Flower growers are aware of the diversity of varieties of pelargonium, but "Richard Hudson" stands alone among all stellate species.
This is a spectacular plant with a special character that can decorate any room. It will delight your eye with its tenderness and spectacular flowering.
The article discusses the basic principles of maintenance, breeding and care for this handsome room.
Botanical description and history
This variety was the result of directed selection. Richard Hodgson belongs to the order of geranium, stellate type, speckled pelargonium. It is known that the flower was bred for the first time in Australia by a botanist - amateur Ted Bot.
The constant, warm climate makes it possible to grow the Richard Hudson variety in the garden, in the open field. However, the realities of the Russian climatic zone allow you to enjoy the flower only as a room.
This charming wonder of nature cannot be called too whimsical. Pelargonium can withstand both lower temperatures and heavy rains.and strong winds. Abuse this feature of the geranium, of course, not worth it.
Description of appearance and features
The appearance of this flower is quite catchy and catchy.
Leaves: classic for pelargonium form, small size. The green color of the leaf to the middle becomes richer and darker.
Even without flowers Richard Hodgson looks very beautiful, thanks to the dense, bushy structure.
Bush: dense, full of leaves, but not prone to branching.Flowers: inflorescences stuffed, terry, star-toothed along the edges, with numerous inclusions, strokes, spots. The hue is complex: from a distance it seems light pink, on closer inspection, the combination of a white-pink color with red-pink shading is obvious. The core is dark.
Bush: dense, full of leaves, but not prone to branching.Where and how to plant it?
First you need to start by choosing a place for a plant. In order for pelargonium to feel as comfortable as possible in the conditions of a room, it is necessary to choose a western or south-western window sill for its landing. If the conditions do not allow to place the plant in this way and he is forced to be on the south window, then natural light should be lit on particularly sunny days or at noon.
Another important step before the geranium lover will be the choice of a pot. It should not be huge, otherwise there is a high risk of not seeing beautiful lush inflorescences. The pot should be a little cramped for the plant. Neural or low acid soil is suitable as a soil. The best formula of the substrate will be: 1 part of sand (river) + 1 part sod + 1 part peat.
Soil is best regularly fed with specialized fertilizers, which are in a huge range in stores and markets.
How to care?
One of the most important conditions for obtaining a beautiful flower is the right content. Need to know about the requirements for lighting, watering, soil. Consider further the main nuances of the content.
Watering
Produced strictly under the root. If water gets on the leaves or the stem, they may rot.. Should be regular, but not too frequent. To determine the irrigation time, you should look at the top layer: if it is dry, then you should moisten the soil.
Pruning
To get a stuffed, compact plant, you need to pinch young shoots. This will allow the plant to bush over the sides and form more inflorescences. It is better to carry out procedures during the period of rest, more often in the fall, after pelargonium fades. Dried flower stalks should be removed so that they do not take away the nutrients from the flower.
Top dressing
In the spring it is better to feed with nitrogenous fertilizers in order to stimulate the abundant growth of foliage.- In the summer, flower growers should maintain flowering, and potassium phosphorus mixtures are suitable for this.
- In winter, it is not necessary to fertilize the soil.
In the spring it is better to feed with nitrogenous fertilizers in order to stimulate the abundant growth of foliage.Usually in specialized varieties of fertilizers already contains the optimal composition of the elements affecting the plant in a complex. In the active period of life, plants are usually fed with a frequency of 2 times per month.
You can not use organic fertilizer, it can destroy pelargonium.
Transfer
It is produced only when roots appear in the holes in the bottom of the pot. It is important to remember that the next pot should be a maximum of 2 -3 cm more than the previous one.
Common diseases and pests
The most unpleasant and common disease is black rot. Rot begins with the root, moves to the stems and captures the entire bush. Black Rot is not treatable. The only way to act is to destroy the plant. But prevention should be treated with attention, as these measures really prevent the occurrence of the disease. The preventive measures to combat black rot include:
- disinfecting the plant before transplanting;
- maintaining normal soil moisture, without waterlogging.
Besides, plant susceptible to aphids. You can understand that a flower is affected by whitish spots on the sheets. Preventive measures:
- Calcinating and scalding the soil with boiling water before planting.
- An alternative would be to purchase ready-made soil in a store that does not need preliminary disinfection.
Breeding features
Pelargonium Richard Hodgson propagates by cuttings and seeds.
When breeding seeds, it is important to observe some subtleties and rules:
- necessarily take the soil peat, river sand, fine perlite in a ratio of 1: 1: 1;
- seeds spread on the surface, lightly sprinkled with earth;
- when the first two leaves appear, dive sprouts in small pots.
Reproduction of cuttings is as follows:
- It is necessary to cut the main plant in the spring and summer shoots 5-7 centimeters long.
- Cuttings are determined in the soil of peat and sand in a ratio of 1/3: 3/3.
- Pre-cuttings dried for about two hours.
- Then, after rooting, the young flower is transferred to the main pot.
Richard Hodgson is truly amazing in its beauty and grace. This is one of the flowers that is remembered for its appearance for a long time. Growing it is not at all difficult; it is only important to comply with the data in the recommendation article.
