How to Start Cuttings From Geranium Plants
People often confuse the geranium with the pelargonium because they look similar. But the geranium is a far more hardy plant that can withstand temperature extremes better than the pelargonium. Usually planted as borders, geraniums also grow well in hanging baskets and as bedding plants. By taking a few cuttings from the geraniums you already have and following some simple steps, you can have a bevy of beautiful flowers. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 3-inch planting pot with holes in the bottom for drainage
- Perlite
- Peat moss
- Geranium cutting
- Rooting hormone
- Water
- Plastic bag, if needed
- 4-inch pot
- Potting soil
- Compost
- Fertilizer, 20-20-20
Instructions
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1
Fill the pot with a 50/50 mixture of perlite and moist peat moss.
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2
Remove a 3- to 4-inch piece of stem, just below a leaf joint, from the host geranium, and cut off the lower leaves.
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3
Insert the cut end of the stem into the rooting hormone. Tap lightly to remove excess, making sure that some of the hormone sticks to the stem.
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4
Place the stem 1 inch into the planting mix and tamp the soil around the base. Water lightly.
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5
Place the cutting in a bright location, but not in direct sunlight. Ideally, the soil temperature should be 75 degrees. If you need to raise the temperature of the soil, place the pot in a plastic bag while the plant is rooting. Water lightly while the cutting roots; don't allow the soil to dry. The geranium will root in 10 days to three weeks, at which time it will need to be transplanted into regular potting soil.
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Tug gently on the geranium. If you meet with resistance, the plant has rooted. Pour the potting mix and a handful or two of compost into the 4-inch pot and mix well. Moisten the soil and allow it to drain. Dig a hole in the soil deep enough for the new root ball, about 1 inch deep. Place the cutting into the hole and backfill with soil, tamping down around the base of the plant. Water the plant when the top 2 inches of soil becomes dry. Two weeks later, apply fertilizer at half the recommended dilution.
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Plant your geranium outside after the danger of frost has passed---late May or early June---in a location that receives at least six hours of sunlight a day. Increase the frequency of fertilizer application to once every two weeks at the recommended strength listed on the package. Water once a week.
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Tips & Warnings
Once the geranium has rooted, pinch off the very top to encourage it to branch.
