This document provides information about geranium, including its botanical name (Geranium graveolens), family (Geraniaceae), center of origin (Cape province of South Africa), and economic part (leaves). It describes geranium as a bushy aromatic plant used in cosmetics and perfumes. It also outlines ideal growing conditions and methods for propagating, cultivating, harvesting, and distilling geranium to extract its essential oil.

1. COLLEGE OF HORTICULTURE
OUAT,CHIPLIMA

2.  Common name – Geranium
 Botanical name – Geranium graveolens
 Family – Geraniaceae
 Centre of origin – Cape
province of South Africa
 Chromosome no. (2n) = 88
 Economic part - Leaves
INTRODUCTION

3. Bushy aromatic plant .
Green when young
& turn brown with age .
Inflorescence is umbellate .

4. Used in cosmetics .
Geranium oil is used as
perfume .
Used in scenting of soaps, face
powder & cosmetics

5.  Ideal soil is red lateritic soil .
 Also cultivated in soil with pH of 5.5-8 .
 Grows upto an altitude of 1000-2000m above
MSL , with an annual rainfall of 100-150 cm .
 Temperature range between 5-23ºC gives a
good yield .

6. Vegetative method is the mode of propagation .
Herbaceous stem cuttings of 20cm length with 8-10
nodes are taken .
Cuttings are treated with IBA .
Cuttings are ready to be transplanted within 60
days.

7.  Well decomposed FYM @ 10kg/ha is given .
 As a basal dose 35kg SSP & 35kg MOP is
given .
 2nd dose of 35kg ‘N’ is given 2 months after
the 1st application .
 20kg of ZnSo4 & 10kg B is given for good
herbage
.

8. Leaf Blight – Causal Organism-Alternaria alternata
Control – treat the cuttings with 0.03%benlate
solution & growing marigold as an intercrop .
Root Knot Nematode – Causal Organism –
Meloidogyne incognita
Control-Application of aldicarb @ 20kg/ha .
1.
2.

9.  Harvesting is done when leaves turn light
green .
 Harvesting is done by cutting the terminal
portion of shoots consisting of 6-12 leaves .
 3 harvests can be taken in a year .
 25000 plants /ha yield around 15kg of oil.

10. The freshly harvested terminals are used
for distillation .
The planting material is staked near the
still for 12-24 hrs .
Oil is extracted by steam distillation
method .