How to take care of geraniums after the Frost Descending solar term to make them bloom again
Article Guide: Discussing how to take care of geraniums to make them bloom again after the Frost Descending solar term and the techniques for maintaining reblooming, the following article introduces the topic by the website's editor.
If talking about flowering plants that can bloom all year round and are rarely affected by pests and diseases, geraniums are definitely on the list. Geraniums prefer cool weather and are not heat-tolerant. In summer, they enter a dormant state and almost stop growing. When autumn comes and the weather cools down, geraniums will grow and bloom fiercely. After the Frost Descending solar term, if gardening enthusiasts take care of four things for geraniums in time, they can still burst into flowers before winter.
Prevent frostbite
Geraniums are cool-season flowers, with the most suitable growth temperature between 15-25 degrees Celsius, preferring a cooler environment with lower temperatures and not tolerating high heat. In the hot summer days of the Sanfu period, geraniums stop growing and blooming, only gradually recovering growth when the weather cools down at the end of summer and the beginning of autumn.
Although geraniums like cool weather, their cold tolerance is not strong. Most varieties can only briefly withstand low temperatures of 5 degrees Celsius. If the temperature remains below 5 degrees for a long time, it will damage the stems and leaves of geraniums, and even the entire plant may freeze to death. To keep geraniums blooming in late autumn, insulation measures must be taken. After the Frost Descending solar term, potted plants kept outdoors should be moved indoors for care, preferably maintaining a temperature of over 15 degrees Celsius inside. If this is not achievable, the temperature should at least be kept above 10 degrees Celsius, so that the plant can grow and bloom normally.
Increase sunlight
Geraniums require plenty of sunlight to grow vigorously and are very typical sun-loving flowers. Apart from needing some shade during the summer due to high temperatures, they can safely be exposed to the sun at other times. Autumn sunlight has weak ultraviolet radiation, and if geraniums are kept in a dark place, the plants cannot photosynthesize sufficiently to accumulate nutrients, which will slow down their growth, resulting in small, pale leaves, thin and weak stems, and no flower buds or flowers that may wither and fall off.
After the Frost Descending solar term, it is essential to place geraniums in a location with sufficient sunlight, ensuring at least 4 hours of direct sunlight every day.
How to take care of geraniums after the Frost Descending solar term to make them bloom again
Supplement fertilizers
Gardeners should know that supplementing fertilizers appropriately can promote plant flowering, and this is no exception for geraniums. After the Frost Descending solar term, geraniums grow quickly. If only leaves are growing without flower buds, a balanced fertilizer should be used. Balanced fertilizers have an equal proportion of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium elements, providing nutrients for both leaf growth and flower bud differentiation, such as compound fertilizers, Huaduo No.1, and decomposed sheep manure fertilizers. As winter is approaching, the amount of fertilizer should not be too much, just a little will do. Solid fertilizers should be used every 30-40 days, while liquid fertilizers every 10-15 days.
After the leaves grow for a while, geraniums will develop flower buds at the leaf stalks, with each bud having about 3-15 flower buds at the top. At this time, we need to change the fertilizing strategy, using more high-phosphorus and potassium fertilizers that promote flowering. The most common high-phosphorus and potassium fertilizer on the market is potassium dihydrogen phosphate. We mix 2g of potassium dihydrogen phosphate with 1000ml of clean water to make a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution. Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray it on the leaves and stems of the geranium, and pour the remaining solution into the roots. Use it every 10-15 days and stop fertilizing once the flower buds show color.
Water appropriately
Geraniums are relatively drought-tolerant plants. If gardeners break their stems, they can see juice flowing out, which indicates that the stems can store a considerable amount of water, showing that geraniums are suitable for slightly dry care. If watered too frequently in autumn, with the soil being too moist, the roots and stems of geraniums can easily rot.