Indoor geraniums are the favorite plant of most gardeners. The flower is unpretentious in care and for a long time pleases the owner with its abundant flowering.
As the geranium grows over time and loses its decorative properties, the flower owner has to think about breeding a room friend.
There are two main ways of obtaining a daughter plant: seed and vegetative. In this article we consider the vegetative method of reproduction, namely the cultivation of geranium from the leaf.
Is it possible to grow a leaf?
Growing a flower from a leaf is not the easiest way to get a new flower. More often propagated by cuttings. But this method also has its viability.
It must be borne in mind that there are no nodes in the leaf of the geranium that are capable of forming roots. Therefore, if you just put a leaf in the water, it will rot.
Leaf establishment and rooting of the plant below.therefore, they resort to leaf breeding only in situations where it is not possible to obtain high-quality shoots for cuttings.
We offer to watch the video with the result of rooting a geranium leaf:
How to multiply at home?
The vegetative way of reproduction by leaf is more effective in spring. The length of the day during this period increases, which will allow the new plant to give more shoots.
To get a new flower, you need to prepare the soil and have a pelargonium leaf available.
Selection and preparation of planting material
To obtain a new plant, you must choose a quality planting material.. To do this, you need to inspect the whole plant and choose a healthy leaf with a dense petiole. But if there are none, then the plant must be prepared for this process.
- Two weeks before the procedure begins, geranium is fertilized with an ash solution (2 tablespoons per 1 liter of water), after which the flower is no longer watered.
- The flower is cleaned in a low light place. This will give impetus to the development of healthy, strong shoots. After two weeks of suitable material will be enough.
- The selected leaf of the flower plant should be cut at a sharp angle with a knife or scissors.
Rooting in solution
Planting material is placed in a container with water and kept in it before the appearance of the first roots. Water is an excellent environment for the development of putrefactive processes. Therefore, it is necessary to add a little activated carbon to the water. It will protect the sheet from rotting.
Soil composition
Geranium is a fairly soil-demanding plant. It would be ideal to take an unused substrate. It should be loose.
For a young plant with a weak root system. need to take light soil, which may include peat, vermiculite and perlite.
For planting a flower, you can purchase ready-made mixture in the store - universal black soil for flowering plants or for succulents. The presence of pelargonium is important drainage, so at the bottom of the pot, it is important to place the expanded clay. You can also purchase special soil for geraniums. It already contains all the necessary components and useful substances in the right proportions.
The soil for planting geraniums can be prepared by yourself.. To do this in equal parts take the following components:
- peat;
- sand;
- turf;
- humus;
- leaf earth.
Also need to take into account that the composition of the land should be neutral or slightly acidic. When planting, you need to check that there was no mold in the soil, insects and their larvae. The soil should be loose, not compacted.
Pot selection
The capacity in which the leaf with the roots is transplanted should be small. In the future, this rule must always be observed. Large capacity contributes to the active development of the root system and green mass of the plant. However, you can forget about the long flowering.
The optimum capacity for geranium will be the pot diameter, which varies from 12 to 14 centimeters, and the height does not exceed 15 cm. The material from which the pot is made does not affect the development of the plant. The faster the root system of the flower twirls the pot, the faster the geranium will bloom.
The pot should have drainage holes. Geranium does not like excess moisture.
Step by step instructions: how to plant
At the bottom of the pot lay out the drainage. This may be a brick crumb, expanded clay, foam.- On the drainage top lay out the ground.
- We water. The soil must be wet.
- We make a deepening in the soil.
- Carefully place the geranium leaf, with the existing thin roots, into the soil.
- We crush and compact the sheet around with soil to get rid of air bubbles.
- Cover the jar, the package is not necessary.
- Put the pot in a well-lit place. But not under the direct rays of light.
- To withstand temperature conditions + 18- + 24 ° С.
- In a month, the leaflet will finally take root and give new shoots.
At the bottom of the pot lay out the drainage. This may be a brick crumb, expanded clay, foam.Aftercare
How to water properly?
In the future, the irrigation schedule is set with the following interval: once every 4-5 days. In the summer more often, in the winter less often. Watering moderate. No need to flood the plant for future use..
Water requirements
- Water is better to choose room temperature. Too cold water can cause root rot and lead to various diseases.
- Water should be soft. If you water with hard water, which contains lime impurities, then whitish spots will form on the surface of the soil.
- Hard water can be filtered using a water filter.
- As an alternative for irrigation, you can use melted or rain water at room temperature. Such water is cleaner and softer than sewage.
Geranium indifferent to changes in environmental humidity. Spray it is not necessary. This may cause darkening and drying. Indoor flower can absorb and accumulate water, so it has dry-resistant properties. It is necessary to water a flower only at full drying of soil.
With the observance of simple conditions of vegetative propagation, it is possible to constantly update the indoor geranium and get dozens of daughter plants with good decorative properties. Geranium can please its owner year-round with abundant blooms. And this is the best reward for the trouble.
