What volume of soil is preferable for planting ivy ampel geranium

In order to find out how much to plant ampel ivy geranium, you need to have an idea of ​​the features of its root system. Geranium is best grown in small pots, the volume of which will be sufficient to accommodate the root, while there will not be too much soil. If the roots of this plant are relatively crowded, it blooms better. Therefore, having estimated the size of the root system, you should choose a pot in which it will take up almost the entire volume, without reaching the edges by only 1 cm.Filling the rest of the space with soil, you can start caring for the plant as usual, monitoring the degree of soil moisture.

It is the wrong, too abundant watering that leads to decay of the root system. Any geranium, including ivy ampelous, faces this problem. This plant needs to ensure a good outflow of excess water, drain the soil in the pot, and make additional holes in its bottom if necessary. It should be remembered that ampelous geranium does not like a large amount of moisture, it should be watered about once a week in summer, even less often in winter. In other words, this plant tolerates drought better than overflow.

Features of growing and care

Ivy geranium is native to Africa, however, it does not like extreme heat. The air temperature in the room where it is contained should not exceed 25 degrees. In winter, it is advisable not to allow cooling below +15 degrees. Perhaps it was the origin of this plant that influenced the rather low need for watering geraniums. You can even leave it unattended for a while, leave for a couple of weeks, and return to find the geranium in a normal state.

Advice

It is better to place a pot with ampelous geraniums on the south side, then the plant can receive a sufficient amount of light.

Sensitivity to stagnant water is another reason why ivy geraniums may prefer small pots that are almost completely filled with rhizomes. Under such conditions, with a sufficient number of holes in the bottom of the pot, the water passes through much better, without forming stagnation and without leading to decay processes. A properly selected pot promotes more active, lush geranium flowering.

In general, caring for this plant is not difficult at all. Geranium is an extremely unpretentious pet. Of course, some subtleties should be taken into account so as not to harm the flower. For example, its leaves do not tolerate moisture on them and, as a result, can rot. Therefore, you should not spray geraniums. In addition, it is necessary to feed it weekly with mineral fertilizers during flowering, from about the beginning of spring to the end of summer.

Reproduction and transplantation

Perhaps the most difficult moment in the process of breeding geraniums is its reproduction. To get a good result, you need to know all the subtleties and ways in which ivy geranium reproduces.

• Reproduction by seeds.

This method has its pros and cons. Of course, a large number of sprouts can be obtained from the seeds at once, if desired, of different varieties. Seeds are easy to acquire, and sowing is also easy. However, it is necessary to observe favorable conditions for future seedlings. The air temperature in the room should be approximately +23 degrees. Adequate lighting is required (in case of a lack of light, backlighting will have to be provided), the soil should be constantly moderately moistened, while having a certain composition.Ivy geranium prefers light, fertile soil made from a mixture of peat, sand and leafy soil in equal proportions. Seeds should be sown at a shallow depth, less than one centimeter. The sprouts should appear in about a week, sometimes a little later. When they are old enough, they should be transplanted.

• Propagation by cuttings.

The cut cutting should be left on an open surface for about a day. During this time, the cut will dry out enough. Only after that it will be possible to plant it in the prepared soil. Preparing the soil consists in creating the optimal balance of its components, as mentioned earlier, and subsequent disinfection. For this purpose, the soil can be calcined in the oven for a quarter of an hour, and then cooled naturally to normal temperature. The dried cut of the cutting should be immersed in this soil and the soil should be compacted around it. It is necessary to moisten the soil for a month - during this time, the rooting of the cuttings should occur, after which it is required to care for it as a full-fledged plant.

It is necessary to transplant the plant once every two years if there is a feeling that the root system is already too cramped. To what extent to plant ampel ivy geraniums was mentioned earlier. Depending on the size of the root, you should choose a pot where the rhizome can be placed close to the walls. Fill the voids with soil containing peat. However, if after two years the geranium is still freely located in the old pot, then it should not be transplanted, you can leave everything as it is for another year or until the need for transplanting becomes obvious.

As a top dressing, ivy geranium takes well potash fertilizers... Nitrogenous, on the contrary, are undesirable for her. Mineral fertilizers must be applied in low concentrations in the spring and summer. Dried flowers should be removed. In autumn and winter, it is advisable to stop feeding, watering less often.

Failure to comply with the growing conditions is fraught with a number of unpleasant consequences.

Violation of the watering regime:

• overflow - leaf decay, fungal attack;
• lack of moisture - drying of leaves.

Temperature violation:

• overheating - drooping leaves, lack of flowering;
• hypothermia - redness of the edge of the sheet.

Lighting violation:

• lack of light - falling leaves at the bottom of the stem;
• excess light - subject to temperature conditions, there are no negative consequences.

From all that has been said, we can conclude that caring for geraniums is really simple, and its decorative qualities can leave few people indifferent. This is probably why flower growers love this plant so much. It looks great on balconies in summer, and in a room all year round. In addition, ampelous ivy geranium, due to the peculiarities of its stem, is capable of creating a unique effect of a lushly blooming hanging garden. The color variety of the inflorescences makes the process of breeding geraniums especially pleasant.