Gitanillas, a very Spanish passion

Red gypsies

All the gypsy girls They are plants that have hanging branches and very decorative flowers, with very cheerful colors. They are very easy to care for, and that is something that they know very well in Andalusia (Spain), where for centuries they have decorated their patios with this type of geranium: planted in their pots attached to the wall, they beautify the room in a way that few plants can do. Also, since they don't take up much space, you can put as many as you can ... or want 🙂.

But how do you take care of them? Can they be reproduced by cuttings? To find the answer to this and other questions, here is our special on one of the most popular flowers.

Gypsy characteristics

Gypsy flower

Our protagonists, often also called Ivy Geranium or Ivy Geranium, has as a scientific name pelargonium peltatum. They belong to the botanical family Geraniaceae, and it is native to South Africa. They are a perennial plant with hanging branches, which have leaves with five obtuse, fleshy lobes, with the entire edge and a central petiole. The flowers, which sprout from spring to fallThey can be simple, double and semi-double, and of very different colors: pink, red, white, ...

Their growth rate is fast, but as they have a non-invasive root system, it is common to grow them in pots no more than 30cm, or together with other gypsies (or other types of geranium) in pots or planters of up to 50cm.

How do you take care of yourself?

Gypsy

Gypsy geraniums are ideal plants for beginners, as they are not complicated at all. In fact, to have them precious you just have to take into account the following:

Location

Outside, in full sun. At a minimum, you should give them about 4 hours a day directly so that they can flower well. By the way, they resist frosts down to -3ºC, so in case the winter is colder in your area, you should protect them inside the home, in a room where a lot of natural light enters.

Irrigation

Must be very frequentespecially during the summer. They can withstand a few days of drought, but it is better not to risk it. During the hot months, I recommend you water them about 3 times a week, and the rest of the year every 4-5 days.

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So that it produces a greater quantity of flowers it is highly advisable to fertilize with liquid organic fertilizers, like guano for example.

Transplant

To pots

As soon as you buy the plants, as long as it is spring or summer, they should be transferred to pots about 3-5cm wider. Then once a year they have to be transplanted again.

Use for this universal culture substrate.

To the garden

During spring they can be planted in the garden, making holes deep enough that they can fit well.

Pruning

In late winter they can be pruned, trimming the branches to "force" them out of new which will produce more flowers.

Plagues and diseases

She does not usually have problems, but it is true that she has an enemy who can kill her in a matter of days and is the geranium butterfly. This insect, in its adult phase, does not cause any damage, but its larvae ... are especially voracious.

This insect, known by the scientific name Cacyreus marshalli, it lays its eggs, normally, in the buds of the flowers, but they can do it in other parts of the plant. In any case, once the egg hatches, the larvae will eat the gypsies from the inside. 

How to detect them? In fact, you are more likely to see the symptoms it produces in plants before the worms themselves. So, you will know that you have this plague if:

  • Holes appear in the stems.
  • The leaves turn yellow and fall.
  • Or, of course, if we see some little green worms.

To eliminate them, I recommend treating your plants with Cypermethrin 10%. It is not a natural insecticide, but it is what gives the best result, especially if the pest has already caused significant damage. Normally, a single treatment is sufficient.

Of course, you have to prune affected parts. If in the end there is not much left of the gypsy geranium that it once was, do not worry: it will sprout strongly once it recovers 😉.

Ivy geranium reproduction

Gypsy cuttings

Would you like to have new copies? If so, you can make cuttings in spring. Too easy! For it, you have to proceed as follows:

  • With pruning shears previously disinfected with pharmacy alcohol, cut a few stems that are at least 10cm high.
  • Then moisten their base with water, and infuse them with powdered rooting hormones.
  • Then fill a pot (preferably one for each cutting) with porous substrate, such as vermiculite, and water it.
  • Introduce the cuttings.
  • And finally, to prevent, sprinkle the surface with a little natural fungicide (sulfur or copper), and water again. This will prevent fungi from damaging them.

If everything has gone well - which usually goes well 😉 - in a month at most you will have new copies of gypsies.

The gypsies in the Andalusian patio

Andalusian Patio

Image - Interiorcharm.com

Anyone who has ever been to Andalusia will surely not have been able to avoid seeing the balconies and, above all, the Andalusian patios. They are decorated in such a way that space is used to the maximum, a very cheerful, very lively space, where you can take advantage of to chat with friends or family while we take refuge from the Andalusian sun.

And it is that in Andalusia summer temperatures easily exceed 35ºC, and can even reach 45ºC in the heat of the heat wave, so the white walls, which reflect light, like plants, act as thermal regulator.

Gypsies are one of the plants that are most used to decorate them. Its hanging branches and its beautiful flowers have turned these courtyards into a symbol of Spanish cultural heritage.

Gypsy

So, what are you waiting for to have some plants with which you can beautify any corner? These plants are much more resistant than they appear, so much so that they can live for several years before beginning to weaken. In addition, they reproduce so quickly and easily that from a single copy you can get a few more. What more could you want? 🙂


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