How to ensure the proper care of geraniums and why it blooms, but the leaves do not grow?

Probably the most common home flower, everyone is used to calling geraniums. In fact, it is thermophilic pelargonium.

Geranium, remaining in the garden for the winter, tolerates even frosts well. Although they are similar in appearance, they are different plants in terms of quality.

Caring for a plant is not difficult. But there is a situation when there are flowers, but new leaves do not appear.

Why is this happening? What are the reasons and how to fix this problem we will consider in this article.

What it is?

Geranium is a garden plant with flowers of different colors and decorative leaves. Her homeland is England. Currently, there are about four hundred different species. About forty of its varieties grow in Russia under natural conditions.

In gardening, the most popular are twelve. Garden geranium is a perennial and frost-resistant crop. It reproduces easily and does not require special care.

It is widely used in landscape design because of such properties:

• bright, multi-colored and plentiful flowering;
• openwork leaves of different shades (depending on the type);
• bushes can be of different heights - from 10 cm to a meter.

Growing Features

Geranium can be grown from different planting material. They can be:

• seeds;
• rhizome;
• cuttings.

Each method has not only its own characteristics, but also General requirements for planting in the ground:

• the type of geranium depends on the place of planting (for example, geraniums are photophilous and shade-loving, undersized and with tall bushes, etc.);
• planting time - early spring and early fall, if in spring - only when the earth is warmed up from 15 to 18 degrees;
• the soil should be without near groundwater;
• planting pits - designed for a branched root system, with drainage and top dressing;
• after planting in the soil, the plant is watered abundantly;
• the soil around the seedling is crushed and necessarily mulched from drying out;

  On a note. Mulch can be bark, wood chips, garden compost or dry peat.

• seedlings are planted in islets (when several bushes are nearby) and at a distance of up to 30 cm between the created islets;
• subsequent care is not complicated and consists of watering, top dressing, pruning.

If a plant grows and develops without problems, it will bloom brightly and magnificent. Moreover, depending on the type, at different times and with flowers of various sizes and shades.

For example, in May-June:

1. the magnificent geranium (G.x magnificum) has large lilac flowers, which will become a brick shade by autumn;
2. in the Himalayan or otherwise large-flowered (G.himalayense = G.grandiflorum) flowers are purple with red veins and large.

In mid-June: Georgian (G.ibericum) has purple buds.

In July:

1. in the marsh (G.paluster) - medium-sized purple flowers;
2. at meadow geranium (G.pratense) blue and lilac flowers will bloom.

Throughout the summer: blood-red geraniums (G.sanguineum L.) have double flowers that look like roses.

Why does pelargonium bloom, but there are no leaves?

If the geranium blooms, but the leaves do not grow, then it is necessary to identify the cause of the problem and eliminate it. Which exist problems with geranium leaves, leading to their falling and exposing the stem:

• Dry
• turn yellow or white;
• Botrytis infection
• affected by rust;
• suffer from spotting;
• edema.

Possible reasons

1. If the leaves dry: lack of lighting and moisture.
2. If yellow and white:
   • ambient temperature is too warm;
   • insufficient watering.
   Note! If yellowing occurs after a transplant, the plant will recover after a period of adaptation.
3. When infected with Botrytis: the reason may be in excessive watering.
4. In case of rust damage: fungal infection.
5. If spotting: over-humidity and increased heat.
6. If swelling:
   • excessive watering;
   • low air temperature;
   • unheated soil.

What to do in this case?

Necessary actions in the treatment of geranium:

1. affected and dried leaves must be removed;
2. eliminate the cause of plant disease;
3. if necessary, use medications (fungicides in case of fungal infection, Messenger - to strengthen the immunity of geraniums).

Detailed instructions:

• If the leaves dry:
  1. it is better to transfer geraniums to an unshaded place;
  2. watering is carried out as the soil dries.
• If the leaves turn yellow or white:
  1. the plant must be shaded from direct sunlight;
  2. watering volume to increase.
• If infected with Botrytis:
  1. treat with fungicides;
  2. can be used for watering a 5% solution of Bordeaux mixture.
• If the leaves are affected by rust: fungicides are also recommended.

  Important! Healing is possible only in the early stages, before the appearance of blackening.

• If suffering from spotting: treat with fungicides.
• If swelling: eliminate the causes of its occurrence (excessive watering, low temperature of air and soil).

Preventative measures

Most problems and diseases of geraniums are associated with a violation of the rules for caring for it. Respectively, for prevention, these simple care requirements should be followed. Here they are:

• observe the temperature regime;
• Do not dry the soil and do not flood the plants;
• regulate direct sunlight;
• to feed before and during flowering;
• fight pests;
• pruning bushes (more about pruning geraniums for its lush flowering can be found here).

Geranium is unpretentious and requires minimal care. If it is correct and regular, diseases and problems can be avoided. Then the decorative geranium will bloom the garden throughout the summer with its characteristic riot of colors.

Watch the video: Growing Geraniums : Problems with Geraniums (May 2024).