Propagating Zonal Geraniums Aka Pelargoniums
by
Flower Patch Farmhouse
(IC: blogger)
3 Materials
$5
3 Weeks
Easy
I failed to start my seeds early enough this year so I would have bounteous blooms so the next best thing is to start cuttings from my favorite plants!
I take cuttings from my favorite Zonal Geraniums to get more of what I love. I have grown several varieties from seed but starting more from cuttings is much faster and just plain fun.
I mix up a custom soil mix using 2 parts potting soil and one part perlite to make it free draining.
I have tons of little 3 inch plastic pots but I am moving to terra cotta as I phase out using plastic as much as I can in my gardening endeavors. But for now I will re-use the ones I already have until they fall apart.
When I take cuttings I try to get green new growth that is about a pencil size in diameter. This roots the fastest but the older stems that are on the tough side will root too, it will just take longer. I want two leaf nodes to sink down into the soil so I try to get a length of cutting that has 5 more more leaf nodes on it.
Once the cuttings are in the soil I water them in well. If this causes the soil to tamp down too far and a leaf node I wish to be under soil shows I just top it up with more soil mix. Or I sometimes put pea gravel on top
To create humidity I put a dome on my planting tray but you can create a greenhouse environment with plastic bagging that is supported over the cuttings.
In a few short weeks you will see new roots shooting out of the bottom. Transplant them into a larger pot and harden them off for the outdoors.
You now have a close of the parent plant.
Enjoyed the project?
Suggested materials:
- Mother Geranium plant (garden center)
- Potting soil (garden center)
- Pots (garden center)
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Published April 11th, 2013 9:45 AM
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2 of 4 comments
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Flower Patch Farmhouse on Apr 14, 2013Hi Anita, that depends on the conditions so that can vary. I will log these to see how long it takes for them to bloom and report back in.
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