The geranium leaves curl: why is this happening and what to do with a houseplant, as well as how to prevent the causes of the disease?

Today, it is rarely possible to see an empty window sill, because popular house plants have already tightly entered our lives. Violets, orchids, money trees, geraniums - this is just a small fraction of the variety of flowers that hostesses like to decorate their homes.

But before you go to buy a home plant, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules for caring for it, because if you create adverse conditions, then the flower can hurt and even die. Even the unpretentious pelargonium, best known as geranium, has its own peculiarities of care, so it is important to know the reasons that lead to curling of the leaves.

Growth Features

The homeland of geranium is considered South Africa. Flower lovers intelligently place pelargonium on the sunny windowsill, because this is a photophilous plant. And with the advent of the warm season, it can easily be planted on the garden plot, where it will be cozy and comfortable. However, with the onset of autumn, the flower should be returned to warmer growth conditions.

This grateful plant can bloom all year round. All she needs for this is food, enough light and moderate watering.

ATTENTION: In order for pelargonium to bloom profusely, it is necessary to pinch its shoots, and the plant itself needs regular pruning. Wilted flowers should be carefully removed to allow other sprouts to grow normally.

Diagnose a problem

By the appearance of room geraniums, you can immediately understand that there were errors in the care of it. The flower ceases to bear fruit, looks lethargic and lifeless, the leaves curl inward or fall down. There may be several reasons.

Food

An important role in the development of domestic flowers is played by dressing. At the same time, if the nutrition is not enough and the plant lacks minerals, its leaves begin to wither and curl, and with its excess, the pelargonium ceases to bloom (you can find out what to do if the geranium in the pot withers and why this happens).

Most often, it is a lack of nitrogen that leads to the fact that the middle and lower leaves begin to curl. When the content of this element in the soil is normal, the plant actively develops and grows, and its leaves look juicy, green and healthy.

Air

The reason why the leaves are twisted can be a violation of the temperature regime. The flower is very afraid of drafts, so in the first place it is necessary to pay attention to the pelargonium was located in a protected place. At the same time, do not put it on the windowsill close to the battery or other heating devices.

The flower is very photophilous and requires a temperature of at least 10 ° C-12 ° C. In the hot summer months at noon, pelargonium should be removed from the scorching sun..

Pot

The most common mistake of beginner gardeners is an improperly selected pot. Fans immediately plant pelargonium in a large container and then wonder why it does not bloom. Or vice versa, they are not in a hurry to transplant their plant into a larger pot, although they should understand that as the flower grows and develops, its root system grows, and it simply does not fit in the tank allocated for it. Therefore, the leaves lose their healthy appearance and begin to curl.

TIP: Geranium should be transplanted into another pot if it is too small for her, and she has stopped flowering.

Diseases and Pests

Sometimes spots or a peculiar white coating appear on the leaves, this is a signal that the flower has undergone a fungal disease (which is indicated by geranium spots on the leaves, read here). When this problem occurs, the leaves can also curl. In this case, it is recommended to treat the leaves with Bordeaux liquid.. After that, the plant will quickly recover, and the leaves will again be even and smooth.

If root rot has arisen, then it is already impossible to cure the plant. In this case, the plant dies.

The most common problem that occurs when trying to collect land in a country house or in a yard under a tree is the presence of pests in such soil. Earthworms, other insects and their larvae can bethat you might just not notice.

Also, the plant can infect aphids - you can get rid of this pest by spraying the flower with a special compound, which is purchased at the flower shop.

The soil

Geranium likes soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. Its composition should be light with the presence of river sand and peat. If you decided to take the land for planting yourself, and not to buy ready-made peat in the store, then add mineral fertilizers and humus to it.

What to do to make the plant happy?

If you provide geranium with all the necessary conditions, then it can please you all year round with its bright and lush flowers. Well, leaf twisting can be avoided if all the requirements are observed:

provide food with sufficient nitrogen content;
avoid drafts;
transplant on time in a pot adequate to the size of the flower;
treat the leaves with Bordeaux liquid and ensure that there are no pests in the soil;
You can buy fertilizer for soil in a flower shop, where copper, zinc, manganese, iron, and other useful trace elements are sufficiently present.

Preventative measures

It is necessary to sterilize the soil.
Keep pests in the soil under control.
Provide moderate watering (geranium does not like excess moisture, otherwise the roots can rot very quickly).
Pelargonium needs dry air.

There are a large number of diseases that can destroy the beauty of pelargonium. With proper and reasonable care of this fragrant plant, he will answer you with gratitude and decorate your house or garden with an abundance of bright flowers.