching is carried out with dry, clean fingers, trying not to pull the shoot during the manipulation so as not to damage it.

Geranium is characterized by intensive development, and therefore caring for it at home and in winter will require timely pruning. Do not forget in winter, when examining a plant, periodically pinch them after the fifth point appears on new shoots. This will contribute to a more intensive growth of foliage bush. When pruning a pelargonium, never feel sorry for the removed shoots and remember that only the young shoots of this plant can bloom.

Formation of a stem tree from a bush of pelargonium (geranium)

Geranium is not capricious, and therefore caring for a plant at home consists primarily in the formation of its crown. If you approach the manipulation with skill, then you can form any chosen shape near the bush. For example, you can ensure that your pet will grow in the form lush bush or fall in beautiful strands in hanging pot. However, those formed from pelargonium look especially interesting and original. standard trees. Such plants look quite impressive: their bare and straight trunk can reach a height of up to one meter, while its lush crown is decorated with charming bouquets of flowers.