Photo of royal pelargonium and plant care at home

In courtyard front gardens, on window sills, balconies and even in city flower beds, with the onset of summer, you can see brightly blooming bushes of pelargonium, popularly called geranium.
Thanks to their unpretentiousness and ease of care, pelargoniums enjoy the well-deserved love of gardeners. But few people, unfortunately, suspect that among the family of real “Cinderellas” there are also “queens”. Royal pelargonium, Pelargonium grandiflorum or regale, differs from its closest relatives in its most magnificent flowering and somewhat more whimsical character.

Features of large-flowered pelargonium

As befits a plant with such a big name, at home, royal pelargonium, in the photo, is more demanding of care than common varieties of zonal geranium, and it does not bloom for such a long time. But, having just once seen huge flowers of various shapes and colors collected in umbrella inflorescences, it is impossible not to be eager to grow an equally beautiful plant on your windowsill.

Royal pelargonium, reaching a height of 30–60 cm, differs from other varieties:

• folded leaves with a dense leaf blade that is rough to the touch and jagged edges;
• large, up to 7 cm in diameter, simple and double flowers.

The decorative effect of the inflorescences is added by the multi-colored coloring of the petals, but while the flowering period of zonal geraniums ends in autumn, the last inflorescences of royal pelargonium wither in the second half of summer.

As a result, you can admire the caps of airy bright flowers for 3 to 5 months, and it is doubly offensive if buds never appear on the bush in the spring.

Why doesn't royal pelargonium bloom?

Having planted a young plant in the ground, amateur gardeners look forward to the appearance of spectacular inflorescences above the greenery, but sometimes they have to face disappointment. Instead of flowers, large-flowered geranium produces only greenery, and the rapidly growing shoots soon lose their appearance and become elongated. What mistakes were made when caring for royal pelargonium at home, and why, as in the photo, was the plant left with almost no flowers?

Indeed, if pelargonium does not bloom in due time, this may indicate:

• about incorrectly selected temperature conditions or lack of lighting;
• that the plant is planted in a pot that is too large or receives fertilizers of an inharmonious composition;
• about untimely transplantation;
• about illiterate pruning or its complete absence.

How to care for royal pelargonium so that the plant blooms regularly, is healthy and does not lose its decorative appearance all year round?

The most common types: description and photo

This genus of plants of the geranium family has about 250 species, among which royal pelargonium stands out for its most lush inflorescences, but at the same time for its more whimsical disposition. This attractive variety has a bush height of up to 50 cm.

Double or single flowers have wavy or grooved petals. They are distinguished by the presence of spots or stripes of a different shade. There are practically no single-color indoor royal pelargoniums.

Carisbrooke

Light pink flowers with a marbled pattern of a darker shade located closer to the base. The spots spreading across the petal in uneven strokes add zest to the delicate background tone.

Aristo Schoko

Large inflorescences, with dark petals - so red that they are almost black. The border is two shades lighter. Rarely found in stores, and therefore highly prized by collectors.

Mona Lisa

Large white flowers with pink stamens. Wavy petals seem to be dotted with fringe. Sometimes, against a light background, a small pink spot stands out in the middle.

Pink Mikado

The largest inflorescences among royal pelargoniums. They have an even pink tone and a wavy edge. Very soft and airy.

Nellie

Dark red and white petals wavy throughout the plate. At first glance, the color resembles a pansy. Spectacular flowers fully compensate for the quickly woody stem and falling lower leaves.

Roussillon

The color is similar to Aristo Schoko, but the lightening is brighter and is not only on the border, but also from the center of the flower. The shades are predominantly purple. Capricious: growing at home is more difficult than other varieties, and you need to take care of it more carefully, otherwise it will not bloom.

Sally Munro

Blooms several times a season. It is distinguished by large inflorescences with lighter lower petals and upper petals of a rich ruby ​​hue.

This is interesting: there is an opinion that red pelargonium improves health, pink attracts love, and white flowers increase the ability to conceive.

Summer care for royal pelargonium at home

When speaking about the unpretentiousness of pelargoniums, experts of this species are not lying at all.

In order for royal pelargonium to feel comfortable and delight its owners with abundant flowering, the gardener needs to adhere to just a few rules that will lay the foundation for the success of the entire cultivation.

Large-flowered varieties of pelargonium are demanding of lighting and like to be exposed to the brightest sunny windows. Only on the hottest days do plants need darkening to protect them from burns; in other cases, limiting light is a risk:

• stretching and exposing shoots;
• reducing the intensity of flowering;
• dropping buds that have already appeared.

Unlike related varieties, royal pelargonium does not tolerate drafts and cold winds; if such a plant is planted in the garden, it will probably not please you with its inflorescences. Therefore, royal pelargoniums are grown at home, and care in the summer includes protection from drafts. Plants feel great and bloom profusely on glazed sunny terraces and loggias.

If the air is excessively dry in summer, pelargonium can be sprayed with water at room temperature, making sure that wet leaves and inflorescences are not exposed to direct rays of the sun.

Flower growers who are passionate about this spectacular crop need to know that in hot weather the plants are most susceptible to attacks by aphids and other insect pests, which, parasitizing on the stems and leaves, seriously weaken pelargonium. And here is the answer to the question: “Why doesn’t royal pelargonium bloom?” will be obvious.

At the same time, do not forget about watering and fertilizing flower plants. Although pelargonium easily tolerates dry periods and is not too demanding on the composition of the soil, without water and nutrition it will undoubtedly not produce the required number of flowers. In the warm season, large-flowered varieties require especially abundant watering, which is carried out when the top layer of soil dries out a little.

You can prolong flowering and preserve the strength of the plant if you promptly remove dried flower stalks that have lost their decorative effect.

Plant Collectors Data Bank

Photos of pelargoniums and names of varieties from the collection of A.N. Kostyrina, Bryansk region

Description of the composition of the entire Pelargonium collection by mail

Zonal pelargoniums with double (Double Zonale), semi-double (Semi-Double Zonale) and simple (Single Zonale) flowers get their name due to the concentric zone of a darker color, which is located in the middle of the leaf. They are the most common and are known as "indoor geraniums".

Features of winter care for large-flowered geraniums

After the luxurious flowers wither, pelargonium should recover, but if you leave it on a warm windowsill until next spring, you may not wait for the next flowering. How to care for pelargonium in autumn and winter? With the onset of autumn, when the temperature drops, caring for royal pelargonium at home changes. For three months the plant is provided with:

• temperature about 12–15 °C;
• rare watering, which only supports the decreased activity of pelargonium;
• sufficient lighting.

Feeding is stopped for the entire wintering period. If all care conditions are met, the plant lays a sufficient number of flower buds and will definitely bloom luxuriously when it emerges from winter torpor.

Plant diseases

Most problems with pelargonium arise from improper lighting or watering. Not all of them can be easily resolved, but the plant can always be saved by cuttings or complete rejuvenation - all the branches of the crown are cut off and rooted separately or in one pot.

Timely detection of the problem will help save the plant without the use of drastic measures. Recommendations from flower growers allow you to correctly understand the symptoms and eliminate them:

• Brown spots on the leaves should not be confused with decorative rings that some types of geraniums have. Red spots appear when the plant is cold. It is worth placing the pot closer to the radiator or on another window. The same symptom is observed when affected by gray mold. It occurs due to a large amount of nitrogen in the soil, which is systematically waterlogged. The spots are large and dark brown in color. A gray coating appears throughout the plant. Treatment involves removal of the affected areas, mechanical cleaning, complete transplantation into a sterile pot and soil, which is pre-treated with a fungicidal agent (Rovral, Vitaros, Fundazol).
• Leaves turn yellow for various reasons: edges - lack of water in the soil; together with lethargy - overflow; circles in the middle of the plate - burns from the sun or exposure to water. Uneven yellow spots indicate depletion of the substrate.
• The stem darkens - a “black leg” lesion. Cannot be treated. The plant must be burned so as not to spread the infection. Even a cut cutting will not survive, because the pathogen gets into the sap and fills all the stems.
• Late blight is a fungal infection in which pelargonium quickly withers and rots. The pathogen spreads through the soil or from another plant through the air. It begins to develop due to high humidity. It is treated with Bordeaux mixture, and the affected areas are removed. You cannot do without completely replanting the geranium into new, disinfected soil.
• Edema is characterized by tubercles and growths on the leaves. They are deformed almost beyond recognition. The disease occurs due to waterlogging of the soil. Remove diseased areas and minimize watering. If the rhizome begins to rot, a complete replantation will be required with the destruction of the earthen coma.
• Verticillium wilt is a very dangerous disease that affects leaves. They must be removed. Treatment consists of treatment with the biofungicide Trichodermin, Topsin or Fundazol.

If the question arises as to why royal geraniums do not bloom, the answer clearly lies in improper care or a dormant period that lasts throughout the cold season. Once the proper conditions are provided, it will bloom every spring, delighting with bright colors until the fall.

At first glance, all these difficulties may seem overwhelming for a beginner. In fact, caring for royal pelargonium is much easier than caring for most home ornamental plants. It is enough not to forget about them and create the necessary conditions from the very beginning. Geranium will thank the owner with bright flowers.

Transplanting and feeding royal pelargonium

All types of pelargonium are characterized by the rapid growth of the above-ground part of the plant. If the roots of a bush that has grown considerably over the summer, taken out of the pot along with the soil, have completely entwined the earthen ball, at the end of winter the royal geranium is replanted. The soil for this crop should be loose, well-permeable and retain moisture. When wondering why royal pelargonium does not bloom, the gardener must also take into account the correct selection of soil mixture. A good option is a mixture of equal parts of disinfected garden soil, sand and peat.

Since the root system of the plant does not tolerate stagnant moisture, pelargonium requires a powerful drainage layer, and no less attention is paid to the selection of the pot when planting. It is because of transplantation into too large a container that many gardeners experience disappointment in the culture, and royal pelargonium does not bloom.

Once in a large pot, the plant rapidly increases its green mass, but completely “forgets” about the set of buds.

A similar process occurs with the wrong mixture of fertilizers. If nitrogen predominates in fertilizing during the formation of buds and flowering, the stems and leaves grow, and there are fewer and fewer buds. The best mixtures for feeding pelargonium are characterized by a high content of potassium and phosphorus, which ensures abundant and long-lasting flowering.

Pruning pelargonium

The reason why royal pelargonium does not bloom may be incorrect or insufficient pruning. Since the plant grows quickly and buds form at the tops of the shoots, it is easy to increase pure flower buds by pinching or cutting off the tops of overgrown stems in July and August. This measure will allow:

• use the resulting cuttings for propagation;
• achieve lush flowering next season;
• stimulate the growth of young shoots;
• give the bush a compact, attractive shape.

It is better to prune the plant gradually, without seriously injuring the pelargonium, and after the operation the plant must be fed. At the end of winter, with the beginning of new bud formation, pruning is completed.

Pelargonium cuttings

The resulting cuttings can be rooted all year round, but in the warm season it is much easier to do this.

As planting material, take strong shoot tips that have at least two pairs of leaves and are cut 5 mm below the node. It is better to cut off the lower leaves immediately and leave no more than 3 upper leaf plates. After this, the cut areas on the cuttings are treated with crushed charcoal and left in air for 18–24 hours.

True, there is another way. Already 10 minutes after separation from the mother plant, cut cuttings:

• treated with root;
• planted in a mixture of sand, humus and peat;
• Cover with non-woven material for 2–3 days.

Planting cuttings in moistened peat tablets gives good results.

In any case, the plantings are watered with a solution of phytosporin, which will protect the cuts from the development of rot. How to care for pelargonium after the cuttings have taken root?

It will take 8 to 12 weeks until the cuttings, kept at a temperature of 19–23 °C, take root well. After this time:

• young plants are planted in a permanent place;
• pinch the main shoot above the third pair of leaves, which will force the bush to produce new side stems.

If you care for royal pelargonium at home, as in the photo, well, the young plants develop well, and next spring small, neat bushes produce their first inflorescences.

Pelargonium: reproduction

Geranium is considered one of the most tenacious also because it is easy to propagate. Even a small cutting can be rooted quickly enough with plain water. Moreover, the method completely conveys the properties of the mother plant, while the seed method does not guarantee this.

Important: the best period for rooting is August-September. Roots also form at other times of the year, but the process will just take longer and the plant will be weaker.

The cuttings are cut at an acute angle, at least 5 cm below the nearest internode. For dwarf species, a sprout of up to 8 cm is enough for it to become viable. But a cutting of any length can take root, the main thing is that there is no woodiness on the trunk.

Remove the buds from the future seedling and the lower leaves so that they do not take up extra resources and rot. Any root will help speed up the process.

There is an opinion that rooting through water has a high probability of plant rotting and death, so it is better to plant immediately after cutting in a damp mixture of peat and sand under non-woven fabric for 3 days.