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