Beginning gardeners often encounter a phenomenon where strange changes occur with geraniums. They are especially noticeable on the leaves of the plant - they curl, turn yellow, crumble, or become covered with blisters that look like burns. What is the reason? It turns out that the mystery lies in the specific preferences of this flower, which not everyone knows about.
Causes of yellowing leaves and how to deal with it
Many people mistakenly consider geranium (pelargonium) to be an unpretentious flower, but sometimes, in contradiction to this, geranium begins to “be capricious.” One of the signs of geranium disease is yellowing of the leaves. There are many reasons for this, and here are the main ones:
- inappropriate container size;
- excessive watering;
- unsuitable climatic conditions;
- excess nitrogenous fertilizers.
Some gardeners are sure that the cause of yellowing is a lack of space for developing roots, and the flower will do well if it is transplanted from a small pot into a large container. This is not entirely true, as this can also lead to yellowing of the leaves. The best option is if the pot is about 20 cm in diameter and 15 cm in height.
Another reason for yellow leaves is excessive watering. Signs of waterlogging are immediately noticeable: rotting of the lower leaves or their lethargy. Geraniums like dry soil, although you don’t want to overdry it either. To get rid of the negative effects of excess moisture, just add drainage to the pot and regularly loosen the soil.
Pelargonium requires special treatment in winter. At this time, it is necessary to create conditions so that the flower does not stand in drafts and is away from hot steam heating radiators. The optimal temperature will be no higher than 14°C, so you should find a suitable cool room. Watering at this time should also be moderate.
The use of nitrogenous fertilizers also contributes to the yellowing of geranium leaves. There is a rule: in the summer, the flower should be fertilized with potassium, and in winter it is better not to fertilize it at all. Recommendations on the amount of fertilizing are written on the fertilizer packaging, and they must be followed.
Why do geranium leaves curl and what to do about it?
Sometimes the leaves of the flower begin to curl. This is also a sign of plant disease. The reasons may be the following:
- A small pot in which the root system of the flower is cramped. For treatment, you need to transplant it into a larger container.
- Sometimes the plant gets sick due to frequent watering or, conversely, due to excessive dryness of the soil when the pot is on the windowsill above a hot steam heating radiator. Adding drainage to the bottom of the container helps prevent waterlogging, and if the soil is dry, then you should find a cooler place for the flower.
- The reason for twisting can also be infection of the plant by a fungus. In this case, spots and a whitish coating appear on the leaves. Bordeaux mixture can be used as a treatment here, which is used to treat the entire upper part of the plant.
Why do geranium leaves dry out and how to deal with it
The cause of drying leaves in pelargonium may be the following disorders:
- nutrition;
- heat;
- lighting;
- glaze.
Dry soil
Many flowers suffer from a lack of moisture, and although geranium can get by with a minimum amount of water in winter, in summer it can get sick and die without watering. This can be avoided by introducing drainage into the soil, moderate watering and loosening the soil.
Excess sunshine and heat
Geranium is a heat-loving plant. In the summer, she loves good lighting, but if she is left for the whole day under the scorching rays of the hot southern sun, this will cause the plant to become diseased and the leaves on it will begin to crumble and fall off. This is a sure sign that it is time to move the pot of pelargonium to some less lit place. This necessary measure will save your pet from excessive sunbathing.
Do not forget that even in winter, pelargonium can face troubles from excess hot and dry air from hot steam heating radiators.
If a pot of flowers is on the windowsill, and the room is too hot, there is reason to wonder why the leaves suddenly began to curl. The treatment in this case is simple: the pot needs to be moved to another place.
Why do geranium leaves dry out at the edges?
If the leaves of the plant begin to dry out at the edges, and areas of a brownish tint appear on their tips, it means that the air in the room is too dry.
This disease can also be caused by other factors:
- the plant suffers from insufficient watering or is oversaturated with moisture;
- the room temperature is high or too low;
- the leaves can be affected by drafts, which geranium does not like;
- there is an excess of minerals in the soil.
To identify additional reasons why geranium leaves began to dry at the edges, you should pay attention to other changes in the plant:
- Brownish spots and small dry spots have formed on the leaves, which means they lack moisture.
- If the spots are brownish and wet, then you have gone too far with watering.
- Some areas of the leaves look like blisters, which means that the reason for this is pests.
How to provide geraniums with proper care
To prevent the plant from getting sick, pay more attention to it. This flower does not require specific conditions, but this collection of tips for proper care will still be useful to you:
- The plant loves the sun, but at noon it should be put in the shade so that it does not get burned.
- If there is not enough lighting, the leaves noticeably reduce color saturation and fade. Place the pot on the windowsill and preferably on the sunny side.
- If you decide to place geraniums outside, choose a closed place without wind or drafts.
- In summer, the ideal temperature for a flower is +18 ─ +20 degrees. In winter, it should not be lower than +10 degrees.
- The plant does not require high humidity and tolerates any air well. Just keep an eye on the soil moisture; you don't need to wet the leaves.
- Pelargonium should not be replanted frequently; it is better to do this 2-3 times a year, depending on the root system. If you want to replant the plant, first select a pot of the appropriate size. Too big will not do, it will only harm the plant. In a large container, the plant will take root until it fills its entire volume, and you will never see flowers.
- A small pot is also not good. This threatens numerous ailments for the plant. In medium-sized containers, geraniums will feel more comfortable, they will have many flowers and they will look healthy and beautiful.
- You can place several pelargonium bushes in one flowerpot. Then the roots will not rot and the plant will not suffer due to unsystematic watering.
How to care for indoor geraniums (video)
From the video you will learn how to properly care for geraniums, how to feed them and what to do if the plant becomes sick.
Following these simple recommendations for caring for this capricious plant will help you make pelargonium more resistant to diseases and delight you and your family with its beautiful and bright flowers and green leaves.
- Excessive watering, oddly enough, can also cause leaves to curl. Under such conditions, there is a lack of oxygen in the root zone, as a result of which moisture absorption is reduced. As in the first case, geranium tries to reduce the intensity of evaporation.
- Dry air in the room also encourages the plant to save moisture, this especially often happens during the heating season.
- Poor nutrition is another reason why leaves curl inward. Dietary disorders include nitrogen-potassium starvation and a lack of microelements (in particular boron). When the soil solution is acidic, there is a calcium deficiency - in this case, the leaf blades of the flower often curl inward.
- When plants overheat from exposure to heat rays, the leaves lose turgor and curl. As a rule, by the evening the turgor is restored.
How to help indoor geranium?
When growing this flower, a number of requirements must be observed to ensure normal growth and development of plants.
- The flower loves bright, diffused light, so it must be stirred in a well-lit place, excluding exposure to direct sunlight.
- The soil should be structured (loose), well permeable to oxygen and moisture. It is necessary to provide drainage holes in the bottom of the flower pot through which excess irrigation water will be drained. It is also necessary to provide drainage - a small layer of expanded clay chips. The soil mixture can be purchased at a flower shop, or you can prepare it yourself. For example, the soil can be prepared from 1 part neutral peat, 1 part rotted humus and 3 parts garden soil. It is a good idea to add 1 part coconut fiber or vermiculite.
- Geraniums should be watered in small portions as the top layer of soil dries. At low humidity, it is necessary to periodically spray the plants with a spray bottle.
- For fertilizing, it is better to use purchased complex fertilizers. The frequency of feeding and dosage are indicated on the packaging. Once a month, it is advisable to treat plants with solutions of microelements prepared on the basis of boron, copper and iron chelates.
Geranium or pelargonium is a beautiful flower that gardeners have increasingly purchased recently. This is often due to the particular unpretentiousness of the plant, as well as its resistance to many types of diseases. The latter is possible due to the fact that the leaf blades contain phytoncides and alkaloids - protective components (and they are very bitter) that repel many pests. Beginning flower growers, knowing that the flower does not need much care, actively plant it and breed it, decorating the window sills of their own apartments.
However, having noticed that geranium leaves curl inward, gardeners begin to shrug their shoulders in bewilderment as to how and why this could happen. This will never happen with a healthy flower, and if this is the case, then it is necessary to understand the reasons for the curling of the leaf plates and methods for eliminating the problem.
Why do geranium leaves curl?
There are many reasons why geranium leaves could curl.
The most common of them are:
- Errors in watering.
- Lack of feeding and fertilizer.
- Dry air and excess sunlight.
- Inconvenient or small potty.
- Pests and diseases.
Each factor will be described in more detail below.
Errors in watering
Lack of moisture, as well as its excess, harms the flower. Experienced gardeners note that it is better not to top up the plant than to overwater it. It tolerates drought much better. At the same time, if it was noticed that the leaves of the geranium are curling up, this indicates that the roots have not seen water for a long time. Many novice flower growers, in principle, water the garden incorrectly - they poured water into the pot and that’s it. And if the soil inside is stone and has not been loosened for a long time, then it will be difficult for liquid to seep inside and reach the root system. The water will remain on the surface until it evaporates. To prevent this from happening, you should loosen the soil well at least once a month and make sure that the water remains on the tray after watering.
Sometimes curling of pelargonium leaves is a signal of root rotting. The problem is especially relevant in winter, when the room is cool, and people forget to reduce the frequency of watering after summer. If this is the case, then it is necessary to remove the rotten roots (if any) and completely replace the soil mixture.
Lack of feeding and fertilizer
Poor soil is an indicator of the condition of the flower. When making up the mixture yourself, you should remember that it should be light and loose. Peat and river sand must be present in the soil. In addition, it is important to add a little humus and mineral fertilizers.
After a while, the soil will begin to deplete, so it will be necessary to fertilize. Otherwise, the leaf blades may begin to turn yellow and curl.
Nitrogen plays a special role, providing good flowering and rich green color to the leaves. Its deficiency leads to the fact that the leaves become thinner, curl and wither.
Important! If fertilizing has been applied, and the situation only gets worse, perhaps the reason lies in the oversaturation of the soil with fertilizers.
There must be moderation in everything. The same applies to fertilizing. By leaving the geranium alone for a while, the flower will recover after a while.
If pelargonium was transplanted into the ground for the summer, and with the arrival of autumn the gardener returned it to the pot, while the soil was taken from the garden bed, most likely there are earthworms in it or some larvae remain. All this will negatively affect the condition of the plant, so it must be replanted again, but as a soil mixture you will need to take either special soil purchased in a store, or compose it according to all the rules. Sometimes the soil is affected by a fungus, which can be seen by a characteristic coating on the surface of the flower pot. In this case, you also cannot do without replacing the land.
Dry air and excess sunlight
Pelargonium is a light-loving plant, but at the same time it is afraid of direct sunlight. In the summer, it is especially important to place the flower pot as far as possible from the windows. If this was not done, you will notice that the geranium leaves have begun to curl downwards. In addition, burns may appear on the leaf plates. Dry air will not cause burns, but the leaves will suffer.
In the winter season, pelargonium should not be placed near heating devices; in the summer, it should not be placed near “southern” windows. To prevent the flower from suffering, it is advisable to irrigate it daily in the heat. In the absence of such an opportunity, you can place a bowl of cold water or ice next to the pot. Ideally, purchase a humidifier.
Inconvenient or small potty
Choosing the wrong pot is a mistake most gardeners make. Some believe that the container should be voluminous so that the flower does not feel crowded and does not have to be replanted regularly. This leads to the fact that geranium either stops blooming after a while or does not bloom initially. The same problem applies to a pot that is too small. Flower growers read somewhere that frequent transplants are harmful, so they do not rush to replace the container, and at this time the roots are already sticking out of the drainage holes with all their might. The plant is cramped, and it shows this - the leaves of the indoor geranium curl up and lose their color.
Important! The pot should be changed as the pelargonium grows.
Pests and diseases
How to make a flower grow and develop
The flower will grow and bloom only where it is comfortable. If geraniums have provided all the necessary conditions, then there will be no problems with it.
The plant needs:
- Provide nutrients; lack of nutrition will cause geraniums to wilt.
- Keep away from drafts. Cold air flow will negatively affect flowering and the general condition of the plant. Its roots may freeze and rot.
- Water regularly, but do not overwater it. In winter, the frequency of watering is reduced to several times a month.
Geranium comes from South Africa, which explains its love for warmth and sun, therefore, when placing a flower on a sunny windowsill, gardeners do not make mistakes. Moreover, in the warm season it will be comfortable in the garden, but with the arrival of autumn and a drop in temperature, it is better to return the flower to the house.
Geranium blooms throughout almost the whole year, all it needs is a sufficient amount of light, proper watering and fertilizing.
Important! To obtain lush flowering, the plant must be pinched and pruned regularly.
Diagnosis of the problem
The curling of geranium leaves is nothing more than a signal from the plant that the owner is making mistakes in caring for it.
Why do the leaves curl inward?
The reasons may be different, the main thing is to find the correct one and correct the error.
What to do in this case?
If for some reason the leaves of the plant begin to curl, the most important thing is to determine the reason for this state of the flower and act based on it. The main things you can do:
- introduce fertilizing with sufficient nitrogen content;
- protect geraniums from drafts;
- transplant the plant into a flowerpot corresponding to the size of the root system;
- Monitor the presence of pests and, if necessary, treat the flower with special means.
Preventive measures
To avoid diseases of geranium, you need to monitor it and provide proper care:
- carry out soil sterilization;
- water correctly, avoiding excess moisture;
- shade the flower so that it does not get sunburn;
- provide sufficient lighting, avoiding direct sunlight;
- avoid drafts;
- maintain the air temperature in summer +18-20 degrees, in winter – not lower than +10 degrees;
- monitor air humidity, avoiding overdrying;
- timely transplant into a pot of suitable volume.
There are many that can ruin the beauty of geraniums. However, if you know why they appeared and eliminate their causes in time, the flower will decorate any space with its bright colors for a long time, be it an apartment, a house or even a garden plot.
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There can be many reasons why geranium leaves curl, and this is not always due to disease. Often the cause of this phenomenon can be ordinary fasting, or rather, lack of nutrition. To understand the reason, you need to carefully examine the plant and understand exactly where the leaves curl, in the upper part or in the lower part.
Reasons why geranium leaves curl
If the leaves curl at the bottom, it means that the geranium lacks an element such as nitrogen. Nitrogen is considered a very important chemical element in plant life. Nitrogen is involved in many chemical processes, and thanks to this element the plant has beautiful and lush foliage with a rich green color. If there is not enough nitrogen, then the plant does not look good.
However, an excess of nitrogen also negatively affects the plant, especially the flowering one. As a result, the plant begins to fatten, leaves will actively develop, but there will be no flowers at all, or very few.
Often leaf curling can occur due to an excess of potassium. This substance is vital for the plant, since thanks to it the plant receives nutrition and has the opportunity to stock up on the necessary substances. But an excess of potassium is harmful.
- Lack of light
Geranium leaves may also begin to curl for other reasons, for example, due to light. Many books on floriculture write that geranium tolerates direct sunlight. However, from my own experience I want to say that this is not always true. It is better to provide the plant with diffused light. By the way, leaves can curl due to dry air and high temperatures. Geranium loves coolness more than heat.
- Improper watering
Watering can also play a role, both good and not so good. For example, if a geranium does not have enough moisture, its leaves begin to curl, which delays the evaporation of moisture.
Due to constant overflow, problems can also begin, since due to excess moisture the earth becomes compacted and almost no air reaches the roots. Geraniums need to be watered only when the top layer of soil dries out. After watering, try to loosen the soil.
- Pests
The most dangerous causes of leaf curl are diseases and pests. If you notice that there is something wrong with the leaves, be sure to inspect the plant carefully from all sides to see if there are any signs of pests (mites, for example). All these living creatures settle on the flowers and begin to suck all the juices out of them.
Fortunately, today you can get rid of pests, as there are powerful drugs on sale. It is enough to treat the plants several times and not a trace of insects will remain. True, it is a little more difficult to get rid of ticks, since their larvae are very tenacious and begin to develop in favorable conditions.
- Diseases
The most unfavorable cause of leaf curling can be a viral disease. Unfortunately, it is very difficult, sometimes even impossible, to get rid of viral diseases. It is often best to get rid of plants to prevent the spread of infection. It's not just curled leaves that indicate a viral disease. There are also symptoms such as ugly flowers, they look like they are torn. And the leaves become curly and even young.
Sometimes the leaves may curl because the pot has become too small, in which case the plant needs to be replanted.
If you took soil from the area to plant geraniums, then perhaps there are earthworms in it, which can cause the leaves to curl, or the larvae of other living creatures. In this case, the plant will have to be replanted.
Now you know why geranium leaves curl. There may be more reasons, but I only know these, if you know other reasons, I will be glad if you share them.
- Why do geranium leaves turn red?
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