Geranium - Growing And Caring For Geraniums. Useful Properties And Uses Of Geranium

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Geranium

Cultivation, medicinal properties and use of geranium oil

Geranium room

Geranium is the most famous houseplant. This plant is easy to care for and it will not be difficult to propagate it. There are many varieties and types of geraniums.

Geranium is an annual and perennial plant with stems about 50 cm high. The leaves of the plant are bright dark green in color. Geranium flowers are very beautiful and large, in some species they are collected in inflorescences. And geranium leaves have a refreshing, mint and lemon scent. There is a pattern on the leaves, which is in the form of a white border or stripes of various colors.

And now geranium is the most beloved houseplant among the rest. In almost every family, you can see this beautiful, unpretentious, hardy flower on the windowsill.

In the wild, geranium also grows. It can be seen in the meadows of the Caucasus and Europe, in the southern mountains. Almost all geranium species have an average moisture requirement. In order for geranium to grow normally, it needs constant watering and loosening of the soil. The best soils for geraniums are acidic, neutral, and slightly acidic soils. The main condition for the growth of each type of geranium (except for marsh) is the absence of stagnant water. Geraniums are frost resistant.

Geranium blooms very beautifully. Umbrellas of flowers are located on a thin stem, and the leaves are very similar to the palm of a person. If the geranium has little light, it will itself reduce its flowering, and the flowers and leaves will become faded.

Geranium care and reproduction

Care. For geraniums to grow well, you need to create the right flower garden. And only in this case, dense geranium bushes will not allow weeds to grow. In May - before massive leaves appear - weeding of geranium flower beds should be done. Also, in May, you need to loosen the soil, apply fertilizers to it, you can also add ash. Further care consists in regular watering. When the flowers begin to fade, it is imperative to cut off the faded shoots. Geranium, in which the leaves do not overwinter, you need to cut off the aerial shoots in September. Some geraniums require garters.

Reproduction. Geranium reproduces in two ways: vegetatively and by seed. Each species bears fruit well. When the fruits are ripe, the seeds are spread over the entire field, making it difficult to collect the seeds. If the seeds are harvested in August, then they can be sown directly into the ground (in this case, the seeds will have time to form seedlings before the frost begins). However, the best time for planting seeds is winter, because it was then that the soil had already tried freezing on itself. Many seedlings will appear in May, and after a year you can see seedlings.

Seedlings that appear quickly must first be planted in the nursery. When the bush is already fully formed, it can be transplanted into a flower garden with a distance of 40 cm from bush to bush.

Still, the simplest and easiest way to grow geraniums is to divide the bush. This method is the most successful for varietal geraniums. The division of the bush is carried out either in early spring or in late summer (the second option is most suitable). In summer, it is much easier for a plant to shake off the roots from the soil and calmly plant it in another place. The gardener should look at the renewal buds because if they are loose, rotten and dry, then there is no need to transplant. In September, young roots will form on the plots (they will winter with the plant). Many geraniums, with a few exceptions (Robert's geranium and others), are perennials. If the bush is not transplanted and divided, then it can delight the gardener in the flower garden for about 12 years. And already 12 years later, geraniums will show signs of aging, for example,dead parts will appear in the center of the bush. Therefore, without waiting for the aging of the plant, it is better to divide the bush 10 years after planting and transplant it to a new place.

The benefits of geranium

Geranium has many beneficial properties for humans. For example, a plant releases bactericidal substances into the air. And these substances destroy various types of microbes, including staphylococcus.

For medicinal purposes, use the herb, flowers, roots and leaves of geranium. Preparations from this plant contain gallic acid, starch, pectin, tannins and gum, due to which they have a tightening effect on the human body. Geranium is an obstacle to the secretion of fluids in the body. The plant is used for pharyngitis, nose and other bleeding as a hemostatic agent.

Geranium helps to get rid of insomnia, relieve fatigue, and normalize the nervous system. Geranium tea is taken in case of intestinal upset or dysentery.

Geranium essential oil

Taking the leaves of perennial geraniums, geranium essential oil is obtained by steam distillation. The aroma of the oil is oily, warm, floral, slightly reminiscent of the scent of a rose. The essential oil is light and flowing, colorless. Geranium treats inflammation of the ear, nose and throat, which is why it was called in the old days "doctor ear, nose and throat."

Geranium essential oil is a real antidepressant. It increases physical and even mental activity, relieves a person from feelings of inferiority. Geranium oil restores the skin after burns, all kinds of frostbite. They can be used to treat rashes and dry eczema.

The oil has a property that normalizes blood microcirculation in the heart and blood pressure. It is used as a powerful pain reliever. And also essential oil is successfully used to eliminate neuritis, radicular syndrome and neuralgia.

Geranium is oil for a woman! This is true, because this oil normalizes the hormonal process in the body, helps with premenstrual syndrome, relieves pain during menstruation. The oil also relieves depression. The same oil is used for inflammation of the mammary glands.

Geranium oil should not be used for more than 14–20 days. In no case should it be used on an empty stomach!

Geranium diseases

Rarely, but still, geranium is sick with brown spot and powdery mildew. So that the plant does not suffer from powdery mildew, it must be cut off after the flowering period (thanks to this, the new processes will be stronger than the old ones). If the plant is sick with brown spot, then you need to cut off the diseased leaves and burn them. Fungal diseases do not have a strong effect on the very state of the plant.

Geranium treatment

Due to its enormous healing abilities, geranium is very often used in folk medicine. An infusion of plant leaves helps with angina. Geranium compress is applied for osteochondrosis and radiculitis. Geranium helps to cope with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and heart.

A decoction of herbs and geranium roots. He prepares easily. We take 1 tablespoon of dried geranium, pour 200 ml of boiling water and put on fire for 5 minutes. Then we cool and filter everything. The resulting volume of the broth must be brought to the original by adding boiling water. It is recommended to use the remedy for 1-2 tablespoons at the time of eating 3 times a day. This broth is taken for inflammation of the upper respiratory tract.

Geranium juice from cataracts. If the cataract is at an early stage, then geranium will help. To do this, you just need to drip 1 drop of geranium juice into the corner of the eye every day. This juice will not only preserve, but also improve vision for many years to come. With suppuration and clouding of the eyes, this juice will also come to the rescue.

Honey water with geraniums. In case of inflammation of the eyelids, you should rinse your eyes with this water early in the morning and in the evening. It is very simple to prepare it. To do this, take 10 pieces of geranium leaves and grind them. Next, take a glass of water and fill the leaves, add 1 teaspoon of honey to them. Mix everything well and leave it overnight on the full moon - so that the light from the moon is on the glass. We wash our eyes with this water for inflamed eyelids.

Geranium otitis media treatment

Otitis media in both adults and children will help cure geraniums. To do this, take 5-10 grams of geranium leaves and knead them into a soft gruel. Now add 40-60 grams of flour (rye or oatmeal) and 1 tablespoon of camphor alcohol here. Next, you need to knead the tough dough, roll it up and wrap the ear with it from the outside. And inside the ear you need to drop 1 or 2 drops of geranium juice. Next, the ear must be covered with compress paper and insulated with cotton wool. Don't forget to bandage the compress with a bandage at night. And after three or four such easy procedures, you will forget about your sore ear.

Contraindications to the use of geranium

Pregnant women should not take geranium, in whatever form it may be. Also, it is forbidden to take geranium if there are chronic diseases. Geranium is contraindicated for people of advanced age.

The author of the article: Sokolova Nina Vladimirovna | Phytotherapist

Education: Diploma in "General Medicine" and "Therapy" received at the Pirogov University (2005 and 2006). Advanced training at the Department of Phytotherapy at the Peoples' Friendship University of Moscow (2008).