Plain amygelous geranium: care and reproduction (by cuttings and seeds) of a plant at home

Particularly popular among other varieties is the growing of ampelous or ivy (thyroid) geranium, which is widely used for vertical gardening, in hanging flower pots. Differs from shrubby long shoots about a meter long. Her leaves are dense, five-pointed, small in size, green even in color or variegated, with a light border around the edge.

From flowers of simple, pink or terry, inflorescences of various tones and colors are formed. Ampel geranium is a perennial indoor or annual garden. Widely distributed since caring for it is relatively simple, and the beauty of flowering can please from spring to autumn.

Breeding Features

How to propagate ampelous geranium? there is two methods that are used to propagate geraniums of this species: sowing seeds and cuttings.

Cuttings

This method of propagation of geraniums by cuttings at home is very popular, because allows you to get offspring that completely repeats the mother bush in all respects: variety, color, especially flowering, etc.

Training

Cutting cuttings is best done in late summer, in August. At this time, the time of intense flowering ends, and the plant is pruned from excess branches before winter. If geranium received enough light in winter and grew well, then grafts are taken from it in the spring, in March.
The ideal shoot length is 7-12 cm. The lower leaves, like flowers, are removed, there is no need for them. Then the cooked stalk should be left for 2-5 hours. This is done so that a protective film is formed on the cut, which will help the seedling protect itself from rotting.
After the formation of the film, the slice undergoes antiseptic treatment. It must be sprinkled with charcoal, which in the absence can be replaced with activated carbon.

Rooting

After treatment, the seedling is placed directly in the soil no deeper than 4 cm. The soil must necessarily be peaty, light. Peat, sand and humus will be best mixed. Sometimes the soil is disinfected before planting. This is done simply, the container with it is placed in a hot oven for 10-15 minutes.

IMPORTANT: Water, so needed by many plants, can be fatal to ampelous geraniums. If you put the cuttings in water to form roots or plant in heavy, clay soil, the plant will begin to rot.

Greenhouse conditions do not require seedlings. But light and heat are a prerequisite for fast and high-quality growth.

Transplant to the soil

After about 3-4 weeks, geranium will take root. After that, you can transplant the plant into a larger pot. When planting, we must not forget that at the bottom of the pot you need to make a layer of drainage, usually expanded clay is used for this. Dishes for planting should be selected clay or wooden, with a diameter of about 10 cm, a height of 15 cm.

After the appearance of the leaves, the plant must be pinched in order to form a lush bush. This simple technique stimulates branching well. With proper care, after the first winter, the geranium begins to bloom (to find out what care for ampelous geranium should be and why it is called ivy, and also see a photo of the flower, here).

Watch the video about the propagation of ampelous geranium (pelargonium) by cuttings:

Sowing seeds

Growing a plant from seeds is a more laborious process, which may not always bring the desired result. Nevertheless, this method is used quite often to obtain a large volume of seedlings, which are then massively planted in urban squares, parks or gardens.

In addition, experienced gardeners believe that ampelous geranium grown from seeds has greater resistance to temperature extremes, better resists diseases.

In some cases, a plant is grown by sowing, if there is simply no cuttings of some special variety. But remember that flower seeds are best purchased in specialized storesto avoid further disappointment from the result.

When and how to sow?

Planting seeds is best done in December-January, so that by April-May seedlings are ready.
First of all, it is necessary to prepare the ground. The mandatory components that it includes are: sphagnum, peat, sand and deciduous humus or ordinary garden soil. All components should be taken in equal parts.
Seeds are planted to a depth of 3-5 mm. Moisten the soil with a spray gun. After that, they leave it in a warm room with a temperature not lower than +22, after covering it with a film.
In anticipation of seedlings, to prevent the formation of mold, the film from time to time should not be removed for a long time for ventilation, watering should also be carried out by spraying. Seeds germinate in 7-10 days.
About a month later, when several leaves appear, seedlings are dived - planted in separate pots.

TIP: When growing seedlings in the winter season, from the moment of sowing, it is necessary to create good lighting with specialized lighting.

Top dressing after transplantation

Young plants, regardless of whether they are grown from seeds or cuttings, need timely nutrition. During the period of intensive growth, as well as during intensive flowering, concentrated mineral fertilizers should be applied in moderate amounts not more than once every two weeks.

It is best to choose universal remedies for indoor plants or those designed specifically for geraniums. Organic fertilizers for ampel geranium are contraindicated. The plant also needs to be fed after trimming.

Strongly not recommended foliar top dressing.

Some features of care

When caring for this plant, one should not forget that waterlogging of the soil can be detrimental to it. Therefore, certain conditions must be observed.:

water in the morning to avoid waterlogging of the roots;
flowers, like leaves, should be protected from water to avoid rotting;
do not apply spraying, high humidity provokes the occurrence of diseases, including fungal, and rotting of the root system.

Also, do not forget about air circulation, if the flower is in the room, and a sufficient amount of light. In general, ampelous geraniums are quite unpretentious in care, to propagate it at home is easy even for a beginner grower. But she continues to decorate gardens, terraces and window sills with her beautiful flowering for a very long time (read about the features of the care of ampelous geranium at home, read here).

And thanks to the variety of colors and shapes of inflorescences, using a combination of varieties, you can create such a beautiful interior in an apartment or in a country house, which an experienced plant grower will envy.