In order for geraniums to bloom stably and magnificently all warm seasons, it needs watering and fertilizing. Like any plant, it needs both mineral fertilizers and additional means - iodine, yeast solution, etc.
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How to feed geraniums
In order for the geranium bush to bloom correctly, it requires the following mineral fertilizing:
- Nitrogen compounds. They are needed primarily for the growth of greenery and the strengthening of the roots. They are introduced in the spring so that the plant comes out of hibernation and starts growing. In summer and autumn, you need to be more careful with nitrogen fertilizers: excessive development of green mass, and not flowers, is possible.
- Phosphorus compounds. They strengthen the roots, and most importantly, they help buds and flowers to form.
- Potash fertilizers. They nourish the plant as a whole and increase its immunity to diseases, pests and temperature extremes.
Geranium is watered with liquid solutions of potassium and phosphorus compounds every 10-15 days. Additionally, you can use fertilizers containing trace elements: iodine, boron, calcium, magnesium, copper, iron - all these substances are useful to the plant.
When using mineral fertilizers, consider the following:
- Fertilizers are applied only after the plant has been watered with soft water at room temperature.
- Sick and recently transplanted bushes do not fertilize. They first need to recover and "come to their senses" after the procedure.
- During dormancy (from October to February), geraniums are not fed at all.
- Mineral formulations are dissolved at the concentration indicated by the manufacturer. Too concentrated solutions can burn the geranium root system.
Folk remedies for geranium
In addition to mineral compositions, you can also use home remedies that increase the immunity of plants and give them additional substances.
Experts recommend the following options:
- Iodine feeding. 1 drop of an alcoholic medical solution of iodine is dissolved in 1 liter of water at room temperature. Before feeding, the soil around the stem is loosened and watered with a small amount of plain water. Then the iodine solution is poured in, carefully making sure that the dressing does not get on the leaves and stems. You can add no more than 50 ml of solution at a time. Usually, this is fed once a month from May to the end of September.
- Foliar top dressing with hydrogen peroxide. Medical peroxide in the amount of 25 ml is diluted in 1 liter of water, after which the stem and leaves are sprayed with the solution. Top dressing is carried out every 20-25 days in the warm season.
- Yeast infusion. Dry culinary yeast in an amount of 1 g is dissolved in 1 liter of warm, but not hot water, where a tablespoon of granulated sugar has already been dissolved. The solution is kept warm for 2 hours, then diluted with settled or filtered water in a ratio of 1: 5. Watering is carried out only in spring, no more than 2 times during the period from March to May.
- Vitamin feeding. An ampoule with B-group vitamins is diluted in 2 liters of clean water and used for irrigation. Vitamin feeding is carried out every 3 weeks from the end of June to the end of September.
- Dairy feeding. A solution of milk in pure water with a concentration of 1:10 is used to irrigate geraniums.
- Onion peel decoction. 50 g of husks are cooked in 2 liters of boiling water for 10 minutes. Then the broth is allowed to cool, filtered through a sieve to remove the husk, and used for feeding.
Folk remedies are not as effective as mineral fertilizers, but they have an important advantage: they are almost impossible to harm the plant. Even with excessive concentration, folk dressings have a milder effect than factory-made fertilizers.
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