Why do geranium leaves turn yellow and dry? Why do the leaves of indoor geranium turn yellow?

Geranium (pelargonium) is a common indoor plant. It is known for its phytoncidal properties: essential oils contained in the leaves have a detrimental effect on pathogenic microorganisms. But, unfortunately, the geranium itself can also get sick. One of the symptoms feeling unwell flower - yellowing of leaves.

Why do geranium leaves turn yellow and how to solve the problem

If the leaves turn yellow, you need to immediately find out why and begin resuscitation measures.

Wrong choice of location and microclimate

Often the reason lies in wrong choice growing conditions of pelargonium. Its leaves may turn yellow due to the following problems:

Violation of the watering regime

With excessive watering, the leaves at the first stage begin to dry out and turn yellow. Inexperienced gardeners mistake the symptom for a sign of drying out and ultimately destroy the plant. additional watering. You should always focus on the condition of the soil in the pot - its top layer should be moist, but not soggy. There should also be no stagnant water in the pan.

During the yellowing stage, a flooded plant can usually be saved by simply allowing the soil to dry out. But it’s safer to replant it after checking the condition of the roots. If they are in order, then dry the earthen lump, blotting it with newspapers, toilet paper etc. or you can let it dry for a couple of hours in the air, without a pot. If the roots are rotten, the algorithm of actions is as follows:


Insufficient watering is easily recognized by dry soil in the pot and shriveled or drooping, yellowed leaves; they may also fall off. You can save the plant by noticing the problem in time and starting to water it.

Excessive or insufficient feeding

Excess nitrogen in the soil causes leaves to turn yellow. Alternative nitrogen fertilizers- complex, for example, diammonitrophoska or nitroammophoska. They also contain nitrogen, but one and a half times less. Of course, they need to be used in moderation, since excess of any substance can lead to problems.

Nitroammophos contains some nitrogen

Another reason for yellowing leaves is a lack of microelements. Having taken out all the useful substances from the ground, the geranium begins to “starve”. If you replant the plant once a year, this problem is not so pressing - most soil mixtures have necessary complex substances. Otherwise, geranium must be fertilized periodically.

Table: proper care is the best prevention of yellowing

Optimal temperature Watering Pot size Feeding Optimal place
  • In summer - 20–25 0 C;
  • in winter - 10–15 0 C
  • Regular and frequent, but without waterlogging the soil;
  • drainage is required;
  • in winter, watering is reduced by half;
  • no foliar spraying required
For one adult plant:
  • height 12–14 cm;
  • diameter 12–15 cm.

Small geraniums can be planted in smaller containers, replanting them every year into larger ones (by 1–2 cm) until the pot reaches the optimal “adult” size

  • From March to September twice a month;
  • it is best to use special complex fertilizers for flowering indoor plants
In winter, keep away from radiators and drafts, preferably illuminated with fluorescent lamps

Novice flower growers often contact us with various questions, and we answer them whenever possible. Here are some of these questions: Why does geranium turn yellow? geranium turns yellow - what to do? Why does geranium dry out? Why does geranium turn yellow and dry out? You will find answers to these questions in our article.

Causes of the phenomenon and their elimination

Natural cause of leaf dieback

Most often, geranium leaves turn yellow and dry due to age. This is especially noticeable in zonal plants, lower leaves which from time to time turn yellow, dry out and die. You cannot prevent the natural biological process of leaf aging, so simply maintain the decorative appearance of geraniums by partially pruning the stem in the spring, at the beginning of active growth. The procedure will speed up the appearance of new foliage.

The geranium plant does not like either cramped or spacious pots. The optimal container for it should be ceramic and have a diameter of 20-25 cm and a height of 12-15 cm. IN plastic dishes geranium roots often rot, therefore, vermiculite, perlite and well-washed river sand must be added to the universal soil for the plant: the substrate for geraniums must be loose.

The plant must be replanted carefully, since clumsy actions may cause the geranium to begin to lose its leaves. This flower does not like change at all; the slightest change in usual conditions can cause stress in it, which is expressed by yellowing and falling leaves. If you need to move the plant, do it gradually, moving it 2-3 cm every day, and yellow leaves may not appear.

Geranium loves direct sun, and this is its advantage over most indoor plants: it can be grown on southern windowsills. However, this plant also has a limit to its endurance, so in extreme heat, when the sun becomes destructive, shade the geranium from its rays in the afternoon, from 12 to 16 hours. If you don't, leaf fall of yellow, dry leaves will not keep you waiting.

Leaves with dry edges and dark brown tips are a sign of low humidity in the room or that the plant's leaves are touching the glass. Place containers of water around the geranium and move the pot away from the window.

Geranium is thermophilic and tolerates heat well, but from the slightest draft covered with yellow leaves. The optimal temperature for the plant is 20-25 ºC in summer and 10-14 ºC in winter. When ventilating, make sure that the geranium does not fall under oncoming air currents. And keep the flower pot as far as possible from heating devices.

Violation of the watering regime

The health and beauty of geraniums greatly depend on the watering regime. Both a lack and an excess of moisture can cause irreparable harm to the plant. The condition of the leaves will tell you whether the watering regime is correct, and you can adjust it: the geranium turns yellow - the moisture was excessive; the geranium withers and dries - which means the plant lacks moisture. If the spots and spots on the leaves are dry, the plant is suffering from thirst, and if the spots are brown and wet, you have allowed the substrate to become waterlogged. Good drainage can protect geraniums for a while. from the consequences of excess moisture in the soil, but if you water the flower incorrectly long time, then problems cannot be avoided.

Try to water your geranium regularly. From spring to autumn, 2-3 waterings per week will be enough, and water consumption depends on the weather outside: in the rain, geraniums need less water, in hot weather - more. In prolonged heat and drought, you may have to moisten the substrate every other day. In winter, the plant is watered half as often. Water for irrigation should be at room temperature and soft, otherwise calcium will accumulate in the substrate, which will cause the upper leaves of the geranium to turn yellow. Let the water stand for 2 days and sometimes add a few drops to it lemon juice. When watering, drops of water should not fall on the leaves.

Geranium nutrition problems

Geranium does not need frequent feeding, so it is not fertilized from autumn to spring, but fed from spring to autumn. potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. If the nitrogen component predominates in the complex, this can lead to yellowing of the leaves. Regarding the balance of elements, then from a lack of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc, the lower and middle leaves of geraniums turn yellow. If there is a deficiency of boron, iron, copper, manganese, sulfur and calcium, then the upper leaves of the plant may turn yellow. Try to feed geranium with a balanced complex mineral fertilizer containing all the microelements it needs.

Especially dangerous pests are spider mites, which can be detected by the thinnest web, when they have already given more than one generation. If you are patient and persistent, you can win this difficult battle, but if the mite does not go away, it is better to say goodbye to the geranium so that your other plants are not harmed.

Of the diseases that can affect geranium, the most dangerous is viral infection , from which growth slows down, the stems become bent, white stripes appear on the flowers, and yellow or light green dots and spots appear on the leaves. If you find such symptoms on your geranium, it is better to immediately destroy the plant before the virus spreads.

From bacterial rot the tips of the leaves dry out, then dry ones appear on the plates brown spots. As the disease progresses, the entire leaf darkens and the disease spreads to the stem. Affected leaves must be removed and flower stalks cut off. If the substrate smells rotten, it is advisable to replant the plant in fresh soil, after first washing its roots in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or in a fungicide solution.

Geraniums can cause considerable harm fungal disease rust , from which yellow spots and pads with spores appear on the underside of the leaves. Then the leaves turn yellow and begin to fall off. They destroy rust pathogens with a fungicidal preparation.

In case of defeat botrytis geranium leaves dry out and become covered with fluffy spots of radial or V-shape. Diseased areas should be removed and the geranium should be treated with a fungicide solution. In the future, you need to adjust the watering of the plant.

If the geranium leaves first turn white, become dull, then turn yellow and wither, and the roots soften and split, then you are dealing with root rot . Isolate the flower from other plants, remove damaged areas of the root system, keep the roots in a solution of Fitosporin-M, Alirin-B, Fitolavin or their analogues and plant the geranium in a fresh substrate. Moisten the soil moderately and at first use a weak solution of the listed drugs.

Another incurable disease affects geranium - verticillium wilt . On the outside healthy plant the leaves begin to turn pale and dry, but do not fall off, but remain hanging on the stem. Brown spots are visible on the cut stem. To prevent the disease from spreading to other plants, the geranium must be immediately destroyed along with the substrate in which it grew. For preventative purposes, treat all your home flowers with Alirin-B or other drugs of similar effect.

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Loses its attractiveness. Its leaves begin to turn yellow and fall off. How to avoid this?

If a plant gradually loses its lower leaves, this is a natural process. It grows new leaves and loses old ones. But this rarely happens; geraniums can lose no more than 1 leaf per month. If the leaves fall more often, the plant suffers from a disease or improper care.

Yellowing and drying occurs due to the following reasons:

  • Excess or lack of moisture;
  • Excess or lack of fertilizers;
  • Direct sunlight;
  • Cramped pot;
  • Temperature changes;
  • Insufficient lighting;
  • High humidity.

Incorrect watering mode

If you water too much, it will almost always cause the root or stem to rot. Fungal infection quickly affects appearance plants.

It grows worse, and the lower leaves begin to turn yellow and dry out. Often only 2-3 leaves remain on the tips of the shoots before it can be determined that the plant is affected by root rot.

Geranium reacts in almost the same way to a lack of moisture in the soil. It also begins to shed its lower leaves, and the trunk is unsightly exposed. But the upper young leaf blades become sluggish and droop.

Proper watering of geraniums should be regular and moderate.. The earthen ball should not be overdried, but there should not be stagnation of water in the soil. Typically, geraniums are watered 1-2 times a week in summer, and no more than once every 2 weeks in winter, to keep the soil moist.

Excess or lack of fertilizers

To maintain a healthy geranium bush, regular feeding is needed. Use complex liquid fertilizers for flowering plants. Feed twice a month, but only in spring and summer. In autumn and during winter dormancy, fertilizing cannot be carried out.

With a lack of nutrients and minerals in the ground, geranium may begin to shed its leaves. This happens in the absence of feeding in summer time.

In summer, the plant blooms profusely, this requires intensive nutrition, the soil is quickly depleted. Soon it becomes impossible to maintain all the leaf mass in a healthy state, so the plant sheds some of its leaves.

It is not recommended to overuse fertilizers for geraniums.. When there is an excess of organic matter and minerals in the soil, especially nitrogenous compounds, geranium leaves turn yellow, and then become covered with dry spots and fall off. This flower must be fed very carefully so as not to overfeed.

Direct sunlight

Although geranium is a light-loving plant, direct sunlight causes burns on its leaves. At first, the burned areas appear as yellow spots that gradually dry out. As a result, the affected leaf falls off.

In direct sun, the plant loses not the lower, but the upper leaves; the bush can burn on one side, but on the other the leaves will remain healthy.

Geraniums are usually placed on south-eastern windows, where there is a lot of diffused light and few direct rays.. In other places the bush needs to be shaded. If geraniums are planted in summer open ground, it is better to plant it in the garden under the protection of tree foliage.

Incorrectly selected pot

In order for geraniums to bloom profusely, they cannot be planted in a very large pot. But this does not mean that containers that are too small are good for this plant.

Gardeners who grow geranium in small pots are faced with yellowing and drying of its leaves, stunting of growth and lack of flowering.

Geranium roots need to fit in the pot and be able to grow. Otherwise, they will begin to grow outward through the surface of the earth and drainage holes. The plant will not be able to feed normally and will begin to shed its lower leaves. If it is not transplanted into a larger container, it will lose its foliage, wither and die.

Temperature changes

When caring for geraniums, it is advisable to keep them stable indoors, without sudden changes. The leaves of the plant immediately respond to a decrease in temperature. They wither, curl, and then turn yellow.

The flower also reacts painfully to rising temperatures, cold drafts and hot air currents from heating devices.

To make geranium look elegant and decorative, you should not place it near opening windows or balcony doors so that the cold during ventilation does not damage it.

You also need to remove geranium bushes from air conditioners, electric heaters and radiators.

Insufficient lighting

Lack of light is detrimental to geraniums. In partial shade or shade it becomes very elongated. Its shoots weaken and may break under their own weight.

An elongated flower sheds its lower leaves. They turn yellow and dry out. As a result, only bare stems with young leaves at the ends may remain. Such a plant looks pathetic and never blooms.

Geraniums need good indirect lighting. If wide leaves grow on it, and the distance between the nodes is small, the lighting is chosen correctly.

High humidity

High air humidity in the room where geraniums grow can cause the development of fungal infections. Often the plant is covered with rust, and yellow-brown spots form on the leaves, which then dry out. This disease is difficult to fight. Repeated treatment of the bush with antifungal drugs is necessary.

There is no need to intentionally increase the humidity level. spraying is very harmful to geraniums. If water gets on the leaves, it can cause rotten areas that will dry out over time. The affected leaf will turn yellow and fall off.

To keep the stems and leaves of geraniums healthy, dry air is needed. It is useful to ventilate the room to reduce humidity. You can take the bush out into the open air into the garden in the summer.

No rest period

Geraniums should not grow in winter. She winters at low temperature and rests before growth and flowering begin in the spring.

Without a dormant period, geranium does not bloom!

If in winter the plant is kept at room temperature, it will very quickly become ugly elongated. After all, in winter there is always not enough light for its development, therefore, if geranium grows in winter, it stretches and. And at the same time it loses its leaves. Providing the plant with a period of rest will help avoid this.

It is no secret that in most cases the reason why the leaves of indoor plants dry out and turn yellow is not proper care.

If the situation is not corrected, this may ultimately lead to the complete death of the plant. Therefore, you should study the typical shortcomings in growing geraniums at home.

Mistakes when planting and replanting plants

Sometimes the reason why geranium leaves become unhealthy yellow and begin to gradually die off, due to an incorrectly selected pot. If its size is too small for the root system (especially in plants whose age is several years old), then pelargonium does not have enough capacity for development. But you should not choose too large a pot: in this case, the geranium will begin to active growth roots to the detriment of green mass and flowering, which is also undesirable.

When planting a plant, it is important to ensure good drainage. Expanded clay purchased at a flower shop or the hardware department of a supermarket is ideal. If there is insufficient drainage, excess moisture will not leave the soil. Proper air circulation will also be impaired. In some cases, the yellow color of the leaves is caused by damage to the roots due to careless transplantation.

Lack of minerals

The supply of minerals found in the soil is a resource that quickly runs out. Yes, and immediately after transplantation to new soil elements are not always contained in the required quantities. But geranium spends a lot of energy on flowering and growth. Therefore, there is a need for additional and regular application to the soil. mineral complexes by root feeding. The need for them increases in growing season when pelargonium is actively growing and blooming. A lack of minerals often causes the leaves to turn yellow. But It is important to remember that an excess of elements will also negatively affect the condition of the plant.

Improper care at home

As already said, geranium is quite unpretentious home flower, feeling good in the room. But to prevent diseases and yellow leaves from appearing, you must try to provide it suitable conditions, in which the plant will feel comfortable.

Pelargonium loves light, but direct sunlight is harmful to its leaves. Low and excessive air humidity in the room can cause great damage to the appearance of the plant. Her optimal indicator is 50–60%. Geranium dries in cool drafts. In autumn and winter, it is advisable to keep the pot away from heating devices in the apartment - the heat from them will cause the leaves to turn yellow and dry out. It is better to take it out to a cool glazed balcony if the temperature in the loggia remains around 12 °C, reducing watering to once a week.

Another common mistake is related to watering. Its frequency should depend on the time of year: in warm months, geraniums need to be watered more often. You should also pay attention to the quality of the water. If it is too hard, it will lead to excess calcium in the soil. The leaves will react to this and turn yellow. To make water suitable for irrigation, it must be allowed to settle for several days; add a couple of drops of lemon juice or a small pinch of citric acid.

What to do if geranium leaves turn yellow

The plant can be saved if the necessary measures are taken in time. First of all you should:

  1. Make sure the pot is suitable for geraniums and has good drainage. If necessary, you need to transplant it into a container that meets all the criteria as soon as possible. If the geranium blooms, then all flower stalks must first be carefully cut off.
  2. The pot should be placed on the sunny side. If the plant is exposed to direct rays, you will need to create temporary artificial shading. It is important that pelargonium does not stand in a draft.
  3. Avoid exposure of geranium to heating devices.
  4. If possible, maintain an acceptable temperature during the cold season. In other months there are no strict recommendations in this regard.
  5. If the air is too dry, you can place a container of water or moistened expanded clay next to the pot. Florists do not recommend spraying.
  6. Adjust watering and fertilizing of the plant. It must receive sufficient amounts of water and minerals. But overflow and excess of elements are also destructive.

When caring for pelargonium in an apartment, it is best to adhere to the “golden mean” rule. If you correct the mistakes described above in time, the flower will not disappear and will quickly recover, delighting you with carved green leaves and abundant flowering.

Pelargonium: other diseases and care errors

Geranium leaves indicate the health of the entire plant. This is a kind of indicator that can indicate possible diseases pelargoniums, incorrect watering and fertilizing schemes. There are some specific “symptoms” that can tell you a lot.

The edges of geranium leaves dry out

If the edges of the geranium begin to dry out sheet plates, then there can be two reasons for this condition:

  1. The plant does not receive enough moisture. This drying usually occurs if the pot is in a very hot place. It is better to move the geranium to partial shade.
  2. got hurt root system pelargonium. You can try to replant the plant by treating the roots with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. But to be on the safe side, it is better to cut and root the cuttings in water or soil so as not to lose the variety.

Leaves curl inward

If the leaves of pelargonium begin to curl inward, this may be evidence of an imbalance of mineral substances. This condition is caused by a lack of nitrogen or excess potassium. Nitrogen in large quantities is needed only in stages plant growth, Therefore, the leaves of young plants often curl. To prevent deficiency or oversaturation of elements, it is recommended to use ready-made complex mineral fertilizers for flowering plants: in them the substances are in the right proportions.

Often the cause of leaves curled at the edges is pests. More often - spider mite. To detect it, you need to examine the leaf blades of pelargonium from all sides. It is advisable to use a magnifying glass. Ticks can be easily treated with chemicals - insecticides. Several treatments may be required.

Viral infection is much more dangerous. With it, the inflorescences take on a clumsy, ugly shape. In this case, it is unlikely that it will be possible to save the geranium. It should be thrown out of the house to prevent the infection from spreading to other indoor plants.

Pelargonium withers in a pot

If a geranium withers in a pot and slowly dies, then the reason lies in root rot. This disease can easily destroy a plant. Such pelargonium is usually thrown away, cutting off healthy cuttings for further rooting. The instruments must then be disinfected. To avoid root rot, you should try not to flood the plant and ensure good drainage.

Geranium leaves turn black

Geranium leaves turn black if not cared for properly. Dry spots are associated with insufficient moisture, while “wet” spots that are slippery to the touch, on the contrary, are associated with excess moisture. Sometimes mealybugs are the cause of black spots. A plant infected with them begins to shed its leaves. In places where scale insects live, sooty fungi form, causing a black coating to appear. This disease is treated with insecticides.

White plaque on the plant

The leaves are getting smaller

Pelargonium leaves inevitably become smaller with age. If the plant is too old, then its freshest shoots should be cut off for further rooting. Other causes of small leaves in pelargonium may be:

  • nitrogen starvation (it is necessary to additionally apply the substance in the form of foliar feeding);
  • low indoor air humidity;
  • high air temperature.

Pelargonium leaves turn yellow and dry: preventive measures

It is much easier to prevent yellowing of leaves than to cure an already diseased plant. To avoid having to fight to save your favorite geranium, you should:

  1. Replant the pelargonium in a suitable pot in a timely manner.
  2. Find a place for it, closed from drafts, with enough diffused light.
  3. Water as the earthen clod dries out.
  4. Add minerals on time complex fertilizers, suitable for flowering plants. The application rates and schedule are indicated in the instructions for the product. During the flowering period it is recommended to do root dressings twice a month. Organic fertilizers will also be useful.
  5. IN winter time you need to try to keep the geranium cool.
  6. Regularly inspect the plant for infection by pests, bacteria, fungi and viruses, providing treatment if necessary.

Yellowing of geranium leaves is an alarming sign. It is important to understand in time the cause of such a plant malaise. By carefully examining it and analyzing the conditions under which the pelargonium is kept, you can find what provoked such a reaction. The sooner the errors are corrected, the less damage will be caused to the geranium.

Geranium is unpretentious flower, which requires the most minimal care. Usually this plant is placed on the windowsill, where it feels great, delighting with the aroma of flowering almost all year round. Despite its particular unpretentiousness, sometimes gardeners pay attention to the fact that geranium leaves turn yellow and dry out. Not knowing what the reason is, some begin to sound the alarm, others flood the flower with various antifungal agents, not realizing that this can lead to a worsening of the situation and blurring the overall picture of the problem.

You can save geraniums if you know the causes of the problem. And there can be a great many similar ones.

Geranium leaves turned yellow: the main reasons for what happened

Often the reasons why geranium leaves dry out lie in improper care of the flower. Many people think that since a plant does not need any special care, that means he put it on the windowsill and forgot, but that’s not true. So it turns out that the flower begins to wither.

Improper care is:

  • Lack of light.
  • Sunburn.
  • Excessive amount of moisture.
  • Lack of water.
  • The temperature of the flower is too low and there are constant drafts.
  • Poor quality soil or cramped pot.

Having paid attention to all these nuances, it turns out that yellowing of leaves is a problem that will forever cease to be felt.

Lack of light

The florist may notice that the leaves of the geranium have begun to dry out or turn yellow, the stem is stretched, and the flower either does not bloom, blooms rarely, or does not bloom at all. To solve this problem, you need to move the pot to a well-lit place, but you need to make sure that in the summer the sun does not burn the plant for days on end.

If there are few windows in the apartment or they all face the side where sunlight is rare, then you should think about additional lighting. Besides, experienced gardeners It is advised to pinch the top of the geranium to give it the opportunity to grow wider. Having followed all these simple rules, you will notice that the situation has begun to change. After about 2 weeks, the geranium will completely “recover.”

Sunburn

In case of sunburn, the geranium leaves first dry out, then they begin to turn white. This whitishness spreads throughout the plant, and then the leaf blades dry out and crumble. The flower loves the sun, of course, but there should be reasonable light. IN summer months sometimes the temperature on the windowsill reaches over +38 °C. This is the critical point that tropical flowers cannot always withstand, let alone geraniums.

Therefore, in order to avoid trouble, in the hot season it is recommended to place the pot as far as possible from the “sunny windows”. If the apartment allows, then it is advisable to move the flower to the eastern window, where the sun “looks in” only in the morning. Such rays are harmless to the plant and do not cause harm. If this is not possible, then the window must be darkened with something, otherwise sunburn will lead to the geranium simply dying.

Excessive moisture

There are people who believe that water is the main thing a flower needs to good growth. Of course, you can’t argue with this, but for this you don’t have to create a real swamp in a pot. When indoor geraniums turn yellow, and then the leaf blades become limp and watery, it’s time to start changing the situation, which indicates that the plant is flooded. If you do not pay attention to the problem in time, the roots of the geranium will begin to rot, and the flower will die after a while.

The first thing you should do when faced with a problem is to inspect the drainage holes. Sometimes it turns out that they are too small or clogged with dirt, so excess water does not have time to drain away. If this is the case, then they will need to be cleaned or the pot changed altogether. It should be noted that in case of replanting, the soil is taken new and dry. Having carried out the manipulation, you need to water the flower with extreme caution in the future. The mistake many gardeners make is that after irrigating the plant, after a couple of days they notice that the top soil has completely dried out and water the geranium again. This happens because the flower gets enough light or it is close to the radiator. However, people do not take into account the fact that the soil below is still wet, so when watering, they flood the lower layers of the earth, creating a swamp.

Therefore, before each watering, you need to take a stick and pierce the soil mixture with it to the very bottom in order to assess the general condition of the soil. If you find that there is moisture left on the skewer or wet soil stuck to it, you need to postpone watering for another couple of days.

Geranium is not a flower that has any strict watering regime, so it all depends on each specific situation.

Lack of water

If the leaves of a geranium turn yellow, and after a while another edge appears, almost Brown, then we can assume that the reason for this lies in insufficient watering. As mentioned above, irrigation is necessary for the flower, but this should be done competently. In the case when the gardener is afraid to overwater the plant and begins to forget about watering altogether, it turns out that the picture as a whole does not change. That is, the geranium leaves dry out at the edges and the plant also slowly dies. To prevent this from happening, you should choose the “golden mean”. There is no need to be afraid of harming the geranium, because this will lead to its wilting, which will not take long to happen.

If a person is rarely at home, or he forgets about watering, then it is recommended to move the flower pot to a dark (but not dark) place or move it to a room where the air temperature is lower.

Experienced gardeners recommend that those who live in the private sector plant their indoor geranium into open ground, but do not forget to water it sometimes. Experts note that in the fall the plant will go wild, grow significantly and become stronger. True, there is no need to place the flower where the sun shines all day long or, conversely, there is shade all day long.

The temperature of the flower is too low and constant drafts

The reason for the yellowing of geranium leaves may be that the air temperature in the room is too low. Usually this problem is encountered in the winter season. It is not difficult to notice the problem, since the leaf blades first begin to turn red, and then turn yellow and gradually dry out. Taking into account the fact that the ideal temperature regime for geranium it should be in the range of +15..+25 °C, these indicators should be adhered to.

If the temperature drops even one degree, the plant will immediately begin to suffer, which will directly affect its appearance. It’s especially bad if there are tiles in the room and the pot is next to the radiator. In this case, dry air is supplied on one side, and cold air comes on the other. In such a situation, the geranium begins to turn yellow and dry out. It may start to rot if you water it a little more than usual. In order to eliminate the problem, you should move the flower to a room with moderate temperature.

If the apartment is one-room or the air temperature is the same everywhere, then you will need to perform the following steps to resolve the problem:

  • A thick blanket is placed on top of the battery (preferably after wetting it first). This procedure will humidify the air.
  • If you feel cold from the glass, then a foam or plastic partition is installed between it and the pot. In the absence of such, a piece of thick fabric will do.
  • If it blows from the floor, then all the same materials discussed above are placed under the pot so that the root system does not freeze.

As for drafts, geranium also does not like them, so initially you need to look for a place for the plant where nothing like this will happen. While airing the room, the pot can be removed to another place (bathroom or toilet, for example), and then moved again to its original place.

Poor quality soil or cramped pot

Geranium is a flower that does not need a very large pot, but at the same time the plant will not develop in cramped conditions. If the leaves of a flower have dried out, then we can assume that it has grown out of its pot. In this case, the root system is usually visible from the drainage holes, although, of course, this should not be allowed to happen. By transplanting the plant into another container, the situation will resolve itself.

At the same time, if yellowing is observed after this, then you can think that the problem lies in the soil. Some people are guilty of choosing the wrong pot, but choosing the wrong product is almost impossible. And if so, then you can immediately try to buy another soil mixture, from some other company, rich in useful components. It will not be superfluous to feed the plant with fertilizers.

Why geranium leaves turn yellow: we understand diseases and pests

In addition to improper care, yellowing can occur due to damage by diseases and pests. Fungal diseases geraniums are something that makes itself felt more often than anything else. In this case, first they appear on the leaf plates. yellow spots and then it dries up.

Gray rot

You can often visualize a whitish or grayish coating of mold on the leaves. This is how gray rot manifests itself.

Having noticed only the first changes, you need to immediately begin treating the flower, because you may miss precious time. To do this, you should buy one of the fungicides in the store. Absolutely anyone will do. If the plant is small, then it will need to be completely “bathed” in the solution. As for the large one, it is irrigated until liquid begins to flow abundantly from the leaves.

If the disease is in an advanced stage, fungicides will be useless. And if so, then you need to try to find “whole” shoots that are not very affected by the fungus, cut them off and try to root them. That's all the grower can do in this case.

Rust

Rust is another problem that a person growing geraniums may encounter. Rust is yellowish spots that appear on the leaf pads and then look like some kind of cotton wool. The problem is spreading quickly and it is impossible not to notice it. If the flower has just begun to hurt, then it is necessary to remove the affected leaves. Otherwise, you will need to send the geranium to painting, removing it as far as possible from other flowers, and then begin immediate treatment with fungicides. Colloidal sulfur is best suited. It is sold in powder or solution form.

To prevent rust from making itself felt again, it is necessary to monitor watering schedules, drainage holes and take care of good lighting.

Alternaria blight

Alternaria or leaf spot is another disease of geranium from which this flower is not immune. It is not difficult to notice the problem, because small spots in the form of bubbles appear on the underside of the leaf blades. Over time, the spots become larger, change color to brown, and small light inclusions are still visible on top. To eliminate the disease, it is necessary to remove all affected leaves, and then treat the plant with fungicides. By the way, there are flower growers who complain that the pelargonium has turned yellow after transplantation. But it's about the disease.

Rhizoctonia rot

Noticing the blackening of the leaves, as well as the presence of spots on the stems, it can be assumed that the flower has been affected by rhizoctonia rot. She will appear from large quantity fertilizers in the soil, overflow of the flower, insufficient light or dryness in the room. The problem can be eliminated if you replant the geranium, bring the air in the room (its temperature values) to normal, and then treat the plant with Rovral, Fundazol or Vitaros.

Verticillium wilt

Thinking that the plant is no longer afraid of anything, it turns out that there are still problems that can make themselves known. These include verticillium wilt. It is distinguished by yellowed leaves here and there, which over time begin to turn black and fade. Sometimes the branches of the plant also turn black. The reason for this is that the geranium has not been replanted for too long. To resolve the issue, you should first transplant the flower into another pot (if the plant is not cramped, then it is not necessary to buy a larger container), and then treat it with Vitaros, Fundazol and Rovral.

Root rot

Root rot– this is one of those diseases that makes itself felt due to improper care. The danger is that the gardener does not immediately understand the reason for the plant’s wilting, and when he finally begins to rule out all the factors, it turns out that the roots are all dead. Root rot most often appears in the cold season, when the plant is still actively flooded. The swamp that forms at the roots and the cold lead to rot, and the flower, if you do not immediately suspect what happened, dies.

Having discovered a problem, you should remove all rotten roots, and temporarily place healthy ones in a manganese solution. After this, you need to replant the plant and change the conditions for keeping the flower. Otherwise, everything will happen again.

In addition to diseases, geraniums (pelargonium) can be pestered.

The most frequent " uninvited guests"are:

  • Whiteflies.

Both the first and second are dangerous if they are not detected in time.

Whitefly

If the plant is covered with plaque, you may be suffering from some kind of disease. However, touching the leaf with your hand, it turns out that everything around the flower is covered with a white cloud (these are pests flying off the plates), which actively drink the juice from them.

Often, whiteflies come into the house with new flowers or appear due to non-compliance with air humidity and temperature.

You can try using quarantine to control pests. To do this, geranium is placed for some time in a cold but dry room. On initial stages this gives good results. If this does not help, then it is better to immediately treat the plant and soil chemical preparation Aktara.

Aphid

Yellowing of geranium leaves is only the first “bell”, which will have serious consequences. Therefore, this issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible.

How to avoid the problem of yellowing leaves

By following a number of simple rules, you can enjoy the flowering and growth of geraniums.

These rules are as follows:

  • Replant the plant as needed; choose a new pot just a couple of centimeters larger than the previous one, otherwise the geranium will not bloom for a long time.
  • Place the flower in a well-lit place, but protected from direct sunlight and drafts.
  • Water as needed, checking the soil beforehand.
  • From time to time, fertilize the soil. During flowering, this manipulation is performed once every two weeks.
  • In winter, protect the flower from cold and freezing of the root system.
  • Inspect geraniums carefully to notice any pests or diseases.

So, when geranium leaves turn yellow, first figure out the reason. It is worth saying that by turning yellow leaves in autumn, the plant wants to show that a dormant period is ahead, so it does not need to be fed frequently (this is done once every 2-3 months), watered regularly, or disturbed in any other way. If you do everything right, in the spring geranium will delight you with the riot of its flowering.