Features of the royal pelargonium: varieties, photos and rules of care

Pelargonium is a very unusual, wayward plant, which, on the one hand, pleases with a luxurious appearance, and, on the other, has a rather capricious character.

There is a huge variety of varieties of this outlandish flower, some of which have been combined into whole groups for a number of reasons. One of these is the royal pelargonium.

Royal Pelargonium is a native of the hot tropical climate of South America. It was first imported to the Eurasian continent only in the 18th century and since then has become one of the most beloved ornamental plants for gardening and home growing by gardeners around the world.

Description and Features

Royal Pelargonium differs significantly from its counterparts in its more luxurious appearance and much more finicky character. In height, most often reaches no more than 40-60 cm.

Pelargonium leaves have a folded structure, a rough surface and pointed edges. The flowers are very large, represented by both simple and double speciesreaching a diameter of 6-7 cm. The color of the flowers is diverse, ranging from pale white, yellow, reddish and ending with saturated ink-violet.

A distinctive characteristic of the plant is the presence on each of its petals (in the center) of a dark rounded spot, as well as shoots woody at the base.

The flowering period is quite short and lasts no more than six months: the first flowers will appear on the plant in March, and the latter will fade already at the end of summer (unlike most other varieties).

Common species

Royal Pelargonium has a rather complicated classification. Conventionally, all its varieties and varieties can be divided into several groups. Further in detail about each of them. Candy Flowers is a series of large-flowered varieties that are the result of crossing a representative of the main group of royal pelargonium with a representative of the Angels subgroup.

The plants represented in the Candy Flowers group are characterized by abundant and lush flowering, unpretentiousness. Ideal for outdoor cultivation. These include:

• Cambi. The variety is for tender two-color inflorescences having light pink veins and a spot on the petals.
• Camred. It features luxurious flowering of cherry blossoms with a dull black spot on the petals.
• Camdared. It features beautiful dark red flowers with a lighter back side of the petals.

The group of Royal Pelargonium Angels is represented by low-growing varieties, with cute flowers that look very much like pansies. They do not need the wintering traditional for royal pelargoniums. Blossom is not very long, but magnificent. Some of the species have very fragrant foliage. These include:

1. Spanish angel. Compact bushes reaching a height of 30-35 cm. The flowers are medium-sized (usually reach a diameter of about 3-3.5 cm), two-tone (upper petals are dark red in color, lower ones are lilac).
2. Imperial butterfly. The plant reaches a height of 30 cm. The flowers have an original color: white with pointed edges of fuchsia color, exude a weak lemon aroma.
3. Darmsden. The height of the plant is similar to the previous species. The leaves are rounded in shape. The flowers are two-tone: the upper petals of a cherry with a pinkish tint, and the lower ones are white.
4. Pac angeleyes viola. An abundantly flowering species with beautiful pink flowers (on each petal there is a raspberry stain). Leaves have a delicate citrus aroma.

Photos of different varieties

Below are photos of varieties of royal pelargonium with names, in particular mandarin, white, astero pink.

Mandarin:

White:

Astero Pink:

Camred:

Darmsden:

Care Rules

In order for the royal pelargonium to please with its luxurious appearance and be absolutely healthy, it is necessary to observe a number of simple rules for caring for it:

• Watering. For royal geraniums, waterlogging is fatal, therefore water stagnation in a flower pot should not be allowed, but the soil should not dry out. Only irrigation or purified water at room temperature is suitable for irrigation. The frequency of watering depends on the drying speed of the earthen coma (that is, the soil must be completely dry after watering).

  The best way to water a plant is through a tray. Thus, the geranium will be able to absorb exactly as much moisture as it currently needs. This means that the amount of water needed for the plant is determined by the plant itself: as soon as the water stops leaving the pan after the next topping up, you should wait 15 minutes and then drain the excess.

• Top dressing. To make pelargonium comfortable, it should be periodically fed with complex fertilizers with a predominance of potassium, phosphorus and all trace elements necessary for flowering plants in their composition.

  The best option is liquid mineral fertilizers applied during the growing season (spring-summer) with a frequency of 1 time in 2 weeks.

• Transfer. The plant needs a transplant, but not an annual one. The first sign that pelargonium is time to renew the "house": the appearance of its roots from the drainage holes of the tank. At the bottom of the pot, lay out a thick drainage layer, after which place the plant in a container and fill it with previously prepared soil (garden soil, peat, sand in equal proportions).

When choosing a suitable pot for transplanting an adult plant, remember that Pelargonium root system loves crowding, therefore, the pot should not be much larger than the previous one.

1. Pruning. Since in the winter, pelargonium begins to receive less sunlight, it will begin to stretch its shoots. To avoid this, pinch the plant. Thus, you can not only prevent the stretching of the shoots, but also increase the bushiness of the flower. The first step is to remove all dry and excess stems.

   For these purposes, use a sharp disinfected tool (a blade or thin knife, not scissors). Slices must be carried out above the leaf node located on the outside of the bush. Young shoots are nipped with dry fingers, without stretching the shoot. Places of all sections are treated with activated carbon powder (this is necessary to prevent their decay).

2. Wintering. Royal pelargonium (with the exception of some of its varieties described above) needs a dormant period, which implies a decrease in room temperature to +15 degrees, and minimization of watering.

   If wintering is excluded, pelargonium will not be able to fully form buds. There will be no quality buds - you can not wait for flowering.

You can also learn about the proper care of the royal pelargonium in this video:

That's all the subtleties that you should know for the successful cultivation of luxurious royal pelargonium. Good luck

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