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The Geranium
Geranium is one of the most beautiful and decorative plants in the world. For decades, its cultivation has been carried out in different locations, especially to decorate characteristic balconies and ancient windows. Many medieval-style towns decorate the ancient mullioned windows with these plants precisely because they have the gift of making any place look original and rustic. And yet geranium, despite being so decorative, is a very simple plant that over time has undergone many hybridizations so as to become a required botanical species almost like a collector's piece.
Where to buy Geraniums
The geranium belongs to the geraniaceae family and has the botanical name of Pelargonium. Climbing geraniums are the most requested perhaps because they are also used as hanging plants and not only as decorative plants resting on special supports and grids. They are very easy to find in nurseries where we find countless species, especially hybrids, similar to tender carnations or delicious little roses. In the nurseries you will find other varied varieties of geraniums, all very beautiful, starting with the simple Pelargonium zonales that bloom for the whole year to end up with the delicate fragrant geraniums such as the Pelargonium odoratissimum also called "Malva of Egypt". There are even very special geraniums that have a fairly high price and are suitable only for collectors because they need considerable care and among other things they are not on the market because they are not particularly beautiful.
Because the plant can get sick
Although geranium does not require special care, it can become ill due to our neglect and because we do not observe precise rules that can preserve it from innumerable fungal and mite diseases in general. First of all, the geranium should be exposed in a sunny area of the balcony or garden. If we don't do it, the flowering will be minimal or even nothing. The soil should always be kept moist even in the winter months. In the summer months the plant must be watered daily, but avoiding stagnant water that is highly dangerous for the plant. The roots with a non-optimal drainage, suffer a lot and in addition could develop fungal diseases and the roots could irremediably become moldy bringing the plant to sure death. Fertilization must always be carried out in the warm months while in winter it must be drastically interrupted because if buds were born, with intense cold, they could freeze. The geranium plant should be drained perfectly and this should be done by changing the soil every time the summer begins. The new soil must be mixed with excellent peat and with spherical balls of expanded clay to obtain a soft soil that holds moisture well. In winter the plant must be moved after having eliminated leaves and dried flowers, in a place of the balcony well sheltered from the drafts. Possibly it is better to locate the plant near the door leading to the kitchen where it will surely benefit from the heat coming from it. If the winter is too cold and you run the risk of night frosts, purchased in nurseries, a TNT (non-woven fabric) with which you will cover the plant that will be protected and at the same time will breathe. If you observe these simple rules, the geranium will not get sick easily.
We have seen what are the methods to preserve the geranium from possible diseases. However this plant could be infested with mites. Let's see how to fight them with biological methods that respect the eco-sustainability of the environment. If we see that the geranium leaves take on a blackish color, it means that the plant has had an invasion of brown cochineal. To make sure it is this insect, with a fingernail, scratch on the leaf. The cochineal is recognizable because it is held by the nail. Take a swab soaked in alcohol and try to clean most of the leaves, using a wad for each leaf. In a sprayer then, put water mixed with neutral flake soap. Shake and melt the soap. Spray the solution on the leaves and leave for a few minutes. With another dispenser, sprinkle fresh water on the leaves until they are thoroughly rinsed. If on the geranium you notice some small white animals that walk undisturbed, you are certainly in the presence of lice. Use soapy water and spray the leaves for a long time and rinse continuously. With cotton balls, clean the leaves as often as you can. If, on the other hand, you notice thick cobwebs on the leaves and the stem of the geranium, and in addition the leaves wither and curl up. You are in the presence of the renowned red spider. This mite loves drought and in a very humid environment it proliferates considerably. Sprinkle the plant with a spray, several times a day and keep it well moist. With soapy cotton balls, try to clean the leaves and then continue to spray the fresh water plant.Diseases of geraniums: diseases caused by bacteria of geraniums
There are not many bacterial diseases that can affect the geranium but often these can even cause the death of the plant! The most dangerous is the geranium bacteriosis which particularly attacks the Pelargonia geraniums and spreads rapidly to the surrounding plants. Unfortunately there are no substances able to solve the problem, but on the contrary, the only solution is to remove the geranium pot and eliminate it to avoid sticking the geraniums close to the infected plant. The main symptoms to recognize the disease are the yellowing of the leaves and almost a drying of the same. Finally, the fall of the leaves will also occur. The primary cause of bacteriosis triggering is a wrong pruning or the use of dirty and not disinfected tools.
