Pelargonium (also known as geranium) is an unpretentious plant that can be propagated by seeds all year round. However, for the experiment to be successful, a number of conditions must still be met. 5–6 months after sowing, a beautiful flower will grow from the seed, which has not only beauty, but also beneficial properties. Using 4 useful tips, you can speed up the germination process of pelargonium seeds.
Scarification of seeds
Avid flower growers are already familiar with such a technique as scarification, but beginners may learn about it for the first time. Geranium seeds are covered with a hard substance on top, so they take a long time to awaken after being immersed in the ground. In this case, scarification will help - deliberate damage to the seed coat. For this purpose, use a knife, sandpaper, and a file. It is enough to scratch the surface of the seed to facilitate the penetration of moisture inside and awakening of the sprout.
Soaking in water
Soaking the planting material in water will help speed up the germination process. The duration of the procedure is one day. It is better to use bottled or filtered water with the least amount of impurities for this purpose. The liquid should be at room temperature and completely cover the seeds. The soaking time cannot be exceeded, otherwise the planting material will die from lack of oxygen.Several crystals of potassium permanganate are added to the water so that the disinfection process takes place simultaneously.
Use of stimulants
You can soak pelargonium seeds not in ordinary water, but in a solution of a growth stimulator. Additional stimulation will be especially useful for old seeds or planting material that has not been stored properly. For this purpose you can use:
- "Zircon";
- "Epin";
- "Energen".
Stimulants are used according to the instructions given by the manufacturer. These products increase the energy of seed germination and have a positive effect on plant immunity in the future. Seedlings become resistant to stress and unfavorable conditions (temperature changes, lack of light).
Pre-germination
The most impatient gardeners can pre-germinate geranium seeds so that the plants develop faster. This technique is also recommended to be used if the quality of the planting material is in doubt. It is convenient to carry out germination in a plastic food container with a lid, placing 5 mm thick cotton pads on the bottom.
Pressed cotton wool should be soaked in a stimulating solution based on Epin (1 drop of the drug per 1.7 liters of water). The disks are covered with paper on top so that the emerging roots do not grow into the substrate. The container is kept in the light under a transparent lid. When sprouts appear, the seeds are carefully separated from the paper and planted in small pots.
In the case when high-quality geranium seeds are used for planting, only scarification is sufficient. If the seeds were collected a long time ago or have dried out due to improper storage, it is better to pre-soak them.A procedure called germination will help you get guaranteed seedlings in a short time.
About 3 years ago, when I first saw geranium seeds in a store, I decided to try it out of curiosity. Of the 5 that took a long time to germinate, 1 came out. I’ve been planting them at the entrance for these 3 years. And now it blooms non-stop since summer. But an interesting point is that since I am a lazy person, I did not throw away the inflorescences and broke them off occasionally, throwing them next to the geranium. And this summer I discovered that a small geranium had emerged among the cypress milkweed (I planted geraniums in wheels on cut down trees).
What am I talking about? The seeds set well, so you don’t have to worry about it and just scatter it without planting it in any area.
The package contained simple seeds, but now basically all the seeds are covered with a shell.I sprouted in 3 days, which I myself did not expect - unfortunately the glass fell on the sprouts and damaged them. I ordered it again and am waiting to plant it.
I love blue flowers and ordered and planted them from 6 seeds (instead of the 5 indicated): 4 with coating, 2 without.
I didn’t peel anything, didn’t stimulate anything (it’s in the shell) - I got 5 small geraniums. But I fulfilled one of the conditions for germination indicated on the bag: “for germination a temperature of 25 is required, and now pay attention to the soil.” Soil, comrades, not air. And I put the seedling pot on the radiator for several hours, several days. Therefore, we still need to carefully read what is written on the bags. Unfortunately, you cannot attach a photo.