It often happens that even with the most careful care of the plant, something goes wrong, and the flower begins to suffer. Beginners who grow plants at home are not yet experienced enough to understand all the intricacies of care, treatment of diseases or prevention.
Geranium is a very common house plant. It is generally accepted that it is quite unpretentious. But it is not so. Like any living organism, this flower needs care. Geranium care is not very difficult, but you still need to know the main rules. What to do if the plant gets sick? Why do geranium leaves turn yellow and dry? Let's try to understand our today's article.
Too dry soil
This is one of the most common reasons. Who among us has not forgotten to water a flower on time? If you left home for a long time and left the plant alone and forgotten, the question of why geranium leaves dry becomes rhetorical. Plants need clean water in sufficient quantities. In summer, geraniums need to be watered more often. In winter, it can go longer without water. But without watering, the plant will not survive. Please note that both too dry and too wet soil is harmful to the plant. We will talk about this point a little later.
Too much light
It would seem that the reason is rather strange, because everyone needs light. But it is important to distinguish between the effect of the warm spring sun and the scorching summer heat. Geranium is a fairly thermophilic plant, but it will not withstand constant heat. If the flower is left under the sun for a long time, the leaves will certainly turn yellow and curl.
In this case, the easiest thing to do is to move the plant to a more shaded place. It also happens that the flower begins to suffer in winter, when there is very little sunlight. This is due to space heating. After all, very often flowers in pots stand on the windowsill above the battery, which is just a source of hot and dry air. In this case, also take care to move the plant away from the hot battery.
Too cramped or large potty
This also happens. Geranium care provides for a comfortable arrangement of the flower in a pot. But if it is chosen incorrectly, the plant will begin to suffer.
In too tight a pot, the root system will begin to atrophy, because the roots simply have nowhere to grow. From this, the leafy part will also begin to suffer. But too loose a pot also deforms the roots. If geranium leaves curl, what should I do?You should pay attention to the volume of the pot. If necessary, the plant needs to be transplanted. Otherwise, it will constantly hurt and have yellow leaves.
Leaf damage
Why do the edges of geranium leaves dry? Perhaps you just injured the plant. If the edges of the leaves constantly touch window glass or a hot radiator, they are simply doomed to start turning yellow and dry. It happens that the flower is damaged when moving, when moving to another place, with improper handling due to inexperience. Therefore, if you decide to start your floriculture with this particular plant, collect enough information on how to care for geraniums at home for beginners. Note that it is better to tear off completely dry and yellow leaves.
If geranium leaves dry: what to do?
First of all, you need to pay attention to the type and nature of the external manifestations of the disease. If dry spots appear on the leaves of the plant, the problem can probably be fixed by carefully watering the soil. If the spots are brown, it is likely that there is too much water in the soil.
If the damage looks more like a dent or a blister, it is possible that pests are annoying the plant. If the leaves curl and fall, there may be several reasons. This is cold, improper watering, excessively dry air. You need to try to critically assess the situation and give the flower first aid: if it is dry, water it, if it is hot, take it to the shade. Keep watching the geraniums and you will definitely find the cause of the damage.
Pruning geraniums
If the yellow leaves are all-there are, they must be removed to prevent the disease from spreading to the rest of the foliage. At the same time, you can give the plant a beautiful shape. How to do it right?
First, inspect the geranium. All damaged leaves and twigs must be carefully removed. You can do this with any sharp tool - pruning shears are best (if you don't have one, a knife will work too). Clean the instrument with an antiseptic and carefully remove the damaged parts.
Next, stop at the most beautiful and he althy stem. If it has lower shoots, cut them off. Remove stems nearby as well. Too high a stalk needs to be shortened a little by cutting off the top. Thus, the geranium will not shoot up, but will use its strength to grow side shoots and take the form of a beautiful and lush tree. If the plant has too crooked stems, remove them too, leaving small stumps.
When you're done trimming your geranium, don't forget to treat the cuts with ash, brilliant green, activated charcoal, or alcohol - in short, any antiseptic that will prevent infection and help the cut heal faster.
It is important not to overdo it and not cut too many stems, because this will significantly delay flowering. If you cut off more than 20 percent of the above-ground part, the plant can spend a large amount of the resource on restoration and not bloom at all. Therefore, if you are pruning in the spring, make sure that after the procedure the geranium is not in a draft,watered well and the soil in the pot did not dry out. In addition, mineral fertilizers are very important for the rapid growth and restoration of the flower. How often should they be used? Add them twice a month.
Fertilizers for the restoration of geraniums
From time to time, a flower needs not only clean water and care, but also nutrients. Do not be surprised why the leaves of the geranium dry - the plant just needs fertilizer. In order for it to recover as quickly as possible, it is important not to overdo it. According to the rules, fertilizers must be applied in April. Focus on fertilizers with a high percentage of nitrogen. It is this component that positively affects the deciduous part of the plant. But during the flowering period, nitrogen can cause new buds to set late.
If the leaves are suffering from diseases or pests, you will need fungicides and insecticides. Some time after the introduction of these funds, the foliage will begin to recover, and the amount of damage will decrease significantly. For maximum effect, a course of treatment may be necessary. Sometimes experienced flower growers recommend transplanting geraniums into another pot and using new soil.
How to water this plant?
Sometimes the question of why geranium leaves dry can be answered very simply. These are elementary problems with watering. Despite the fact that geraniums love moisture, sometimes it can suffer due to its overabundance. Here you need to have a measure.
When you water your flower, make sure that the water does not get on the foliage and stems. It is best to water geraniums withusing a small watering can without a diffuser, which will provide a thin stream. You need to direct it not to the root of the flower, but to the ground along the wall. If the soil in the pot becomes too dry, the resulting void will prevent water from reaching the roots. Watch the surface of the soil. If there are cracks, then the ground is too dry.
How to water geraniums in winter? Experts give some advice. It is not necessary to pour water abundantly on the flower at this time, as the geranium is sleeping. Just keep the soil moist. In the spring, geraniums will require more water, as it will be needed for the growth of new shoots. Do not water the flower in winter more than once every two days.
With the onset of the warm season, the plant will need more moisture. There can be no specific and precise recommendations here, since everything depends on the air temperature and weather conditions. Water the soil as needed. On hotter days, watch for cracks in the surface, and on cool, humid days, geraniums will ask for less water than usual.
When autumn comes, the plant will stop producing buds. During this period, it is important not to fill the geranium. Depending on the air temperature in the apartment, water the flower several times a week.
If the plant was flooded
It happens that you overdo it in trying to water your geranium well. At first glance, such a plant can no longer be saved. This is not entirely true. First you need to assess the scale of the disaster.
Carefully remove the plant frompot and look at the roots. If they have not had time to darken, prepare new soil and urgently transplant geraniums. If the roots are dark and soft, unfortunately, the plant cannot be restored.
It happens that some roots have not yet had time to rot. Then cut off the entire damaged part and treat with an antiseptic: ash or activated charcoal. Replant the flower in fresh soil - in this case, you can hope that not all is lost.
Geranium Disease Prevention: General Recommendations
Problems are always easier to prevent than to solve. Therefore, the prevention of plant diseases is very important, especially if you are a beginner grower. Consider how geraniums are cared for at home for beginners. Try to stick to simple rules:
- Don't put diseased flowers next to he althy ones. Flowers are quite capable of infecting each other, so if your plant is not very he althy, try to give it a separate place for quarantine. Observe him for several days, and if such a need arises, treat the flower with special preparations. If you have purchased a new flower, keep it in quarantine. It happens that problems do not appear immediately, and the first damage to a new plant will occur only when the neighboring flower is already infected.
- When transplanting a plant into a pot, do not forget to properly cultivate the soil. To neutralize pests or just play it safe, you can water the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate or hold it a little hotoven.
- Try to put the plants in the most suitable place. Please note that there may be drafts in the apartment. It is as harmful to plants as it is to humans. No need to put pots on window sills with hot radiators, in places that are too dark or too cold.
- Do not forget to clean the geranium from dust and dirt, cut dry and yellowed leaves in time. Make sure that mold does not start to develop on the leaves. Basic hygiene will bring undoubted benefits to the plant.
Conclusion
So, we have considered why the leaves of this flower can dry. As you can see, all the reasons are very primitive and banal. If you carefully follow all the recommendations for care, you should not have a question about why geranium leaves dry. Of course, plants are not immune from possible diseases, but if you take care of geraniums properly, they will surely delight you with beautiful and pleasant flowering.
