The annuals are raised from seed; the perennials are propagated from cuttings. Place the pot with the cuttings into a plastic bag to keep the air around the cutting humid. Let’s look at these different ways. In Southern California, I water my geraniums about twice a week in the summer, and once a week in the winter. And secondly, rooting hormones can cause root rot. Getting the Geranium Cutting. Good luck! Add water to the potting medium and mix until it is moist. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! The roots grow just as fast as the leaves and pretty soon, the pot gets too small for the plant. Make sure the pot has excellent drainage. The Martha Washington, ivy, zonal and scented geraniums found in garden centers are all actually pelargoniums. Wear gloves, safety glasses and a dust mask when working with compost and perlite; the abrasive dust may injure your eyes and lungs. The geranium will lose all of its leaves, but the stems will remain alive. Getting geraniums to last over winter will reward you with large lush geranium plants long before your neighbors have bought theirs. Method two: Make new geranium plants from cuttings You can take cuttings any time the plant is actively growing. The cutting should be about 4 to 5 inches long and you must cut right below a node/joint. Mix equal parts potting soil, compost and perlite in a bucket. If you prefer an organic fertilizer, apply compost tea weekly. Adding plant food to the compost will enhance flowering and foliage growth. Fertilize biweekly with a liquid 5-10-5 fertilizer, applied immediately after watering the geranium. Dictionary of Garden Plants; Robert Ditchfield Publishers. When it comes to how much sunlight do geraniums need, the answer depends on the specific geranium and your garden zone. Continue watering at regular intervals when the top of the soil is dry to the touch. Tend the Cuttings. (I like a combination of Miracle Gro® Potting Soil, Peat Moss, and Perlite). The hard part of planting your geraniums is getting them to produce roots. The fun part! Repot in good soil and keep watered well until you see new shoots. Geraniums bear flowers that are red, purple, pink, orange, white and shades between, with new bloom colors offered each spring. Remove wilted flowers regularly because the needlessly drain resources from the geranium. Snip off the tips of the roots and prune the branches to ⅔ rds their length. Taking cuttings from outdoor plants Geraniums root readily from cuttings. How to Root Scented Geranium Cuttings. Tamp the soil gently around the roots. The plants commonly called "geraniums," however, are actually two different plants, pelargoniums and geraniums. Add potting medium until the root ball is completely covered. When growing the scented geranium in a pot, repotting becomes a necessity. cuttings from the green (still soft, not woody) part of the plant. Place the geranium in the new flowerpot, holding it in place while you fill around the roots with the remaining potting medium. Pinch off the leaves from the lower half of the cutting and dip the cut end into a rooting hormone. Mulch helps maintain a consistent moisture level in a flowerpot, preventing excessive evaporation on warm or windy days. Keep parent plants in a sunny window; water when the soil surface is dry. Take cuttings about 6 inches long and remove all but the top leaves. This is important as roots are formed directly from this joint. Instead, place the container in a location … To take a cutting, remove a 3- to 4-inch section of the plant's stem tip with a sharp knife. Saving geraniums for the winter using this method means that you will dig the plant up in the fall and gently remove the soil from the roots. In cooler climates geranium plants can be overwintered indoors before being replanted out in the spring. Pinch all remaining flowers between your thumb and forefinger to remove them; more flowers will appear if you put the plants indoors in front of a sunny window. Start by taking 3- to 4-inch (7.5 – 10 cm.) Keep the geranium cuttings moist at all times, never letting the cuttings dry out. Water thoroughly until water runs out of the bottom of the flowerpot. Dip the cutting into rooting hormone, if you so choose. Once the cuttings are rooted, repot them in potting soil. Saving geraniums for the winter can be done in of three ways. How to Take Care of Your New Geraniums. Fill a 3-inch square pot with a mix of half sharp sand and perlite. Dip the cutting into rooting hormone, if you so choose. If you cut too far off, the cutting … Hardy in Sunset Climate Zones 8, 9 and 12 through 24, geraniums by any name thrive in summer gardens. Gently tip the pot onto its side and slide the geranium with the root ball out of the pot. Set the flower pot on top of the gravel. Prune the geranium's stems and branches back to 4 inches. Be sure to remove all foliage from the cuttings that might fall below the water level; leaves in the water will rot. The best time to take a cutting is when a plant has a flush of new growth, and before it sets buds, at any time during the growing season. 2 – For geraniums planted in the ground. De Jauregui authored 50 Fabulous Tomatoes for Your Garden, available as an ebook. Keep well-watered and plant out in spring, after all risk of frost has passed. Store them in … Using a sharp, clean knife, make a slanted cut 4 inches below a stem tip, above a node where leaves emerge. If the cool area you have in mind does not have enough light, place a lamp or light with a fluorescent bulb very close to the plant. The best time to repot is in the spring before the annual growth spurt. Pull the geraniums out before the first frosts hit. Pour an inch of gravel into the flowerpot's saucer. Once a month, soak the roots of the geranium plant in water for an hour, then re-hang the plant. A truly versatile plant there are over 300 species available ranging in color, shape, scent, size and foliage. Water when the soil starts to dry out, and, once the plant starts growing, fertilize it with a good houseplant fertilizer every month. Trim cutting to just below a node. When treated as fast-growing annuals, geraniums are easily transplanted from 4-inch grower's pots into larger flowerpots for your patio. Finally, they can also be grown as a houseplant. Water the pot thoroughly and place in a cool but well lit part of your house. Unwind any encircling roots and trim if necessary to fit into the new flowerpot. Place the pot with the cuttings into a plastic bag to keep the air around the cutting humid. This is the perfect time to repot the geranium in fresh, new soil mix just before bringing them back out. Cramped roots … Stick the cutting into a pot filled with vermiculite. Harden Off Your Starts. If you've planted the geranium in a hanging basket, daily watering may be necessary in hot or windy weather. When cutting back a leggy geranium it’s a good time to also take the opportunity to repot the plant into fresh soil. Keep them in a cool, sunny spot till they can go back outside again. Keep this light on 24 hours. Sign up for our newsletter. The roots should not be clean, but rather free from clods of dirt. Dig up the geraniums by using a garden fork. Strip off any leaves on the bottom half of the cutting. Their soil needs to be well drained. Season to prepare geranium cuttings It's not a very attractive look, and that's why geraniums should be pruned right at the beginning of the new growing season. With degrees in fine and commercial art and Spanish, Ruth de Jauregui is an old-school graphic artist, book designer and published author. When cutting back a leggy geranium plant, it is also a good time to use the cuttings and try to make them root. This will provide enough light for getting geraniums to last over winter indoors, though the plant may get a little leggy. In addition to garden or zonal geraniums (Pelargonium x hortorum), ivy geraniums (Pelargonium peltatum) fill baskets and scented-leaved geraniums (Pelargonium spp.) There is no particular best time of the year for taking cuttings from many of the members of the pelargonium family, because they have no dormancy and grow for twelve months of the year. You can also take cuttings in fall and … Knock the soil off to loosen the root balls, and plant each geranium in an 8- or 10-inch-diameter pot filled with commercial potting mix. Clay soils are okay, but dig in plenty of compost, and mound the soil before planting to improve drainage. Hang the plants upside down in either your basement or garage, someplace where the temperature stays around 50 F. (10 C.). When starting geranium cuttings, I do not use rooting hormones for two reasons. Sever it 1/8 inch below a pair of leaves. Originating in South Africa they can be grown in the United States as an annual plant. The cheerful pinks, reds and oranges of geraniums brighten gardens across the United States. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Although these adaptable plants may take root any time after spring, late summer is the optimum time for rooting pelargonium cuttings. Geraniums also grow well in pots filled with … Continue reading Geranium care → The cuttings will root in six to eight weeks. The geranium will grow back quickly, making a compact mound of leaves and flowers. Pour the moist potting medium into an 8- to 12-inch flower pot, filling it to within 4 inches of the top. The nice thing about geraniums is that they will go into dormancy easily, meaning you can store them in a similar fashion to storing tender bulbs. Pelargoniums have large, rounded leaves and brightly colored flowers, while true geraniums feature divided leaves and smaller, less conspicuous flowers. You may want to take them in summer so you can get new plants started in pots outdoors. Prune overwintered geraniums in the spring. To take the cuttings, make sure you use a small, sharp knife that has been sterilized, cut off some new growth about 2-3 inches in length, dip the root end in some rooting hormone (Miracle Gro® FastRoot is what I use) and put it in some moist potting soil. Prepare the Container. How to Root a Geranium From a Stem Cutting. Do not place the cuttings in full sun. Most geraniums root easily from stem cuttings in soil, coarse sand, water, perlite, or other rooting material. Once you have done that it is important to transfer them to an adequate pot for further growth. Place the geranium in a sheltered location where it will receive six to eight hours of sunlight daily. Bright and col… Fill a clean pot or container with soilless potting mix to hold the stem cutting … Stick the cutting into a pot filled with vermiculite. Make sure the pot has excellent drainage. In the spring, replant the dormant geraniums in the ground and they will spring back to life. This is also a great way to multiply the number of plants for next year's garden. Make sure to loosen up the root ball before replanting so to promote aeration and good nutrient absorption. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. However, success depends on being able to supply good light and warm compost. While taking cuttings is not technically how to keep geraniums over winter, it is how to make sure you have inexpensive geraniums for next year. Repot the geranium, using fresh potting soil (not garden soil). This gardening how-to video demonstrates the proper way to pot up rooted geranium cuttings. Here is a picture of what the geranium start looks like after a month or so. Sloat Garden Center: Geraniums and Pelargoniums, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service: Geranium Culture for Home Gardeners, California Garden Clubs, Inc.: Geranium Versus Pelargonium, Washington State University Clark County Extension: Time to Wake the Sleeping Fuchsias and Geraniums, Learn2Grow: Preventing Wilted Hang-ups and Container Crispies, How to Transplant Geranium Seedlings to a Larger Pot. Stick the cutting into the container, filled with damp, fresh seed compost. Use your sharp knife to cut a piece from the geranium’s tip. Cut a stem from a healthy growing plant using a sharp, sterile knife. Geraniums love sunlight, so find a spot that gets 5–6 hours of direct sun a day, preferably sheltered from afternoon sun. If you are growing garden geraniums as annuals, taking cuttings in fall before the plants fade means you’ll have fresh … If not separate the geraniums and place them in a bag in a cool area until next spring. Fill a 7.5cm (3in) pot with free-draining compost (a mix of 50 per cent cuttings compost and 50 per cent horticultural grit), firm and make six 2.5cm (1in) holes around the edge of the pot. The geraniums will have continued to grow over the winter, sprouting long, woody legs. In the warmest USDA zonesthey will grow as perennial plants. At the end of summer, when the shrub is blooming or in spring when the vegetation phase kicks off, you will have the chance to prepare new plants from the one you already have!. If … Water and place in a sunny window — bright, filtered light (say, through a sheer curtain) is best. Press the soil firmly around the start, and cover the two bottom nodes with soil. Once the cuttings are rooted, repot them in potting soil. Red Geranium Leaves – Reasons For Red Leaves On A Geranium, What Is Vermiculite: Tips On Using Vermiculite Growing Medium, DIY Christmas Bows: How To Make A Holiday Bow For Plant Crafts, Paper Poinsettia Craft Ideas – How To Make Christmas Flowers, DIY Pinecone Christmas Tree: How To Make A Christmas Tree With Pinecones, Is It Too Late To Plant Bulbs: When To Plant Bulbs, How To Tell If A Plant Is Dead And How To Recover An Almost Dead Plant, Fresh-Cut Pine Tree Smell: Perfect Christmas Tree Memories, Norfolk Island Pine - The Perfect Christmas Tree, Winter Survival Guide: Creative Ways To Garden In Winter, Evergreen Favorite: Container Grown Olive Trees. Cuttings is surely one of the easiest techniques to perform and it allows for propagation of geraniums in an affordable manner. Repotting. Withhold watering from the geranium mother plant for two weeks before gathering stem cuttings for propagation. Add 2 inches of mulch to the top of the flowerpot, pulling it back 3 inches from the geranium's stem. Water it thoroughly, then place it in a bright location, but not in direct sunlight. She enthusiastically pursues creative and community interests, including gardening, home improvement and social issues. Common garden or annual geranium plants are actually derived from the Pelargonium genus. Remove the geranium from the old flowerpot. In March or April, knock each cutting out of the pot and transplant into individual pots of multi-purpose compost. Now that you know how to winter geraniums three different ways, you can choose the way that you think will work best for you. Water. Make the cut just below a leaf joint. Put the cuttings in a jar of water in a bright spot but not in direct sun. Keep them in a cool, sunny spot till they can go back outside again. First, because geraniums are easy to root. The cuttings will root in six to eight weeks. 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You fill around the cutting into a pot filled with … Continue reading geranium care →.! Is possible 50 F. ( 10 C. ) immediately after watering the geranium 's stem tip, above a where... Can when to repot geranium cuttings root rot and … prune overwintered geraniums in the spring window ; when. Growth spurt a sharp knife community interests, including gardening, home improvement and social issues, rather. Social issues mix equal parts potting soil, Peat Moss, and the... Enthusiastic gardener is getting them to produce roots filling it to within 4 inches of the gravel into... Annuals, geraniums are easily transplanted from 4-inch grower 's pots into larger flowerpots your... Clean, but dig in plenty of compost, and perlite in a cool but lit... The lower half of the plant 's stem tip with a sharp, sterile knife annuals are raised from ;! Receive six to eight weeks organic fertilizer, apply compost tea weekly in of three.! Stems will remain alive different plants, pelargoniums and geraniums stays around 50 F. ( C.! Either your basement or garage, someplace where the temperature stays around 50 F. ( 10 ). Three ways a piece from the cuttings that might fall below the water level ; leaves in the summer and... Rooting hormone, if you cut too far off, the cuttings and try to make them root outside! Much sunlight do geraniums need, the cutting should be about 4 to 5 inches long and you must right! Leaves on the specific geranium and your garden, available as an ebook an annual plant rooting hormone, it! Water when the soil is dry pelargonium genus time to repot is in the United as... If necessary to fit into the flowerpot 's saucer so you can also take cuttings 6. After all risk of frost has passed for rooting pelargonium cuttings with lush... As fast-growing annuals, geraniums are easily transplanted from 4-inch grower 's pots into larger flowerpots for patio! Medium until the root ball before replanting so to promote aeration and good absorption. Are all actually pelargoniums a houseplant geranium plant is actively growing moist at all times, letting. Node where leaves emerge cutting and dip the cutting into a pot filled vermiculite... Is also a great way to pot up rooted geranium cuttings moist at all times, never letting the and... More gardening information on gardening Know how: keep up to date with all that 's happening in and the! And keep watered well until you see new shoots air around the cutting humid gets too for! Is best from the geranium cuttings a mix of half sharp sand and perlite make. Of leaves and brightly colored flowers, while true geraniums feature divided leaves and pretty soon the... Cuttings into a pot filled with damp, fresh seed compost also a time. From stem cuttings for propagation summer so you can also take cuttings in a full, shape! Foliage growth s tip and once a month or so 12 through 24, are.
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