Geranium is valued not only for its beautiful appearance, but also for its unpretentious care. It grows quickly both in the garden and on the windowsill, delighting the eyes with spectacular buds.
However, sometimes it happens that fragrant leaves (for no apparent reason) begin to turn yellow and fall off. From this article it will be possible to find out why this is happening and what to do about it.
Growth features
In the process of growth and development, geranium does not give the owner trouble. If you follow the simple rules of care, watering, occasionally feeding, pruning, then the plant will quickly grow.
reference! Geranium reaches a height of 60 cm, but this is not the limit. In some cases, the flower grows up to 1 meter in height.
But why does it happen that, against the background of absolute well-being, an elegant bush begins to dry out? What are the causes of this problem and how to correct it? This will be discussed below.
Diagnosis of the disease: why the flower dries up?
Some do not attach much importance to such an alarming symptom as wilting and changing the color of the leaves. And this is wrong. Dried foliage is a warning signal indicating poor health of the houseplant.. Careless attitude to this problem leads to a loss of decoration, blackening of the trunk and even the death of geranium.
That is why, at the first signs of the leaves drying out, the cause should be identified and everything possible should be done to help the plant regain its original beauty.
The leaves are struck from the edge in a circle.
To correctly make a "diagnosis" and accurately determine why the foliage dries up, you should carefully examine the bushes. So, if the leaves dry in a circle, then it happens for three reasons:
- Lack of moisture. Irregular or poor watering leads to the appearance on the leaves of dry yellowish-brown border, easily visible to the naked eye.
- Unsuitable temperature conditions. The optimal temperature for the growth of geraniums is +20 degrees. If this indicator changes dramatically in the direction of increasing or decreasing, then the leaves will dry and fall off. It is noteworthy that the dry border at first has a reddish tint, and then becomes light yellow.
- Cramped pot. Small in size "house" also causes the leaves to dry. The loss of healthy color begins gradually - the edges turn yellow first, and then the process spreads over the entire area of the leaf plate.
In fact, not everything is as bad as it might seem at first glance. Drying leaves is easy to treat. The main thing - to determine the exact cause and choose the right measures to combat this unpleasant phenomenon.
Partial and complete leaf death
The question of what leaves dry out has several answers. Here are situations in which the natural beauty of the geranium is broken partially or completely by dried leaves.
- Large, or vice versa, not enough light. The plant does not tolerate direct exposure to sunlight, and lack of lighting. Both in the first and in the second case, the leaves begin to dry and turn yellow, the stem strongly stretches and the flowering stops.
- Water stagnation. Excessive watering, as well as the lack of life-giving moisture, leads to unhealthy bush. The leaves become watery and sluggish, the root rots, which subsequently causes the crown to dry.
- Excess or shortage of fertilizers. When making dressings you must follow the instructions. Otherwise, the leaves may also turn yellow.
- Unsuitable ground. Efficient geranium growth requires light and fertile land. On heavy and poor soils, the fragrant beauty develops poorly.
- Adaptation period. If you change the environment to the plant (transplanted into a new pot, transferred from the window sill to the street), then the leaves also sometimes turn yellow. After the end of the adaptation period, the previous color is restored.
- Draft. Another common cause of drying leaves. It is necessary to eliminate it, and everything will be adjusted by itself.
- Diseases. Some diseases, such as gray rot, Alternaria and rust, cause drying of the leaves. In this case, other signs of damage appear on the crown - brown spots, velvety patina, brownish spots.
- Pests. If the geranium leaves are noticed to have dried and turned yellow, then you need to inspect the plant in order to identify the parasites - the whitefly or aphids.
Wilts wither and die
The geranium buds dry out for the same reasons as the leaves. But the most common are three.
- Lack of trace elements, in particular phosphorus. When purchasing specialized fertilizers, it is necessary to ensure that they contain phosphorus.
The lack of phosphorus can be compensated with boric acid (1 g) diluted with water in a liter.
- Little light. For the full formation of buds need light. If it is not enough, the flowering will be scarce - half the buds will dry.
To solve this problem is simple - just organize the backlight and everything will immediately fall into place.
- Heat. If the thermometer rises to an abnormally high level, the buds will not withstand this and, most likely, will wither.
In addition, the buds dry out with improper watering, abrupt changes in environmental conditions and diseases.
What to do if the indoor flower is sick?
The choice of measures to combat yellowing and drying leaves depends on the causes of the problem.
- If the reason is a violation of the temperature regime, then it is important to remember the following. The most suitable temperature for geraniums during the growing season is + 20-25 degrees. In winter, this figure should be reduced to +10 degrees.
- When the leaves dry out due to improper watering, this process should be carefully monitored. If in summer it is very hot and the earth quickly becomes covered with a crust, then the plant is watered 1-2 times per day. But this is subject to the availability of a good drainage "pillow" at the bottom of the pot. If the soil remains wet, then water is often not necessary.
Do not spray a flower from a spray bottle. This can cause yellowing of the foliage.
In winter, the frequency and abundance of irrigation are reduced. During this period, it is important to prevent overflow or stagnation of water. There is no definite irrigation schedule for geraniums — you must constantly monitor the level of soil moisture.
To check the level of moisture, you can stick a wooden skewer into the ground to a depth of 12 cm. Then you need to carefully pull out and inspect it. If the wand remains dry, then it's time to water.
- If the plant has long been living in the same pot, then perhaps it has become cramped for it. It is necessary to move the geranium into a “flat” more spaciously - dried leaves will disappear.
- Often the leaves dry out due to illiterate feeding. Fertilizer should be applied only during the growing season (spring and summer). Complex fertilizers should contain the minimum amount of nitrogen and the maximum amount of phosphorus and potassium.
- If the cause of leaf wilting lies in the defeat of diseases or pests, then fungicides, soap solution and insecticides of complex action will come to the rescue. The treatment is accompanied not only by the treatment, but also by the removal of the affected leaves and flowers.
How to save a dried plant?
The appearance of dried leaves is not a sentence. The plant can always be saved, especially if you start as soon as possible.
It is necessary to analyze whether all the conditions for the comfortable existence of geraniums are created. and whether it has enough light and air, it does not fill up too much and there is no more fertilizer than is required.
It is necessary to protect the flower from direct sunlight and drafts, to monitor the air temperature and soil moisture, not to feed in the autumn-winter period, timely pruning and regularly inspect for signs of diseases or pests.
In most cases, the problem of drying leaves is solvable. The main thing is to find it in time and immediately start eliminating the causes.
Home Prevention
Prevention helps to prevent not only the appearance of yellow dried leaves, but also many other problems.. In order for the plant to feel well, to develop quickly and annually enjoy spectacular buds, it is necessary to follow simple rules:
- Do not place the pot in places with insufficient lighting, on a cold window-sill, near the battery or TV.
- Disinfect the earth. Before planting (transplanting), it is necessary to warm the soil in the oven or process it with potassium permanganate.
- Keep the flower clean. We must not forget to remove dust from the leaves, cut off the dried stems and flowers.
- As you grow, transplant the plant into a larger pot - it will be grateful for that.
- If the air in the room is too dry, then you need to put a container with cool water near the geranium.
As can be seen from the above, to prevent the appearance of dry leaves is simple. You need to follow these tips, and they never appear.
When is it not too late to help?
- If the geranium has dried, then the first step is to examine its roots. If they are elastic and white, all is not lost. It is necessary to transplant the plant into the prepared soil - perhaps it will turn out to be reanimated. If the roots are sluggish and covered with dark spots, then the bush can hardly be saved.
- If the geranium is partially dried, you can cut the healthy cuttings, put them in water for germination, and then plant them.
- When the cause of drying are diseases or pests, then with a strong defeat it is better to give up trying to save geraniums. Often this is simply impossible. Pathogenic spores and larvae of parasites remain deep in the soil - it is very difficult to completely remove them.
Yellowing and drying of the leaves occurs for a number of reasons, but if you know how to create the conditions for a comfortable plant life, this problem will not be disturbed. If this still happened, then you should not despair - you need to give the plant a little time, and after a while the foliage will again become beautiful and green!
