How to feed pelargonium for abundant flowering: what fertilizers (iodine and so on) to use for irrigation?

Indoor plants need careful care and proper nutrition. Pelargonium with timely fertilizer will present lush bright flowers and beautiful green leaves.

In order to achieve excellent results in top dressing for abundant flowering of a home flower, it is important to know about the characteristics of this plant. Read in detail about feeding pelargonium in this article. Also watch useful video.

A little bit about the plant

ATTENTION: Heat-loving pelargonium from South Africa is a close relative of geranium. For a long time they were classified as a single plant. But these are completely different plants, and their main difference is frost resistance. Geranium perfectly tolerates low temperatures and successfully winters in open ground.

Pelargonium is a rather tender plant that does not tolerate the first frostsTherefore, it is possible to grow it in our climate in room conditions. In all other respects, care for these plants is the same (for details on whether it is difficult to grow pelargonium in the garden, read here, and from this article you will learn about the basic rules for caring for a flower at home).

How and when to water?

How to water pelargonium? It requires careful watering. This must be done in spring and summer as the soil dries. In this case, it is better to pour water into the plant sump to avoid cracks on the surface of the substrate.

In the autumn-winter period, this flower does not need frequent watering, because due to excessive soil moisture, the roots will begin to rot. Water for irrigation should be at room temperature, because due to too cold a liquid, the roots can hurt and rot (learn about the most common pelargonium diseases and ways to deal with them here). Be sure to filter hard water from limescaleharmful to the flower.

Instead of filtered water, you can take a cleaner and softer melt or rain, which also must be defended to the desired temperature. Pelargonium leaves should not be often wiped or sprayed, otherwise they will begin to darken and dry out (more about why in Pelargonium the leaves change color and curl and how to deal with it, read here, and from this article you will learn why the foliage of this plant may turn yellow). This flower perfectly absorbs and accumulates water, so it does not need frequent watering.

Watch the video on the proper watering of pelargonium:

What is feeding necessary for?

Pelargonium itself will tell you when it needs nutrients. Therefore, you need to approve this flower if:

Plant looks unhealthy. At first, pelargonium must be treated with special drugs, and only after that you can start feeding.
Leaves are sluggish, lose their color and grow poorly or even crumble. These are signs that the flower is lacking in nutrition.
Pelargonium produces few buds or ceases to bloom at all. With irregular and improper feeding, when there is too little fertilizer, or vice versa in excess, the plant may not bloom for years.

In general, fertilizing this plant is necessary for abundant flowering.

When to start?

TIP: The laying of nutrients in the substrate must begin at the time of plant transplantation. At the same time, pelargonium does not like this procedure, and in order not to harm, this procedure is carried out in the form of transshipment into a larger pot.

When planting in the finished soil, nitrogen and magnesium sulfate are added to the soil. If you are going to prepare the substrate yourself, then you need to lay the whole complex of mineral fertilizers, which will start healthy growth and plentiful flowering of the plant.

As the main fertilizer, granular top-dressing of long-term action. It is added to the soil before transplantation, then its substances begin to slowly dissolve on for several months, saturating the soil with nutrients. When applying fertilizers, it is necessary to take into account the season. In spring and summer, top dressing should be carried out 1 time in 14 days.

In winter, fertilizing is not necessary. The choice of drugs for fertilizer should be approached thoroughly. Pelargonium does not feel the need for organic feeding. She needs a complex of mineral fertilizers with potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. They should be applied in equal portions, but before starting, the dose of nitrogen is reduced, and the dose of potassium, on the contrary, should be increased.

How to fertilize?

Here you will find an overview of how you can fertilize geranium for plentiful flowering.

Shop options

In a specialized store today you can find various fertilizers for indoor flowers. For example, there are products that are perfect for all home flowering plants: Universalnaya - 350 rubles per 500 ml, "For flowering plants" - 60 rubles per 250 ml. But for the proper feeding of pelargonium, it is preferable to use special preparations created specifically for this flower.

Dry granular and powder fertilizerssuch as "TerraSol" - 150 rubles for 2.5 kg or "Blank sheet for pelargonium" - 55 rubles for 350 grams, are used to prepare aqueous solutions. This is easy to do at home, observing the proportions indicated on the package. These fertilizers are convenient in that they can be stored for a long time and do not take up much space.
Liquid top dressing - This is usually a concentrated solution of salts and vitamins. For example, "Garden Club" - 20 rubles per 250 ml and "Agrecola" - 110 rubles per 250 ml. Such concentrates are diluted with water. According to the proportions indicated on the label. Their advantage over dry fertilizers is that the substance is completely dissolved and no precipitate forms.

Natural

Experienced flower growers also use natural products as top dressing for pelargonium. Let's consider them in more detail.

Pelargonium has a very beneficial effect. milk, because it contains a lot of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, amino and fatty acids. To prepare top dressing per 1 liter of water, you need to take 100 grams of fat milk.
All flower growers love to use as top dressing yeast solutioncooked at home. Since this remedy can replace the heteroauxin drug, the action of which is aimed at the development of the root system of pelargonium. 100 grams of dry yeast is taken per 1 liter of water - for rooting cuttings (for how to propagate pelargonium by cuttings, read here). Or in 1 liter of water dissolves 3 grams of yeast and 2 tbsp. tablespoons of sugar - for root bait.
Sugar helps top dressing to be better absorbed. For example, with the preparation "Baikal EM-1" the following solution can be used: take 2 tbsp. Per 1 liter of water. tablespoons of granulated sugar.
Ash serves as excellent sources of potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron for pelargonium flowers during their flowering period. To do this, in 1 liter of water 1 tbsp. spoon of wood ash.
Eggshell used as a source of calcium in the form of infusion for the soil. So it is used as drainage.

Iodine application

To enhance the growth and abundant flowering of pelargonium and other indoor plants, iodine solution is successfully used. To prepare this liquid fertilizer is very simple: take 1 drop of iodine per 1 liter of water. Then take 50 grams of the mixture and gently pour it in a circle along the walls of the pot. This precaution is necessary in order not to burn the delicate roots of the plant. Abundant flowering will begin after periodic watering of the flower.

Now you know how to feed geraniums for abundant flowering.

Watch the video about feeding pelargonium (geranium) with iodine solution:

What errors can be?

Perennial pelargonium should never be overfed, as this can lead to the development of root rot. But even with a lack of nutritional alimony, the leaves of the plant lose color brightness and elasticity. If pelargonium does not bloom, then the cause may be too large a pot or an overabundance in the substrate of nitrogen fertilizer.

Pelargonium from overfeeding begins to increase the mass of green leaves, thereby taking away all the forces from peduncles. To fix this, carefully remove the flower from the pot, gently brush off the soil and inspect the roots for rot. If everything is in order, the plant needs to be transplanted into a pot that is more suitable in size for the root system. Do not forget about the new drainage and loose drainage.

IMPORTANT: Pelargonium transplanted into a new pot does not need to be fed for the first 2-3 months. She will receive all the nutrition she needs from fresh soil. Pelargonium should be watered after transplantation regularly, but in moderate doses. Lighting for the flower should be sufficient.

Also make sure that there are no drafts and temperature drops.. These measures will help your beautiful woman to start blooming again in a month. Take the bush out of the pot, gently brush off the soil, inspect the root system. Now pick up the pot according to the size of the root system of the plant. Do not forget about good drainage, loose soil in which you plant your flower again. Water moderately but regularly. Put in a well-lit place. After some time, pelargonium will certainly bloom.

Conclusion

Whatever fertilizers you use to feed pelargonium, you should remember that excess or lack of nutrients is equally harmful to this tender plant. When making any top dressing at home, you need to adhere to timeliness and moderation. And then your beautiful flower will delight you with its beautiful flowering on the windowsill for a long time.