A story about indoor plants for kindergarten. Geranium. Description and care of the geranium flower Story about room geranium

27.12.2021Heading: Kinds

Geranium not known in Europe until the 17th century. The plant was brought from Africa. This homeland of geranium... It did not grow on other continents. Now, the grass is found even in the Siberian forests. The guest from Africa was able to perceive almost any climate, to adapt to new conditions.

Pictured is a royal geranium

To cultivate in Russia flower geranium began only in the 19th century, although the plant is also mentioned in the notes of the 18th century. We will find out how the grass has changed since then, what features it acquired in a foreign land.

Geranium features

Home geranium differs from the forest. It is a process of natural adaptation and artificial selection. The indoor plant even began to be called differently - pelargonium. It can be bush and creeping, that is, ampelous. The foliage is always palmate, that is, it has several compartments.

They are dissected, or fused, resembling lobes. Geranium leaf useful in cooking as a seasoning. The greens of the plant are also placed in jars of jam, so that it does not grow moldy.

In the photo, indoor geranium

Plant geranium medium height. The stem is 40-60 centimeters long. This is for cultivated varieties, the number of which has reached 300. Wild representatives of the Geraniev family can reach 120 centimeters. The grasses are perennial, in one place they live from 15 to 15 years.

This indicator is almost not affected by climatic conditions. Geranium can plant in open ground, do not cover for the winter. The plant will survive, and it will bloom by spring.

Flowering geranium depends on the variety. Most of them give buds from May to October. Some plants have a year-round cycle. The buds are formed as single, paired, or in umbrella-shaped inflorescences. The color of the petals is also injured. Most popular red geranium... But, the buds are also white, pink, purple.

The scent of flowers highlights geranium. Properties fluids help ward off flies and snakes. Neither one nor the other can not stand the smell of the plant. For a person, the aroma of geranium is pleasant. It is also nice that the petals of pink pelargonium also scare away moths. Housewives put dried flowers in wardrobes. The air in them is filled with sweetness, and the insects disappear.

Microbes indoor geranium also does not spare. The number of bacteria in the air is halved per day. This is the data of scientists who studied phytoncides. This is the name of the biologically active substances secreted by some plants. Thanks to phytoncides, the herb is also called medicinal geranium.

In medicine, they use not only himself. Pelargonium essential oil is also used. It is recommended for skin ailments: - eczema, burns, dermatitis, ulcers. In eastern practice geranium oil prescribed for some types of oncology.

Buy geranium magicians aspire. They argue that white pelargonium increases fertility and can relieve infertility. Moreover, we mean both biological and creative inconsistency. Pink geranium conditions creates to meet a loved one. The herbal ingredient is used in love spells. Any variety will do. And what they are, let's figure it out further.

Geranium species

Geranium varieties home subdivided into groups. There are 6. Zonal grasses are distinguished by abundant flowering. The representatives of the group have straight trunks and wavy foliage. The latter has a reddish-brown border. In addition, the leaves are velvety, covered with hairs and emit a characteristic odor.

The aroma of the buds is sweeter. There are 5 and 8 petals. They can also be terry. The buds vary in shape. Cactuses resemble chrysanthemums. Formosas are like stars, and rosebuds are like roses. There are also flowers such as tulips, but much smaller.

A separate group is allocated Royal geranium. Its buds reach 15 centimeters in width. The petals are corrugated, they can be double. There are always dark spots or stripes on the buds. The top two petals are completely darkened.

Royal geranium at home they also recognize the foliage that looks like maple shoots. The edges of the greenery are jagged. The core of the leaves is variegated, but more often monochromatic. The group of Fragrant geraniums is distinguished by the smallest buds.

Their scent combines the scents of rose, lemon, ginger, strawberry and mint. There are varieties reminiscent of pineapple. The vibes come not only from, but also from the foliage geraniums. Care for Fragrant Pelargonium, even amateurs can do it.

Scented geranium has a feathery leaf shape. They contain from 5 to 7 compartments. Greens of all varieties of the group are terry. But in the Ivy group, the leaves are smooth and shiny, with pointed blades.

Geranium on the Photo indeed resembles ivy. One meter long branches of plants are bent downward, slightly wriggling. On the shoots, buds bloom about 3-4 centimeters in diameter. Coloring ranges from white to black-violet.

In the photo ampelous geranium

The fifth group of indoor pelargoniums are Angels. They need pruning. Geranium scanty without it. Pruning allows the formation of a profusely branching bush. In addition, without pruning, the shoots bend down, like in Ivy Pelargonium.

The foliage of Angels is small, dark green. resemble the buds of Pansies. The flowering intensity is remarkable. Fragrant geranium in winter and in the summer. The greenery is almost completely hidden under the "head" of purple, pink, or lilac buds.

The last group of pilargoniums are succulents. Why geranium leaves fell off? Perhaps because the plant is in the pot of the 6th group. Its representatives shed greens during periods of lack of moisture and any other unfavorable moments for development.

Many varieties have thorny stems. There are not only thorns on them, but also traces of woodiness. The trunks are bizarrely bent, which is why they began to be used for bonsai compositions.

Home care for geraniums

How to care for geraniums? First, she needs to provide good lighting. South windows will do. The plant will withstand even periodic direct rays. In the shade, the flower stretches out, becomes ugly.

The temperature of the pelargonium is average. In winter, 10-15 degrees is enough. At the same time, airing will not interfere. They are also recommended in summer. In the warm season, many flower growers take their "pets" to balconies and terraces.

Moisture is not particularly interested geranium. Reproduction, flowering well in dry conditions. Spraying with pelargonium is not necessary. Watering is carried out only after the soil dries out. In winter, one approach every 10-25 days is enough. In the heat, you can increase the watering rate.

Geranium turns yellow, only if you forget about watering for a month or more. The plant will not like compacted soil either. Pelargonium loves loose, nutritious soil. It is made up of turf, humus and leafy earth.

In the photo, the breeding process of geranium

Why geranium buds are not formed if all conditions are met? The pot size may not have been taken into account. It doesn't have to be big. Geranium blooms only when the roots fill the entire space of the flowerpot.

Geranium price

Gardeners usually buy geranium seeds. They cost from 30 to 140 rubles. It all depends on the volume of the pack, the variety of pelargonium, the popularity of the manufacturer. If geraniums are taken for home use, potted options from stores will work.

The average price tag is 300-400 rubles. For plants with buds, they take more, as a rule, from 500 rubles. A budget option is to purchase a rooted stalk. It will cost about 100 rubles.

Our 5-year-old daughter was instructed in the kindergarten to make a short report on houseplants. Now they are studying different flowers, and some of the children were asked to be assistant educators and make such reports for their comrades. I suspect that actually for some commission or for an open lesson :).

We were given materials in kindergarten - two A4 sheets, where the text was clearly copied from some online encyclopedia. Naturally, there was a lot of purely scientific information that children cannot remember and understand. I had to adapt and shorten the text. As a result, we got two small stories - about geranium and about a cactus.

Geranium

Geranium is a very beautiful plant. It can have white, pink, orange, red and crimson flowers. Geranium flowers grow close to each other on long stems without leaves, so from a distance they resemble a colored umbrella. Many geraniums smell good: orange, lemon, apple or rose.

Geranium loves light and cannot be kept in a dark room. If the flower is placed in the shade for a long time, then it will turn yellow, the leaves will fall off. In summer, geraniums need to be watered well, and in winter they should be kept in a cool place, away from batteries, and should be watered rarely.

Geranium is not only a beautiful but also a useful plant. She is even called the "ear-throat-nose doctor" because she helps people cope with ear, nose and throat ailments. But mosquitoes, flies and moths, on the contrary, do not like the smell of geraniums and fly away.

People have long noticed that geranium fruits look like the long nose of a crane. In different countries, geraniums are called differently: stork nose, crane. And our Russian name "geranium" comes from the Greek "geranos", which means "crane". The homeland of geraniums is South Africa.

Cactus

Cacti are very unusual plants. They have a thick, juicy stem and no leaves at all. Rather, there are leaves, only they have turned into thorns, fluffs or hairs. Cacti can be huge, taller than trees, or they can be as small as a matchbox.

Most cacti bloom very beautifully, but for this they need to be properly cared for. Cacti love light, especially in winter. In hot weather, these plants need to be kept in the shade and be sure to ventilate the room, because cacti love fresh air. In summer, cacti are constantly watered, and in winter, watering is almost stopped.

It is very pleasant to admire cacti, but you cannot touch them with your hands!

And we once invented. True, we didn’t have anything about geraniums and cactus, but we’ll suggest them in the kindergarten - what if they’re studying some of these flowers too.

Geranium family. Comes from the Greek "geranion", a diminutive of "geranos" - crane. Already Dioscorides used this name for individual members of the family and indicated the shape of the fruit, reminiscent of the beak of a crane or a stork.

Geranium is one of the favorite crops for flower growers. We note right away that plants from the genus Geranium geranium and plants from the genus Pelargonium should not be confused. They are often colloquially called geraniums and are grown in rooms, and in the summer they are taken out into the open ground. In Germany, geraniums are called Storchschnabel, which means stork nose, in England and the USA - Cranesbill, crane. In Bulgaria, geraniums are called a health resort for the medicinal properties of most species.

Description: about 300 species are known, distributed in the temperate zone, mainly in the Northern Hemisphere and in the mountainous regions of tropical regions. Annual and perennial rhizome, herbaceous plants. Stems 40-60 cm tall, forked-branched. The leaves are palmate-lobed or finger-dissected. Flowers are single or two, axillary, sometimes collected in inflorescences.

For a long time, gardeners took little interest in the crane. However, in recent years, the weight has changed, even a fashion for geranium has appeared. The beauty of the inflorescences and leaves of this plant is highly valued, new varieties and shades appear. It is only important to create the minimum conditions necessary for their successful growth. Large, with beautiful leaves and bright flowers, rhizome and tuberous plants were mainly introduced into the culture.

Location: most of the recommended geraniums are plants of subalpine and alpine meadows in the mountains of Europe and the Caucasus. An alpine meadow is bright sun, moist air, fertile, well-drained soil and a rather short, even in the southern mountains, growing season. Most of the described species of geraniums are photophilous. These are gorgeous geraniums, Himalayan, Georgian, Dalmatian, Endras, large-rhizome, small-grained, ashy, flat-leaved, Renard's geranium. Blood-red geraniums, meadow, marsh geraniums can grow in sunny places and in partial shade. Shade-loving geraniums that prefer to grow in places where shade, moisture and moderate temperatures reign include geraniums associated with their origin with forests: red-brown geraniums, forest geraniums and Robert's geraniums.

Most geraniums, like other meadow plants, are plants with an average moisture requirement. The most moisture-loving geranium stands out against the general background - marsh, a plant of wet meadows and the banks of reservoirs. The most drought-resistant plants, well tolerating a temporary lack of moisture, include rock geraniums: Dalmatian, Endras, large-rhizome, ash, Renard's geranium. Experience has shown that all described geraniums normally tolerate both excess moisture in wet years, of course, in the absence of stagnant moisture, and its lack during dry periods.

The soil: for normal growth, abundant and long-term flowering, all geraniums need loose, drained fertile soils. Most geraniums grow well in acidic, slightly acidic and neutral soils. But Dalmatian geranium, Endras geranium, blood red, ash and Renard geraniums prefer soils rich in lime, in which the pH is 8. The only thing that is important for all geraniums, except for marsh geraniums, is the absence of stagnant moisture. On heavy, nutrient-rich, clayey soils, knotty, meadow geranium grows well. Slightly acidic, peaty soils are suitable for black-eyed geraniums.

Temperature range: despite the fact that most of the described geraniums are plants of the southern regions, they are quite cold-hardy. Only in geraniums with wintering leaves blood-red geranium and red-brown geranium did their premature death occur. However, in the spring, young green leaves had grown, and the flowering was as abundant as usual. Geraniums bloom more abundantly in years with warm springs and hot summers.

Care: in a properly designed flower garden, geranium grows rapidly, and its dense bushes prevent weeds from growing. Therefore, caring for geranium plantings is quite simple. This is a thorough weeding of flower beds in May before the mass of leaves appears. At the same time, the soil is loosened and complex mineral fertilizers are scattered into it. Geranium also reacts well to the introduction of ash. In the future, care is, if necessary, in watering, and after the flowers wither, it is necessary to cut off the faded shoots. In autumn, at the end of September, aerial shoots of geraniums with non-growing leaves are cut off and placed in a compost heap. Geraniums with overwintering leaves cannot be cut off. Black-eyed geranium requires a garter. In meadow geranium, during summer pruning, secondary flowering in autumn is sometimes observed.

Diseases and pests: occasionally damaged by brown spot, powdery mildew. To avoid powdery mildew, prune the plant after flowering or early in the wilting period. After cutting, the following shoots will be stronger. New leaves will appear, which partially tolerate the winter. Large, bushy species can be mowed down after flowering. They grow back and most often bloom again. In case of fungal diseases, manifested in the appearance of brown spots on the leaves, these leaves are cut off and burned. Cases of fungal diseases are observed in wet, cold years and do not have a decisive effect on the state of plants.

Reproduction: geraniums are propagated by both seed and vegetative methods.

All geraniums bear fruit abundantly. But here the gardener will face difficulties. When the fruit ripens, the seeds are scattered, and it is difficult to seize the best moment to harvest them. Seeds collected in August can be sown freshly harvested in the ground, so that they have time to form seedlings before frost. But it is more reliable to sow seeds before winter, at a time when the soil is already seized by frosts. In this case, the seeds will germinate in the spring, choosing a time convenient for themselves. Mass seedlings appear in May, and the next year the seedlings bloom. But we often buy seeds in stores, so we have to sow them in pots in March, followed by picking. You can sow seeds in April in still cold soil. Seedlings, which appear fairly quickly, are first grown in the nursery. It is recommended to plant an already formed bush in a flower garden, preferably a two-year one. Since then we expect to grow the plant for many years without dividing and transplanting, the distance between the bushes should be at least 40 cm.

It is faster and easier to grow geraniums from a cut. When breeding varietal geraniums, this is the best way. Geranium multiplies without problems by dividing the bush and segments of rhizomes with a bud of renewal. Division can be carried out in early spring, before the active regrowth of leaves, and at the end of summer. Of course, the second term is more favorable. The fact is that at this time the plant is almost dormant and the roots and rhizome can be well shaken off the soil and slowly planted in a new place. The main thing to pay attention to is the state of kidney renewal. They should be dense, not rotten, not dry. During September, young roots are formed on the cuttings, with which the plants overwinter. The peculiarity of the recommended geraniums, in addition to Robert's geranium, is their longevity. A bush without dividing and transplanting can decorate a flower garden for up to 10-15 years, while becoming more and more decorative. Only after 10-12 years, signs of aging become noticeable: the appearance of dead parts in the center of the bush. But it is better not to wait for this, and divide the bushes of 9-10 years old and plant them on fresh soil.

Seasonal Features:

Spring. Geraniums wake up from winter dormancy later than many other plants. Only when stable average daily temperatures of about 5 ° C are established, their growth begins. The regeneration bud, overwintering slightly below the soil level, appears on the surface and opens up. The emerging cam of rolled leaves looks like a fluffy round ball. But here it opens, and the rapid growth of leaves begins. As a rule, this phenomenon in central Russia is observed in the first ten days of May. By the end of May, most of the leaves were fully formed, reaching the normal size inherent in the species. However, new leaves in geraniums appear and grow throughout the season. This provides the bright freshness of the bush throughout the season. At the end of May, almost all geraniums have shoots with buds.

Surely everyone knows well the red geranium in the pot - the favorite of our grandmothers. It must be said that this generally recognized attribute of bourgeois comfort still adorns the windowsills of not only residents of our country, but also Europeans. That's just the correct name of this flower - pelargonium, and anyone can envy the variety of its modern varieties and their colors. In addition, it is now customary to grow it not on the windowsill, but in the garden or on the balcony.

Geranium and pelargonium belong to the geranium family. But geranium is a resident of the middle lane, and most varieties of pelargonium come from the savannas of South Africa. Therefore, this flower loves the sun and easily tolerates a lack of moisture.

Both the names "geranium" and "pelargonium" come from the Greek language. The first of them is translated as “stork”, and the second, as “crane”, since the shape of the fruits of these plants resembles the beak of a stork.

In its current "cultural" form, this flower first appeared in Holland in the 16th century. In Europe, pelargoniums appeared in the late 17th - early 18th centuries. But if then it was just African exoticism, then in the 18th and 19th centuries, pelargonium became one of the most popular flowers, with about a thousand varieties. She gained particular popularity in Great Britain, becoming a symbol of the Victorian style of “good old England”.

In England, France, USA, Australia, there are societies of lovers of pelargonium organized, which annually organize exhibitions where the best varieties are exhibited. In 1960, the Geranium Garden was created in Orleans.

In the last century, a lot of breeding work was carried out to breed numerous hybrids and varieties. Variegated plants were obtained, dwarf forms, varieties with white and two-colored, as well as double flowers were bred.

V Of Russia Pelargonium became widespread in the 19th century. It is known that in 1858, 20 species of South African geraniums were grown in the Alexander Garden greenhouse, the largest in Moscow. V Crimea Pelargonium was planted in flower beds in the palace park of Count Vorontsov, in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden.

At the end of the 19th century, other flower cultures began to come into fashion, and pelargonium received the offensive nickname "bourgeois flower" and for a while fell out of sight of flower growers.

Now geranium has returned to its former glory and can often be seen on window sills in modern apartments. Maybe you have a pot with this plant on your window.

Geranium has been known as a medicine since ancient times.

Traditionally, she was planted near the house for protection from evil spirits.

The geranium plant was very much loved and revered by working people, especially artisans, because of its ability to purify the poisonous air of tinning and shoe workshops, to suck in waste and dampness. Modern research has confirmed that geranium actually absorbs toxic substances and radionuclides from the air, and also copes well with viruses and bacteria.

If you put the leaves of pelargonium in jars of jam, then it will not become moldy.

According to ancient beliefs, geranium with pink flowers attracts love, it is used in love magic, but white geranium increases fertility.

Pelargonium oil (most commonly Pelargonium graveolens) is widely used in aromatherapy. Geranium oil was first obtained in 1819 by the French chemist Recluse. Here is this type of geranium:

Geranium is known to us as an unpretentious houseplant that pleases with bright numerous flowers from spring to the very snow. Not everyone knows that there is another type of geranium that grows calmly in the open field. The frost-resistant "sister" can be found in the garden, in the forest or in the swamp. Botanists have divided them into two varieties, one of which is called "geranium", and the other was given the name "pelargonium". It was she who became the home favorite of almost everyone who is engaged in flower cultivation. Both genera belong to the same geranium family and have the same origin.

The birthplace of the geranium plant was South Africa. In different parts of the Republic of South Africa, several types of climate coexist: Mediterranean, tropical, subtropical and temperate. As a result, the flora turned out to be very diverse and variegated. From here, unusual representatives of the plant world were transported since the time when in the 16th century. merchant ships of the Old World began to dock on the shores of Africa.