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How to prune geraniums


How to Prune Geraniums | Gardener’s Path

I can’t imagine a summer without geraniums. They’re so cheap at the store but they give you seemingly endless blossoms in vibrant colors that defy description.

If you aren’t into heavy garden maintenance, they’re also pretty easy to keep. They don’t demand a lot but they’ll keep offering up flowers until the deep freezes arrive.

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But if you’re willing to put in some effort, you can make your geraniums last longer and bloom even more.

If you grow your Pelargonium as an annual, your pruning job will be a lot simpler. Overwintering your plants or growing them as perennials, indoors or out? You have a slightly bigger job ahead of you.

Here’s what we’ll talk about in the guide ahead:

What You’ll Learn

The steps laid out in this guide apply to both garden and scented geraniums. The only thing that varies depends on whether you grow your plants as annuals or perennials.

When to Prune Geraniums

When should you prune your geraniums? Pretty much any old time you want.

Are the plants looking kind of rangy or thin? Break out the pruners. Have they stopped blooming? Prune away.

Is it getting droopy? Has dead blossoms? You know what to do.

Okay, the answer is pretty nebulous, but there are a few hard and fast rules for pruning.

If you overwinter your plants indoors or grow them as perennials, then you absolutely must prune twice a year, one time in the spring and once again in the fall.

You should also deadhead the flowers when they’ve begun to fade or your plant will eventually stop producing blossoms.

Necessary Tools

The tools you need depend on the size of your plant and whether you are deadheading or pruning. Deadheading can be done with just your fingers, though you’ll be able to create a cleaner cut with scissors or secateurs.

Larger perennials that have been growing for years call for hand pruners, while annuals can be pruned with scissors.

Serious gardeners swear by Felco pruners for good reason. They last for decades, they maintain a sharp edge, they make clean cuts, and they have an ergonomic design that reduces hand fatigue.

I carry the F2 size with me every time I go out into the garden because you never know when you might need to lop something off.

Felco F-2 Pruners

They cost a bit more than other pruners, but in this case I firmly believe that you get what you pay for. To grab a pair for your gardening kit, pop on over to Amazon.

Deadheading

Deadheading encourages more blossoms. In general, when blooms fade, the plant thinks it has completed that part of its reproductive cycle and it stops sending out flowers.

As soon as the blossoms start to turn brown, it’s time to remove them. This doesn’t hurt the plant at all, and since it encourages more blossoms, don’t hesitate to be brutal about your deadheading schedule, and do it often.

Don’t wait until the entire head is brown. If about half of the flowers have started to turn, off with their heads!

To remove spent blossoms, snap the stem off well below the flower head near the base of the stem. You can also use scissors or pruners to do this.

Get more tips on deadheading flowers here.

Overwintered Plants

For geraniums stored as dormant plants during the winter, prune off all of the flowers and flower stems, along with about a third of the length of each stem, before you place the plant in its winter home.

You can do this while the plant is still in the ground or after you’ve removed it and washed the soil away from the roots.

Removing extra stems and growth reduces the burden on the roots and stems, which only have so much capacity to store nutrients to feed the leaves.

In the spring, take the pruners out again and trim away any dead tips or dead foliage. Dead tips will be brown or black and shrunken.

Don’t worry, this dead tissue is totally normal. New, bushy growth will emerge below where you trim the stems.

Annuals

Garden geraniums need little in the way of pruning if you’re just growing them during the spring and summer.

You can clip back any leggy growth and any stems that grow exceptionally long throughout the growing season to create a more pleasing shape.

You should also always remove any broken stems or any that show signs of disease or pest infestation. Use a pair of scissors or clippers to remove any growth and make your cuts above a leaf node.

Otherwise, feel free to leave them to their own devices, and remove them from the garden at the end of the season.

Perennials

If you keep your geraniums year-round, whether indoors or out, you’ll want to trim them in the spring and fall. Perennial types need the most pruning because they tend to become leggy over time, with long, sparsely covered stems.

You need to provide them with some shaping to encourage a tidy form and profuse flowering.

Sometime around October, take a pair of clippers and cut the entire plant back by about a third. Extremely long branches should be cut back in line with the rest of the plant.

These plants don’t go dormant during the winter, but they will stop blooming as much – or at all – during the shorter days of the year.

Pruning them back encourages them to start some new growth and send out blossoms when the days start to lengthen. It also creates a pleasant shape.

Next, take out any crowded growth. Branches that cross each other should be thinned, and any branches with primarily yellow foliage should be trimmed back below the lowest leaf.

In the spring, all you need to do is a little maintenance. Prune out any leggy or crowded branches, and do a little shaping.

Keep Your Geraniums in Tip-Top Shape

One of the nice things about geraniums is that they don’t require much work to keep them looking their best. Unless you grow them as perennials, you can sort of forget about them except for a little bit of deadheading.

What kind of geranium are you growing? Do you keep it in a container or is it planted in the ground? Are you overwintering your plants? Let us know in the comments section below!

If you’re looking to make the most of growing geraniums, we have a few other guides that you might find helpful. Check out some of the following for more information:

How To Prune Geraniums: Tips On How To Trim and Cut Back Geraniums The Right Way

 

Geraniums are one of the most prized flowering plants that gardeners absolutely love. They are hardy and easy to grow, they beautify your garden with vibrant blooms, and they fill the summer air with a lovely soft scent. But did you know that this versatile flowering plant is not a true geranium? The commonly found geraniums belong to the Pelargonium genus that is grown as an annual in most parts of the US. These cultivated geraniums are herbaceous to woody in structure and feature thick fleshy leaves. They bear flowers in clusters and come in a variety of colors such as white, deep red, violet, and pink.

How To Prune A Peace Lily

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Since these plants are quite hardy, they can even survive as perennials in the warmer southern zones. Plus, if you plan to over-winterize them, they require minimal care and can be grown as an indoor plant all year round. However, just like any other plant in your garden, they do require regular upkeep. Since pruning is crucial to keep plants healthy and blooming, gardeners often search “how to prune geraniums?” or “How to trim geraniums the right way?”

 

If you also wish to adorn your garden with this stunner and enjoy its bloom year after year, hop on the bandwagon to learn how to prune geraniums with our pro tips.

 

Table of Content

 

What Is Pruning?

Pruning is defined as the act of cutting out any dead or overgrown branches and stems to keep your plant healthy and blooming. To learn how to trim geraniums like a seasoned gardener, you will require the following tools.

 

 

While you take care of the above two requirements, we will cover the third in this section. Continue reading to learn how to cut back geraniums in your garden.

 

How to Prune Geraniums: Step-By-Step Guide

Let’s begin!

 

Step 1: Examine your geranium

 

Step 2: Deadhead the geranium

In addition to learning how to prune geraniums, you must also practice deadheading. For those who don’t know, deadheading is a form of pruning that involves removing the spent flowers from ornamental plants.

 

Since geraniums are widely grown for their vibrant blossoms, this method encourages the plant to direct its energy towards producing more vibrant and long-lasting blooms. Unlike trimming, deadheading does not need any special tool, nor are you bound by any particular season, so you can pick on the spent flowers anytime you notice them.

 

Step 3: Trim off the dead foliage

While searching “how to cut back geraniums?” removing the dead leaf and stem is probably the first thing that you will learn. Pruning the dead parts prevents the plant from wasting energy on keeping such leaves and stems alive. This will make way for newer and stronger foliage.

 

Cutting back the dead foliage is especially important in the growing season, that is, spring and summer; however, you can prune the dead growths anytime you want.

 

Step 4: Cut back leggy stalks

Learning how to cut back geraniums also requires you to trim back any leggy stalk. The leggy stalks are the stems that have grown too long, giving your plant a sparse appearance. Such stalks should be chopped off very close to the base of the plant. Doing so will allow your geranium to grow as a mound looking fuller and bushier.

 

Step 5: Prune the healthy flowering stems

Beginners learning how to prune geraniums may find it counterintuitive to cut back healthy flowering stems during the spring season. However, doing so will activate the dormant buds, encourage the plant to bear more flowers, and develop healthier offshoots.

 

Benefits of Pruning Geraniums

Before you learn how to prune geraniums, you must know why you need to prune your plant. Plants need trimming from time to time to encourage new and healthy growth. Since geraniums can grow quite vigorously during the spring and summer, pruning them during their growth season keeps their outgrowths in check.

 

Trimming them also ensures more long-lasting bloom. In fact, learning how to trim geraniums can sometimes give you a second bloom in the same season.

 

Geraniums tend to become tall or leggy, so trimming the long stem makes room for new growth and keeps the foliage denser. Cutting out the dead and overgrown stems also keep diseases and pests in check. Plus, if they are a part of your landscape, giving them a proper shape improves the overall aesthetics of your garden.

 

Many users who want to learn how to cut back geraniums often ask why you should prune them before winters. Since geraniums go dormant in winters, it is essential to cut them back to keep them healthy during the cold months. Pruning them in late summer or mid-fall will keep their energy conserved during the winter season and allow them to come back to life when the spring hits.

 

Now that you know how much your geraniums can benefit from a healthy shear, it is time to learn step-by-step how to trim geraniums the right way.

 

When Is The Right Time to Prune Geraniums?

Apart from learning how to trim geraniums, you must also be aware of the right time to prune your plant. Therefore, you might notice gardeners searching “how do you trim geraniums in the spring or winters?” since different seasons have different pruning requirements.

 

To answer this question, the best time to prune geraniums is before the winters and early spring. Doing both is equally important to keep this plant healthy for the current as well as next season.

 

Pruning for Winters

If you have landed here searching “how do you prune geraniums for the next season?” you will have to prepare them for their dormant state. Learn how to pinch back geraniums by one-third of their volume, focusing more on the woody and leggy stems. Doing so will help your plant to retain its energy during the sluggish colder months.

 

The right time to prune your geranium plant for winters is during late summer or early fall. If you live in a warm or temperate climate, you can allow your plant to overwinter outside. If you reside in colder zones where the ground freezes, you may want to dig out your geranium and transplant it in a pot indoors for the entire winter.

 

Pruning in Spring

If you have over-wintered your plants outdoors and want to learn how to cut back geraniums in spring, the best time to prune them is when the weather begins to warm up, i.e., late March or early May. On the other hand, if you have kept them inside, you should ideally wait for the ground to thaw. Pruning the geraniums at the onset of spring will remove leggy winter growth and ensure a fuller and greener plant.

 

Care Tips

While learning how to pinch back geraniums, keep the following tips and precautions in mind to ensure that your plants stay healthy and hearty.

 

How To Pinch Back Geraniums: FAQs

How do you prune geraniums that have turned leggy?

If your geranium has developed woody and leggy stems, cut back these stems up to a node. Make sure that you do not prune more than one-third of the plant while doing so.

 

How do you prune geraniums to revive them?

To revive a geranium, you might have to prune it aggressively. Cut back ½ or ¾ of the plant and remove any overgrown stem. This severe pruning will force the plant to grow out in vengeance. Improving the growing conditions, such as providing sunlight to the wintered plant or keeping a scorched plant in the shade, can promote new growth. Watering the plant weekly and spraying a fertilizer once every month will also promote healthy growth.

 

Why are my geranium leaves turning yellow?

The most likely reason for the leaves turning yellow is overwatering. Some leaves may also develop pale water spots. Allow the soil to dry out before you water them again.

 

Do you deadhead geraniums?

Deadheading the geraniums will prevent seed production, which will help extend its blooming season. Keep the plant well-watered to supply it the energy to produce more flowers.

 

Do geraniums like to be root bound?

Geraniums bloom better when they are slightly root-bound and should be repotted only when extremely necessary. If you plan to keep them indoors, they can do well in small containers.

 

Conclusion

With that, we conclude our guide on “how to trim geraniums?” Geraniums make for brilliant indoor plants in small pots or hanging planters. They can thrive indoors near a bright and sunny window and can continue to stay green throughout the year. You can also go for their ivy-leafed or hanging basket cultivars to add more variety to your geranium collection.

 

When planting outdoors, they will continue to delight you with their vibrant blooms from May to June. These plants are one of the easiest blooming plants to maintain. Learning how to prune geraniums the right way will help you keep them healthy and enjoy their company for years to come.

How to prune geraniums for the winter (in autumn), when to pinch correctly so that it blooms, crown formation + photo and video

Geranium is not in vain loved by many gardeners. It is easy to care for, undemanding to the soil and watering. But there is something that is obligatory in the formation of a beautiful lush pelargonium bush and its long-term flowering. It's cutting and pinching. If you do not perform these operations with geraniums in a timely manner, then very quickly the flower will lose its shape, bare shoots will stretch out, and the number of inflorescences will come to naught. When and how to cut and form a flower crown correctly? Here's what experienced geranium growers advise.

Contents

How to properly prune geraniums in autumn

The purpose of autumn pruning

There are many varieties of geraniums: it is a house or garden plant, with lodging or climbing stems, tall or short, bushy or ampelous. For each flower, you need to choose your own pruning method, comparing it with the desired shapes that you would like to give the pelargonium.

Geranium should be helped to form a beautiful bush

The ultimate goal of geranium pruning is to obtain a beautiful bush with lush flowering inflorescences. Accompanying - the improvement of the bush.

Decorate your home with proven varieties of pelargonium from a well-known supplier:

For all types of geraniums, it is important to adhere to the main requirement: pruning and controlling the shape of the bush should be done regularly. It is impossible to trim once and get the intended design. It is necessary to engage in the formation of a beautiful type of geranium constantly, starting immediately after planting it. You do not need to wait a year or two for the stems to grow to great lengths and become bare, with only a few leaves at the very top. Pruning leads to increased growth of side shoots and stimulates the conception of new inflorescences.

The right place to cut a geranium cutting

The geranium itself, without human intervention, does not throw out additional side stems. But dormant growth buds are located at each node. Their growth should be provoked. After pruning, the plant begins to grow compactly, without jumping out bare and ugly branches. In addition to lateral shoots, flower buds are also activated. Such geraniums bloom longer and more magnificently than their groomed counterparts. After flowering is completed, the bush gives high-quality planting material, which allows you to propagate your favorite variety of pelargonium.

Time

Pelargonium is a smart plant. She will tell you when to start pruning. Geraniums are pruned after flowering stops on the bush and the last inflorescences have withered. If the plant is planted in the open ground for the summer or remains in the garden all year round, then remove half the height of the stem. If the flower spent the summer outdoors, it should be kept in the room for ten days before pruning, so that it gets used to the new living conditions. Removing the excess crown improves air exchange, the lower leaves open to sunny color. This reduces the risk of fungal diseases.

A well-formed flowering geranium bush

Winter is a dormant time for a plant, but not for a grower. It is necessary to observe the condition of the cuts. If the cut has turned black, has become an unnatural color, it is necessary to repeat the pruning, removing the non-healing wound on the stem.

Features of the procedure for different types of Pelargonium

You can determine whether a particular plant needs pruning by its appearance. If the bush is compact, the branches are neat, then pruning can be postponed until spring. For example, zonal geraniums often grow obscenely, exposing the bare trunk of leaves. Then, of course, pruning is required. Ampelous pelargonium is beautiful with long shoots, but decorated with foliage and flowers. If the type of plant is quite presentable, then it is better not to touch the bush until spring.

Variegated geraniums are under severe stress after pruning, so if you can not shear, then do not. There is an interesting variety - mini-pelargoniums. The name itself indicates their miniature size. Therefore, pruning is a rare event for them. Is it just to remove something suddenly protruding from the overall compact design. Royal geranium needs pruning after the bush has grown. In autumn, everything superfluous is cut off, leaving only a small shoot with buds.

Operation

Remove geranium shoots with a disinfected instrument. This is a sharp knife (kitchen or stationery) or blade. Scissors are not suitable for this procedure, as they pinch the stem. Cut off the geranium trunk above the leaf node in three to five millimeters. The cut is made at an acute angle. You should choose nodules directed to the outside of the bush. With the growth of shoots from such a bud, the shoots will not lead to thickening of the crown, as they will tend to separate from the center of the bush.

Preserved shoots with growth direction from the center do not lead to thickening of the crown

Step-by-step instructions for autumn pruning of geraniums

  1. Carefully inspect the plant and carefully consider what result you would like to get.
  2. Remove yellowed or damaged twigs, leaves and any faded flowers. Thus the bush will reveal its true form.
  3. Prepare instruments. You will need a sharp knife, blade, in extreme cases, pruners or scissors. You can disinfect the instrument with alcohol by wiping their working surface. Another way: ignite over a flame or boil in water for 10-15 minutes.
  4. Make an incision above the leaf knot. If the branch directs its growth into the bush, it is better to remove it. Crossing shoots should also be cut off. Weakened branches are pruned without pity.
  5. Pruning should start from the outer stems, gradually moving to the center of the bush. If it is necessary to remove about half of the bush, pruning should be carried out in two or three passes. Between each approach, allow a two-week respite for the plant.
  6. Tips of stems can be trimmed after four to five leaf nodules. Here new sprouts with peduncles will form.
  7. Treat sections with a disinfectant (ash, charcoal, cinnamon, alcohol solution).
  8. Apply nitrogen fertilizer to support the plant. Create appropriate thermal and light conditions for wintering.

Video hint

Peculiarities of geranium care after pruning

The place where the geranium stalk is cut must be disinfected. Activated charcoal works well for this. It needs to be crushed into powder, and then sprinkled on the cut. Another remedy is wood ash. It is also a good antiseptic. Cinnamon powder is considered a natural stimulant for wound healing. They can also process the cut.

The treated plant must be fed with nitrogen fertilizers. This vitamin complex will help to cope with stress and stimulate the growth of shoots and greenery.

For the splendor of greenery and flowers, the plant must be fed.

Watering must be reduced. Since there will be very little green mass left, excess moisture will not be able to evaporate. This can lead to disease and death of the plant. It has already been weakened by the experience.

Wintering conditions: table

Conditions for keeping geraniums Required indicators
Temperature During the day - 18-20 degrees, at night - 12-15 degrees. For royal geranium +10 and +4 respectively.
Lighting South window sill or additional lamp lighting up to 12 hours a day
Watering Two to three times a week. The need for watering is determined by the dried top layer of soil in the pot.
Top dressing Immediately after pruning with nitrogen fertiliser. This should last all winter.

Crown formation

The geranium crown should be formed almost immediately after planting the cutting. The main actions to achieve this goal are pruning and pinching. If the geranium is pruned in the fall, then in the spring you can cut or pinch it. What is the difference? Pinching is the removal of the growing point of a plant. In its absence, the geranium throws out side shoots and turns into a small branched tree. The first pinch is made over 8 or 10 leaves. The time of its holding is the end of February-March. Lateral shoots are also pinched as they grow. It is not worth delaying with spring manipulations with geraniums. The later the pinching is done, the longer the time before the flowers appear.

Pinching young sprouts accelerates the growth of lateral shoots

Spring pruning is a cut of large stems at the level of the second or fifth leaf from the root. The time of the operation is autumn or early spring.

Fundamentals of proper crown formation

  • Carry out all manipulations with geraniums only with treated tools and clean hands.
  • First remove (cut or pinch) shoots growing inside the bush to prevent thickening.
  • With a large distance between pairs of leaves, the stem is cut off immediately above the leaves, indenting up to five millimeters.
  • First of all, diseased shoots are removed, capturing up to five centimeters of the healthy part.

Step-by-step instructions for spring procedures

Spring geranium work is very similar to autumn pruning. The first three steps are exactly the same. But it also has its own nuances.

  1. Carefully inspect the plant and think carefully about the desired result.
  2. Remove yellowed or damaged twigs and leaves.
  3. Prepare instruments. You will need a sharp knife, blade, in extreme cases, pruners or scissors. You can disinfect the instrument with alcohol by wiping their working surface. Another way: ignite over a flame or boil in water for 10-15 minutes. For pinching, wash your hands thoroughly.
  4. Cut off all the stems, leaving the most healthy and beautiful. It is necessary to remove the lower side shoots from it.
  5. A stem that is too tall must be shortened by removing part of the top. Lateral buds will grow and the geranium will turn into a small tree on the trunk (or a ball on a stick).
  6. Pelargonium stems that are too long or crooked can be trimmed, leaving stumps up to ten centimeters. In a few weeks, fluffy bushes will appear in the pot instead.
  7. Pay attention to the direction of bud growth. It should tend to grow in the opposite direction from the main stem.
  8. Treat sections with a disinfectant (ash, charcoal, cinnamon, alcohol solution).

Geranium crown formation (video)

Spring pruning and pinching perform an important agrotechnical function - they stimulate the formation of new buds, branches and inflorescences.

Important to remember: after spring pruning and/or pinching, geraniums will bloom later.

The explanation for this is simple, the flower needs time to recover. Therefore, you need to decide what you want to achieve: early flowering or its splendor and longevity. Given that pinching is a more gentle procedure than pruning, then in the spring you can stop at the first option. It is necessary to pinch young shoots not only in spring, but also as the plant grows.

Geranium needs constant control of the grower over the growth of shoots and removal of unnecessary sprouts

Without urgent need, pruning in the spring can be omitted. You can only cut up to 20% of all shoots. Large thinning can significantly shift the timing of flowering. Also, the plant can spend all its energy on recovering from stress and not bloom at all this season.

Post-work care: table

Geranium that has undergone spring pinching or pruning needs the most favorable conditions.

Conditions for keeping geraniums Required indicators
Temperature Comfortable temperature - above +12 degrees. It can be exposed to fresh air at night temperatures from +4 degrees.
Lighting regime South side of the house. Geranium loves the sun very much and tolerates direct sunlight well. Doesn't like drafts.
Watering Water in a day or two. You can check the need for watering by the top dried layer of soil.
Humidity Under no circumstances should the plant be sprayed. For geraniums, this is dangerous.
Top dressing Likes nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. You have to pay twice a month. You can purchase ready-made fertilizers "For flowering plants." Does not tolerate organic fertilizers (fresh manure).

Pruning: necessary or useless procedure?

Of course, geraniums can be omitted. Only now, will a beautiful flowering bush turn out from a plant? Most likely no. Geraniums tend to stretch their stems. The elongated stem is not covered with foliage and does not throw out inflorescences. The plant will grow, but there will be nothing to please the eye. Some flower growers suggest not to suffer with old plants, pruning and pinching them. They consider it the best option to cut the old bush in the fall, discard the root, and root the cuttings and get a young plant.

Geranium stretches up without pruning and becomes naked and ugly

If you keep the old faded geranium, then it is important not to forget that pruning is the strongest test for the plant. Therefore, it is better to carry it out with an increase in long daylight hours, that is, at the end of winter or the beginning of spring. Autumn pruning is worse tolerated by pelargonium and the plant may not have enough strength to recover.

Geranium pruning mistakes at home

Geranium pruning is not that difficult. The only thing that needs to be observed is the timeliness of its implementation. But improper pruning will lead to an unplanned result or the death of the plant.

Errors during pruning Possible consequences
Violation of pruning terms Winter pruning is undesirable. Pruning shoots during flowering will lead to abscission of inflorescences.
Pruning high above the leaf node The upper part of the stem dries up until it dies completely, the aesthetic appearance of the plant is lost.
Pruning a large number of shoots The plant is difficult to survive stress, does not recover for a long time, does not bloom.
Very frequent pruning Flower bud formation is inhibited.

Geranium pleases the human eye with beautiful flowers and a unique aroma. Every grower can create a well-groomed pelargonium bush. To do this, it is enough to prune the plant in time and provide it with proper care. Lushly blooming geraniums need to be fed with potassium. This is where all the secrets of creating a spherical crown or a fluffy geranium bush end. Have a nice sight for your eyes.

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proper pruning and pinching of a flower for lush flowering geranium.

Perhaps the most unpretentious in care, but which is valued for its decorative leaves, lush flowering, and medicinal properties. In total, there are about 280 species of geranium in nature, and only 4 of its species are cultivated with many varieties.

  • Geranium pruning: a description of the procedure
    • How to trim a geranium
    • Pruning geraniums at home in spring
  • How to make geraniums lush
    • Pruning royal geraniums for lush blooms
    • Trim geranium for lush blooms
  • How to pinch a geranium
    • How to pinch a flower
  • Conclusion

Geranium pruning procedure

Pelargonium domestica is a evergreen plant with a straight or downy stem, the height of which reaches:

  • 100 cm in a tall species;
  • 17-40 cm in a medium-sized variety;
  • 10-16 cm in dwarf varieties.

The leaves are green and almost round, with a heart-shaped base and serrated edges. Flowers, painted in delicate lilac, purple, white, pink, cream, burgundy shades, 5-6 cm in diameter, are collected in beautiful umbrella-like inflorescences on a long peduncle.

Geranium begins to bloom in the first months of spring . Under favorable conditions, it usually pleases with lush flowering until September. However, in order for the plant not to lose its decorative appearance, it must be cut and pinched in time and correctly. Both of these procedures are beneficial for both the health of the flower and for lush flowering.

How to prune geraniums

Geraniums can be grown at home and in the garden. But it is better for the plant to winter indoors. The winter months for a flower are a dormant period, when only moderate watering is required from the care procedures. Humidity doesn't really matter.

Location - a well-lit window sill (no direct sunlight) and a temperature of at least 12 °C. Geranium loves top dressing. Potassium is especially useful to ensure lush, long flowering.

Geranium pruning required . True, for a plant it is stressful, so it is not enough to know how to properly trim a geranium. It is equally important to be able to choose the optimal time when this can be done without harming the flower. Although there is a more gentle option - to pinch the plant. In addition, both of these procedures solve one common problem - they stimulate the formation of side shoots. The fact is that a flower on its own cannot give them under any circumstances.

How much pruning a geranium needs is indicated by its appearance. If the plant has a neat shape, and not a bare trunk not covered with leaves, then the flower can be cut in the spring. Long shoots of ampelous pelargonium species without foliage and flowers also need to be cut.

Rarely prune dwarf varieties of plant . We can only talk about lateral shoots that violate the shape of the shrub.

For the royal geranium, pruning is done only after strong growth. In autumn, shoots are removed from the plant, leaving a small shoot with buds.

Experts do not recommend pruning only variegated geranium, as the plant does not tolerate shearing.

Proper pruning results in:

  • side shoots;
  • long flowering due to improved nutrient intake;
  • smooth, beautiful shape of the bush;
  • prevention of fungal diseases;
  • preparation for a dormant period.

In addition, by eliminating unnecessary shoots from geraniums, the grower receives good planting material.

Important: pruning awakens dormant lateral buds to form lush buds.

After pruning, the cut should be treated with activated carbon (crushed), possibly garden pitch, and the houseplant should be fed with a nitrogen-containing fertilizer.

If pruning is carried out using a special disinfected tool (sharp knife with a thin blade, secateurs), and even with knowledge of the technology, it will bring the result expected by the florist.

Tip: The stem of the geranium must be cut at an acute angle 3-5 mm above the leaf node.

And you need to choose those that are directed to the outside of the trunk, so that new side shoots do not thicken the crown.

Trim and pinch the flower regularly, but this can only be done until December. During the period when daylight hours are short, geraniums become vulnerable. In winter, it is left alone so as not to cause harm.

Pruning geraniums at home in spring

In early spring, immediately after the end of the dormant period (end of February - beginning of March), the main, forming geranium bush, pruning is carried out. This is the most favorable time for cutting a flower, as the plant is not yet in a hurry to grow. And the cuts have time to heal before the onset of the spring vegetation.

In addition, the pruning of geraniums for lush flowering in spring is not carried out as radically as in autumn.

Important: The later in the spring the extra shoots are removed, the later the flower buds are set.

The value of spring pruning cannot be underestimated, since the mistakes made are directly related to the summer flowering of the plant. That is why it is useful to know how to prune geraniums so that they bloom luxuriantly and for a long time.

Before you start cutting , try to think about what shape you want to give the flower. Then get to work:

  • carefully inspect the plant;
  • remove damaged twigs and yellow leaves;
  • prepare a tool - a sharp knife, blade or pruner. Treat their work surface with alcohol. If you need to pinch the plant, wash your hands;
  • choose a healthy, beautiful stem. Remove the lower side shoots on it. Cut off other stems;
  • shorten a very tall stem by removing part of its top. In this case, shoots will grow from the lateral buds of the geranium, and the plant will take the form of a tree;
  • long or crooked stems must be cut so that stumps up to 10 cm high are obtained. After some time, lush bushes form in their place;
  • , treat the sections with an antiseptic - activated carbon, ash, cinnamon, brilliant green, alcohol solution.

Tip: prune up to 20% of all shoots so as not to delay flowering too much.

In addition, a house plant can spend a lot of energy on restoration and will not bloom at all in the season. And also after pruning geraniums in the spring, try to create favorable conditions for the flower. That is, water after two days, do not spray the flower and do not leave it in a draft.

Fertilize twice a month with Flowering Fertilizer . The room temperature must not be lower than 12 °C. In spring, geraniums can already be exposed to fresh air.

And one more important condition - she loves the sun, so the best place for her is the windowsill of the south window.

How to make a geranium lush

Compared to many houseplants, is an unpretentious flower in terms of soil, temperature and watering. But to maintain the shape of the culture, pruning is required. If this procedure is neglected, then very soon the number of inflorescences and the duration of flowering in pelargonium are reduced.

Pruning royal geranium for lush blooms

Royal geranium looks different from other members of the Geraniaceae family. The leaves of plants of this variety are wavy, corrugated with dark stripes, forming a wonderful pattern.

The petals of the royal pelargonium flowers are double, glossy, amazing shades of soft blue, white and darker purple tones. Perhaps with rims, spots, stripes. Their diameter can reach 15 cm. And the height of the bush of a truly royal plant is 1 m.

A characteristic feature of the royal variety geranium is exacting care and short flowering . That is, only 3-4 months per season. Whereas zonal geraniums bloom much more often.

Given this circumstance, it is important for the owners of the large-flowered variety of pelargonium to know that for lush flowering it is pruned only in the autumn. With this approach, you will solve two problems - prepare the bush for winter and select the best cuttings for growing the variety.

Cutting order:

  • tool preparation (sharp garden knife, secateurs) with obligatory disinfection;
  • pruning of obsolete leaves. Shoots that do not have leaves are cut off at the root in front of the first leaf node from the ground;
  • pruning of the main shoot. It should be cut to 1/3.

Important: pruning in the fall is a necessary stage of care, care for the health of the plant, a guarantee of lush flowering.

In the winter months, conditions for comfortable rest are created for the royal geranium and it is not recommended to disturb it with pruning from December to January. If, nevertheless, shoots grow on the flower, in February one long process can be removed, spoiling the appearance. The rest of the stems are best pinched by hand without cutting. In April, the first inflorescences appear at the royal geranium.

Important: starting from the second half of March, it is not recommended to pinch and cut the plant.

The formation of a bush is started after the flower has completed summer flowering.

Pruning geraniums for lush blooms

. Hanging geraniums are referred to as "creeping" plants , whose long stems hang freely from a hanging pot. However, the decorative appearance of the flower will have to be monitored. To do this, the ampelous culture must be constantly cut, pinching the curly stems. At the same time, autumn pruning is especially useful for a flower, when the plant has already completely faded.

This procedure involves:

  • pruning dry, inward growing shoots;
  • removal of withered inflorescences;
  • 1/3 cutting of healthy stems.

It is also necessary to remove the shoots that have sprouted from the axils of the leaf. And the stems grown from the root do not need to be cut.

Spring is the period when it is necessary to properly shape the crown of the ampelous geranium. In an overgrown bush, excess shoots are cut off, leaving several buds on them. By pinching the stem after the fifth leaf, they form the crown of the plant and thereby ensure the splendor of flowering.

Important: flowering geraniums should not be cut more than 1-2 shoots.

Having received a cutting from a flowering plant, it can be immediately planted in the ground. No germination in water.

How to pinch a geranium

Pinching a flower means removing the growing point of the plant. Its absence will lead to the appearance of side shoots that form a crown and make the geranium look like a small tree. The pinching procedure is carried out at any time, but not in winter. At this time, the flower is at rest. An exception are varieties of pelargonium, which begin to bloom in the cold season, so pinching is not contraindicated for them.

How to pinch a flower correctly

Pinching is done to increase the growth of side shoots. After that, the bush becomes unusually lush.

How to properly pinch the overgrown stems:

  • time - from the beginning of spring to the end of summer;
  • tool - tweezers or scissors;
  • inspect the plant, find slightly branched long shoots to pin them down.

The procedure is repeated several times during the summer . As a result, new side shoots appear on the pelargonium bush. Buds will form on them, and then flowers.

To increase the splendor of an already overgrown bush, it can also be pinched. It will become wider and thicker from this.

Important: late pinching delays the flowering period.

Conclusion

The appearance of geranium is the best clue to its owner about whether the flower needs pruning. Although pruning and pinching are the main procedures for the basic care of pelargonium.

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