Plant description
Most of us consider it Geranium as one of the plants that is a trademark of Greece and the Mediterranean in general. The geranium comes from South Africa, but as the conditions in our country are ideal, it became one of the most characteristic plants of the wider Mediterranean region.
Geraniums are a large family and usually in our country we give the name geranium to the plant that is also called mallow. The wild mallow that is native to Greece has the same name. Geraniums, however, also include pelargoniums or black eyes, as well as cotton or mastic, which are hanging or reptile geraniums. There are countless varieties of geraniums, many of which were created by man, with different colors of flowers, sometimes bicolor, in dwarf or tall forms, or even with fragrant flowers. The flowering of the plant lasts until the first cold, of course it can stop producing colored flowers but its leaves remain green throughout the year.
Care
This is one of the easiest plants and really doesn't require any special care. It is grown in sunny places, in all types of soil, provided that it has good drainage, i.e. that it is not constantly wet.
Try to grow geraniums in the spring or autumn so that the plant has time to adapt to its new environment before the cold or heat. Water the plant regularly when you see the surface of its soil dry and be careful to always empty the saucer of water so that its roots do not rot. Do not pour water from above as it does not like its leaves to get wet, only sparingly and when you wash the plant from the dust.
Try to remove dried flowers to help it produce new flowers faster. Fertilizing in the spring every 15 days will greatly help the vigor and flowering of the plant. Lubricate with liquid fertilizer for flowering plants or slow-absorbing granular fertilizer. Geraniums are generally disease resistant, but can very rarely be affected by aphids and stem caterpillars.
More information about this can be found in our following article:
Proliferation
Their propagation is very easy and is done from a branch. Choose a strong branch and remove the leaves at a height of at least 4-5 cm. Let the branch dry for a while and then plant it in one flower pot which you will keep away from the hot midday sun for a few days and water the plant. Using a rooting hormone will give you better results. In the first few days you will see all its leaves dry up and fall but don't be disappointed because soon you will see new leaves and branches flying. When the new plant will grow and it seems mature enough, then you can transplant it into your garden or gradually move the pot to the place you want.
