PRUNING GERANIUMS FOR LUSH FLOWERING: A SCHEME FOR THE PROCEDURE, HOW TO PROPERLY FORM A HOUSEPLANT SO THAT IT IS FLUFFY, WHEN IS IT BEST TO DO IT?

Geranium is a bright and beautiful flower that decorates any room. The plant is popular with flower lovers due in large part to its unpretentiousness.

However, the not whimsical nature of the geranium does not mean that it does not require care and attention. One of the main stages of care is pruning, which must be performed correctly and on time. This will be discussed in our article. You can also watch a useful video on this topic.

When and how long does it bloom?

The geranium bloom begins in the early months of spring. and, under favorable conditions, continues until September. To preserve the decorative appearance of the flower, it is necessary to regularly prune and pinch it.

What is pruning and why is it needed?

The procedure for pruning geraniums is to shorten long shoots and remove old stems. It is necessary to do this not only in order to get new flower stalks, but also to achieve a beautiful plant shape. If you do not carry out pruning, the lower leaves of the plant begin to fall off, and the branches become bare, with the result that the flower loses its beauty.

Geranium has dormant buds in almost every node.however, it is not able to produce lateral processes without human assistance. Pruning awakens dormant buds, resulting in the formation of new shoots with flower buds.

In addition, control of the length of the shoots and the degree of growth of the bush is useful for:

stimulation of long and abundant flowering;
giving the plant an even compact form;
accelerate the metabolism in the plant and improve its quality;
facilitating wintering geraniums;
improve aeration and lighting;
prevention of the occurrence of diseases.

Attention: Another advantage of cutting geraniums is that as a result, the florist receives planting material in the form of new cuttings.

If the geranium bush is very large, after a radical cutting of the shoots, the plant will put all its strength on the growth of new stems and leaves, because of which the inflorescences will appear late or not appear at all. To avoid this, large flowers need only shorten the sick, long branches without leaves.

When is the right thing to do?

Depending on the purpose for which pruning is carried out, there are three ways to carry it out.

The main. The purpose of this pruning is to obtain abundant lush flowering and the formation of a beautiful shape of the bush. The main pruning is carried out immediately after the flower leaves the rest period. The most suitable time for this is the period from late February to mid-March, that is, until the beginning of the vegetative period. Geranium blooms after such pruning later than usual, but the flowering period will last longer, and the number and size of inflorescences will increase.
Autumn. Since the plant is prepared for the rest period, it takes place after the flowering of geranium, around mid-autumn. All dry and yellowed leaves and flower stalks are cut off. Such manipulations do not affect the future flowering of the bush, but simply have a decorative character. Long stems are cut off as needed in the area of the first leaf node, and in order for them to sprout in the future and continue to grow - above the node. The main stem is shortened by a third.
Topping. It is held if necessary at any time of the year except winter.

With a lack of lighting in the cold season, geranium is strongly drawn out, which negatively affects decoration and flowering. However, in no case can not shorten the shoots in December and January! This is the most difficult period for home flowers, pruning only hurts.

Important: If damaged areas are found on the plant, it is necessary to remove them during pruning - this will help stop the development of the disease. Pruning an annual flower is carried out only in order to give it the desired shape.

Preparation of indoor plants and tools

Before cutting, you need to prepare the instrument and the flower for the procedure.. For this you need:

clean geranium from all dry, yellowing and withering leaves and flowers;
sanitize the instrument with boiling water, alcohol or a special agent.

For trimming the flower is best to use a blade, stationery or kitchen knife with a thin cloth. You should not use scissors - they can pass the stem and disrupt the structure of the tissue at the site of the cut.

Basic rules: how to shape a bush?

To obtain the desired shape of the geranium, you need to start forming it almost immediately after planting the flower., performing autumn and spring pruning and pinching. Young, actively developing plants should be pinched in order to stimulate the growth of lateral shoots.

Procedure Procedure:

2-3 weeks after the landing of the young shoots need to pinch the apical bud.
The branches that grow from the upper bosoms of the stems are either removed or pinned after 3-4 leafy nodes appear on them.
In order to avoid thickening, first of all pruning or pinching of the shoots growing inside the bush is performed.
Once the plant has reached the desired shape, the pinching should be stopped.

If geranium is grown from a cutting, pinching should be carried out at the level of 8-10 leaves, and if from seeds - at the level of 6-8.

It is necessary to understand that all the work must be carried out, starting from the desired result. For example, in order to obtain a plant in the form of a blooming ball, it will not be enough to stimulate the growth of the side shoots alone. it is necessary to regularly remove the branches that spoil the decorative appearance of the bush and constantly care for the crown of the bush, cutting off large and old shoots at the level of 3-5 buds.

Step-by-step instruction and pruning scheme for lush flowering

Consider how to properly trim a home geranium so that it blooms profusely and is fluffy. The splendor of flowering geranium directly depends on the quality of the pruning. Cut the plant as follows:

In order to avoid thickening and the formation of new shoots need to cut off the stem with the prepared tool above the leaf node facing the outer part of the bush.
In order not to leave the cutting bare, the shoot is cut above the leaf.
It should be cut stems that grow inside the bush.
In order for the plant to put energy into the formation of the main stems, you need to pinch the growth from the root.
It is necessary to remove twisted branches, as well as sick and bare shoots.
Stems are cut at the level of 4-5 leaf nodes.
Main shoots should be cut to one-third.
To prevent the possibility of infection of the flower, place the cut sections with activated or charcoal or cinnamon powder.
After pruning, it is necessary to feed the geranium with nitrogen-containing fertilizer.

Pinching also helps achieve lush flowering.. After this procedure, the bush becomes wider and thicker.

We recommend to watch the video about the correct pruning of geranium for lush flowering:

What if an error is made?

The most common mistakes allowed by florists when cutting geraniums are:

Deadline. Strict adherence to the timing of pruning plants - a necessary condition. Because of the procedure in the winter period will begin to fall inflorescences.
Incorrect trim level. If you prune high above the leaf node, the excess part of the stem will wither, causing the entire shoot to die.
Radical pruning. If you remove too many shoots at a time, the plant will stop growing and flowering, restoring strength after the resulting stress.
Too frequent pruning leads to slower development of new buds.

Board: The basic rule when pruning geraniums is to follow the deadlines for the procedure. If the geranium is cropped incorrectly, it is necessary to provide the plant with good care and provide it with an optimal level of watering, fertilizing and lighting. Do not disturb the plant and give it time to recuperate.

Conclusion

Geranium is one of the favorite flowers of almost all flower growers. Caring for her is not difficult, and even a beginner can handle it. The main thing - to observe the plant, the appearance of which itself will inform you about the need for pruning and pinching. At observance of all recommendations, these procedures will not cause difficulties and will help to receive a beautiful, magnificently blossoming flower.