Tips for growing and caring for yellow pelargonium. Flower photo

Yellow pelargonium is a very rare flower. Buying it at a flower shop is no easy task.

Therefore, such a plant is the pride of any grower! And if you are lucky enough to become its owner, it is especially important to follow the rules of care so that the flower will please you for a long time.

Next, tell about the varieties of solar geraniums. How to transplant and propagate it correctly. We consider in detail the question of diseases and pests.

History of occurrence

The secret of the appearance of yellow pelargonium in nature is unknown. Perhaps this color of the flowers appeared as a result of a mutation. Or maybe someone once brought to Europe from the Black Continent one or two branches of yellow pelargonium (in Latin it is called Pelargonium articulatum, or Pelargonium articulated), and since then it has been known only to a narrow circle of lovers and connoisseurs.

At least, it is not easy to buy yellow pelargonium in a retail chain of flower shops. But, one way or another, it exists and is cultivated.

On a note. Difficulties in getting yellow are explained by the fact that the main natural pigments of pelargonium are anthocyanins, shades of bright pink and purple.

They are antagonists of carotenoids and flavones, which are involved in very small amounts in the coloring of geraniums.

Articulated pelargonium has a yellow genebut at the same time it has very stiff leaves and not the most beautiful outlines of a bush. Additional efforts of breeders, whose leaders are the English companies Thompson & Morgan and Van Meuwen, are directed at refinement of these signs.

Botanical Description

The biological description of yellow-flowered pelargonium is fully consistent with all parameters of the geranium species. The plant is a perennial, grassy or semi-shrub. The bush is erect, densely leafy. The stems are branched, erect or creeping. The leaves are covered with fluff, the edge of the leaves is wavy. Flowers are collected in little or multi-flowered umbrella-shaped inflorescences.

Fruit - a box with a preserved sepal, opening from the bottom to the top. Yellow-flowered pelargonium is a species plant. The separation of geraniums into geraniums and pelargonium occurred only at the end of the 18th century. Species pelargoniums are more diverse in the shape, size and color of leaves and flowers. There are about 250 species and 14 sections. The most popular are zonal pelargoniums, which include yellow varieties.

According to the shape of the inflorescence, zonal pelargoniums are divided into:

• star (flowers resemble an asterisk in shape);
• tulip (flowers are shaped like a tulip);
• rosebuds (the shape of the flower is close to the shape of an unopened rose bud);
• cactus (flowers look like small chrysanthemums);
• deacons (plentiful small flowering);
• Formosa hybrids (the flowers look like stars, but the petals are each divided into 5 parts).

Reference. The first sign of the difference between species pelargonium is that their flowers have a disproportionate arrangement of petals: the two upper ones are larger than the three lower ones. The second is the conditions of detention.

Species pelargonium does not tolerate a cold climate and cannot winter in the ground during cold weather, unlike geraniums, which often winter in the garden in the middle lane.

More information about the types and varieties of pelargonium, their photos and rules of care can be found here.

Common varieties

The first variety of yellow pelargonium - "First Yellow" - was presented to the public at the exhibition "Flowers-2009", and work on the targeted breeding of pelargonium with yellow flowers has been going on since the 80s of the last century. The progenitor of "First Yellow" is a pelargonium articulated with pale yellow flowers.

Breeders crossed different varieties: "Princess Fiat", "Lara Purnal", "Millfield Gem" with the original plant in order to obtain a clearly yellow color of the petals. The first hybrids had a subtle cream shade and red markings on the petals.

Other varieties of yellow pelargonium:

1. "Guernsey Flair": it has branched stems and medium-sized light lemon flowers.
2. "Buttermilk": she has creamy yellow flowers and velvety green foliage.
3. "Creamery": the result of crossing species pelargonium, has a magnificent inflorescence of narrow light cream petals.
4. Pelargonia pulverulentum Oribi Flats and Pelargonia gibbosum - a variety of flowers similar to the flowers of the plant snapdragon, with dark purple or brown marks.

Pelargonium is called yellow with a certain stretch, since its flowers are more likely cream, vanilla and pale lemon tint. Its flowering season is short, and you cannot call it plentiful: only 3-5 flowers form on the stems.

Photo

Check out the photo with varieties of flower:

Where and how to plant?

The conditions for pelargonium with cream and pale yellow flowers are no different from the conditions for pelargonium of other colors. The plant is unpretentious enough for flower growers, but should be kept indoors. Pelargonium prefers heat and light, but you should avoid direct sunlight.

Attention! The flower loves freedom and does not feel very well in close proximity to other plants.

Pelargonium pot is better to choose not very wide. In a wide pot, the plant will not bloom so abundantly. Watering should be moderate, because waterlogging affects the condition of the plant worse than a lack of water.

Lighting and location

Pelargonium feels good on eastern and even southern windows, but in indoor conditions it is better to shade it from direct sunlight. Some types of pelargonium prefer medium lighting, and for them it is better to choose a place near the window, but not on the windowsill itself.

Soil requirements

The soil should be slightly acidic, consisting of equal parts of peat, sand and garden soil. Pelargonium is an African plant that is not used to too nutritious soil. A good drainage is required in the pot. Periodically, loosening the soil should be carried out.

Street ground must be calcined in the oven to destroy pests and their larvae, as well as foci of possible infectious diseases. Do not risk the health of the flower and save on the ground, pelargonium soil is in many supermarkets and is inexpensive.

How to care?

First of all, after acquiring a flower, it is necessary to examine it for dead leaves and insects hidden under them. For the flower you need to choose a well-lit warm place without the scorching rays of the sun and drafts and, preferably, without other plants.

Transplant blooming pelargonium immediately after purchase is not necessary, even if the land in which it now resides seems scarce to you. Pelargonium does not like nutritious soil, it blooms poorly in such soil, and it does not treat excess water well. Pelargonium loves fresh air, so in the summer in warm weather it is good to keep it on the balcony, where there is the possibility of shading.

If the plant does not bloom, then its transplant is likely to be successful. After extracting from the ground, the root does not need to be washed. At the bottom of the pot, a little expanded clay or broken shards are poured, then a layer of soil, then a plant is placed on the ground, sprinkled with earth, lightly compacted and watered.

A transplant of yellow pelargonium is done in the spring. If there is no possibility of a complete transplant, then the topsoil is replaced. The pot should be slightly wider than the root system.

In order for the bush to branch well, at the end of winter - the beginning of spring, you will have to pinch it, removing the growth zone. This will cause the plant to throw out new side shoots, a more lush bush will form.

Watering yellow pelargonium should be moderate, the flower tolerates drought more easily than waterlogged soil. Do not spray zonary pelargonium - during the flowering period, this may adversely affect the flowers. Mineral or liquid fertilizers are good as a top dressing for growing pelargonium, and phosphorus-potassium with a low nitrogen content during flowering. Top dressing should be applied weekly from May to September.

Note! Organic fertilizers for pelargonium can not be used.

Diseases and Pests

Most often, pelargonium is affected by gray rot, as well as stem and root rot. The stems and leaves of the pelargonium turn yellow, become covered with a gray coating, wither, the flowers become spotty. This fungal disease develops due to excessive watering and humidity, as well as excessive feeding of nitrogenous fertilizers. It is necessary to reduce poly, remove the affected leaves, stop feeding, treat the plant with systemic fungicidal preparations (Vitaros, Fundahol, Rovrald, Ridomil Gold).

• Verticellum wilting begins with excess watering: the fungus begins to multiply in the soil and gradually covers the entire plant. It is enough to treat the flower with fungicides and transplant it into drier soil in a new pot.
• Late blight It is also a fungal disease, and the opinions of gardeners about the possibility of curing it differ. Some recommend replacing the plant, some manage to cure it at an early stage of the disease with the help of Previkur and Profit Gold.
• Black leg disease affects the root of pelargonium. In this case, treatment is often useless, since a fungus of this species is slightly sensitive to fungicides.
• Rust - Another disease of pelargonium, the cause of which is waterlogging of the soil and air. The leaves of the plant are covered with red spots, and on the reverse side are convex foci of fungal infection. The plant is treated with fungicides and cleaned of the affected parts.
• Aphid - the most common pest. Colonies of small spiders settle on stems, flowers, under the leaves of pelargonium. They can appear on any plant. You can fight aphids by using a soap solution and special insecticides, and it is better to remove heavily damaged parts of the plant. From folk remedies for aphids, tincture of garlic or onion helps.
• Ticks appear and begin to multiply on the plant when watering is insufficient and the air temperature is too high. To destroy them, use a soap solution, mineral oil, or special mite preparations.
• Whitefly usually hides on the underside of the leaves of the pelargonium, and yellowing of the leaves and sticky spots on them speaks of its appearance. You can destroy the whitefly with karbofos or its analogues, as well as with the help of sticky traps.

Important! During the treatment period, the diseased plant must be isolated from others, since infections and pests very easily capture new plants, and an epidemic can begin in your flower garden.

Propagation Features

Yellow pelargonium, like other species of this plant, is propagated by cuttings and seeds. Reproduction by seeds gives plants that bloom more often and more abundantly. Seeds are planted in loose moist soil in the middle of winter and covered with a small layer of soil.

When the first sprouts hatch, the earth can be sprinkled with a growth stimulator and covered with glass. After a couple of weeks, the seedlings dive and plant in different containers. At the age of 6-8 weeks, the sprouts are ready for transplanting into separate pots.

Rooting cuttings is used much more often and mainly in the summer. The shoot is cut off with a side branch, dried slightly and put into water. When the roots appear, the plant is ready for transplanting into the ground.

Conclusion

Caring for yellow pelargonium is not much different from caring for its sisters of other colors. Observing the simple rules of its maintenance and breeding, you can get beautiful plants that will delight owners not only with beautiful unusual flowers, but also with the ability to create a positive and calm atmosphere in the room.

Watch the video: Growing Geraniums : Problems with Geraniums (April 2024).