Attention Points for Pruning Geraniums
About the experience of pruning geraniums, let's follow the editor to take a look!
Pruning geraniums is an important task, but many gardening enthusiasts do not pay much attention to it. There are often some misunderstandings, such as waiting until the plant shape is bad before pruning; some feel sorry to cut when the plant is flowering; and some think their seedlings are growing well enough and do not need pruning.
I. Pruning Process of Geraniums
Let's start with this dwarf variety!
Figure 1: The plant shape before pruning (a picture of the plant flowering in spring). Does this shape need pruning?
Pruning Time: Autumn. Why is it necessary to prune in autumn?
Answer: The primary purpose is to help the plant recover its growth, because summer is usually very harsh. Both plants and animals have self-protection mechanisms, and when the environment is not conducive to growth, they resort to amputation to save their lives. Therefore, after summer, the plants are usually weak. This is also the reason why the survival rate of cuttings in autumn is low. To encourage new branches and buds, if not pruned, the new leaves will grow slowly.
Pruning Tips: The length of pruning depends on the proportion of the mother plant's height. When pruning, pay attention to keeping the height consistent. Do not leave too thin, too weak, or inward-growing branches.
The position of the cut should be above the node, as close to the node as possible, otherwise, it is prone to half-section necrosis. Sometimes, even if the cut is on the node, necrosis can occur.
If you notice the wound starting to turn yellow downwards, break it off. If ignored, it will gradually turn black and necrotic.
Figure 2: One week after pruning. All the leaves are new growth. Can an unpruned large plant produce so many new buds within a week? Only after severe pruning will it produce new buds. Generally, after 2 weeks, new buds will also appear, and you can consider repotting and changing the soil.
Figure 3: The appearance of the 100-year-old Vancouver variety, which is pruned at the same time as the dwarf variety. The branches cut can become cuttings. The 100-year-old variety naturally branches very well, and if anyone can grow it into the "Thousand-Hand观音," it would be a regret.
II. Reminders for Pruning Geraniums
Hybrid geraniums do not branch naturally well, so after pinching, the effect is not as obvious as in other groups. However, pinching should still be done, but do not expect too much branching, as this is a characteristic of hybrid geraniums.
III. Pruning Tools for Geraniums
If you want more flowers, you have to be ruthless. Scissors, saws, knives, daggers—no matter what the weapon is, the sharper and faster, the better.
Surgical knives and men's single-edged razors can be used to prune cuttings and are very effective.
Make sure the cut is as neat as possible for faster healing, especially for thick stems like those of apples.
Cuttings should also be as neat as possible; rough cuts are prone to rot.
Tools should be disinfected with alcohol, and disinfection should be done after cutting one plant before moving on to another.
【Wound Treatment】Wounds on the branches should be treated with wood ash, sulfur powder, cigarette ash, or plant wound healing agents. This is a preventive measure.
【Caution】Branches that have been wet will turn black at the node, especially towards the bottom, and that blackness is mold.
At this point, stop watering and expose to more sunlight. Cuttings should not be sprayed with water, as the water accumulated on the leaves can turn into烂 leaves. If ventilation is controlled, there is no need to water frequently during the cutting period.
The above introduces the specific details of the attention points for pruning geraniums (with pictures and text) for reference by netizens.