Geranium seeds: how to collect them at home, photos of how they look, how to get and how to plant

Often grown geranium seeds. Cuttings are not common, since the percentage of germination is small, and the plant loses its decorativeness: the bush is large and non-compact.

For the first time, varieties of geranium (F1) were grown from seeds in the early 70s. XX century. Subsequently, breeders stated: flowers of white, dark red and light lilac color decorated pelargonium all year round. How to achieve such a result?

From this article we will learn how to collect geranium seeds at home.

What is this plant?

Geranium - the most famous houseplant. The reasons for its widespread distribution are simple: easy care, ease of reproduction. To date, many varieties, species of this one- or perennial plant, whose stems reach a height of about fifty centimeters, have been bred. They have bright dark green leaves that thin out the lemon, mint, refreshing scent. They also have a drawing: multi-colored stripes or a border of white color. Geranium flowers are distinguished by beauty, largely due to their large size. Not infrequently, they are collected in inflorescences.

Breeders have succeeded in growing geraniums in the garden, in the meadows of Europe, the Caucasus, mountains in the south. Moisture requirement is average. So that the plant is healthy, it is watered constantly, and the soil is loosened. The main thing is to avoid stagnation of water, otherwise it will die.

Natural way of reproduction

Propagation by seeds and cuttings are the most common methods. Moreover, the first is more natural. Florists use seeds obtained from a plant that has long been growing on the windowsill, or bought in a specialized store. In the first case, a hybrid is obtained that does not incorporate the properties of the parent plant. To preserve the necessary signs, they practice a vegetative method of reproduction. The second method is cuttings. More information about how to properly propagate geranium cuttings at home can be found here.

Before growing geraniums, prepare the seeds for planting. The first step is to carry out scarification due to their dense and rigid shell. Having refused this procedure, they are not upset when they see the first seedlings in 2-3 months. A plant will rise faster, which will be ground with fine-grained emery paper between two sheets. After scarification, pelargonium is planted in the ground, and after 2-3 weeks they are happy with the long-awaited seedlings. Purchased seeds are not exposed to it, as they are already prepared for planting.

When do they ripen?

Lovers of indoor plants are aware that geranium does not always produce seeds. If they did appear, consider the following nuances:

An unhealthy plant will not have quality seeds.
The hybrid is always moody.
He is often struck by the "black leg".
Hybrid properties are not preserved with this type of reproduction.

Geranium gives seeds when it has been correctly sown. It is important to take good care of it, providing timely, but not abundant watering. After collection, the seeds of the ivy or zonal pelargonium are stored dry in a warm room until planting in the container.

How do they look in the photo?

Large pelargonium seeds. They are solid, oblong in shape and brown in color.
Next, you can see in the photo how the geranium seeds look:

How to get them at home?

How to get geranium seeds at home? Seed propagation of geraniums is a common way to get a new plant without much hassle. You can buy seeds, but it is better to tinker with your own, personally harvested, especially if the parent plant is healthy. In the second case, there will be many seedlings: over time, new inhabitants appear on the windows - compact-sized bushes with marvelous caps of inflorescences.

Not all pelargoniums produce seeds.

Firstly, it is important to ensure favorable conditions for growth.
Secondly, they will not appear if the owners do not take care of pollination. Today, they practice artificial (labor-intensive process, involving the collection of almost opened female flowers from a pollinator plant), self-pollination (using one's own pollen of a plant), and pollination by insects.

Experienced growers recommend taking geraniums with the onset of heat to the street - in the garden or on a non-glazed balcony. If she likes an insect, pollination will happen quickly. Otherwise, at home, you will have to transfer pollen to the stigmas of pistils. None of the above methods will give a result if the splitting is in the first generation.

Reference! A new plant grown from maternal seeds will be inferior to it in color intensity: it will significantly lose in brightness.

How to assemble?

As soon as the seed bolls are ripe - in the summer or early fall, you can collect them. So that the seeds are germinating, it is better to collect them on time. Otherwise, they will disappear, as they will fall to the ground and be lost among other seeds, for example, violets or pansies.

Geranium seeds are harvested in dry and sunny weather. Do not listen to this advice, do not be surprised at their disappearance during drying or storage.

If you need to collect garden geranium seeds, act carefully. In one box there are 5 of them. If its bottom has ripened, 5 springs will be released, seeds will shoot out. Therefore, the springs loosen gently. They are cut with scissors until ripe. In the cut state, there will be no trouble with their twisting inward. Sometimes they act differently, simply covering the plant with the seeds with a piece of cloth or a towel.

What to do with them after and how much can be stored?

As soon as the seeds are collected, transfer them to paper sheets, saucers or small bowls. After that, put a bowl under a canopy, where direct sunlight does not fall. This place should be well ventilated. If they have not ripened, then the temperature in the room should not be higher than + 24⁰С; and when they are dried, then t = + 30 + 35⁰C.

When the seeds ripen and dry, put them in a linen bag. It is advisable to knead it in your hands, and then pour it on a saucer. So they fight with chaff. They simply shake it out of the bag, and blow it off the saucer. Only after this, the seeds are transferred to a paper bag or linen bag. Storage temperature - + 15 + 20⁰С. The year of collection and the name of the variety are signed so as not to be confused with any other plant.

Briefly about landing

Experienced breeders plant pelargonium seeds year-round, but in the autumn-winter period they organize natural lighting of boxes with them. The best time to plant them is November-April (in winter with highlighting). In March-April, the duration of daylight increases, and with it the seeds hatch faster.
Before planting the plant in a special container or box, prepare the ground. Suitable substrate, consisting of peat, sand and turf (1: 1: 2); perlite and peat (1: 1) or peat and sand (1: 1).
Grains are laid out in a box at a distance of 50 mm from each other. Do not plant them deep (5 mm): the mail layer on top should be thin.
Immediately after planting, water the plant at room temperature. Subsequently, watering should be regular and timely, so that the soil is always slightly moist.
After that, cover the container with glass or film.
It is placed on a well-lit window sill, but it is ensured that direct sunlight does not fall on it.
The plant will form a strong stem and a strong root system. After 2-3 weeks at t = + 18 + 23 ° C, the first sprouts will appear.
Seedlings of garden pelargonium are transplanted into the nursery, and after the formation of the bush, they are planted in the flower garden.
The optimal distance between plants in this case is 40 cm.

You can find out more about how to grow geranium from seeds at home and care after that here.

Useful video

The video below shows how to collect geranium seeds at home.

Conclusion

Geranium is an amazingly beautiful plant. It has beneficial properties for humans. Growing it in a pot on the windowsill, they count on the release of bactericidal substances into the air, which kill germs, including staphylococcus. The more pots with pelargonium will be on the windowsill, the healthier the microclimate in the house will be.