Geranium Cuttings

If I remember correctly Geranium cutting take quite awhile to root, is this correct?

Paul

mine are taking forever, but that may be because they've decided to die. I'm going to give them to the end of the week.

Yes, it is time consuming task but you can mutliply your chances by taking only head cuttings and not putting them to far in the rooting media (1cm, 1/4-1/2 inch) which should be moist, not wet. Underneat warming should hasten the rooting.

I did mine. I took several stem cuttings of geraniums, dipped in rooting hormones, and put it in a pot of perlite only (soilless). Keep the perlite moist, on a humidity plate full of pebbles and place it in full sun. It took about 10 weeks. It's ready to be transplanted into soil.

Next time, I would put a plastic bag over it to keep it's moisture, instead I keep watering it every 2-3 days depends on the temperature and humidity in the room.

Linda

Would it work if you tried starting them when it gets warm. Spring time.
I use sandy soil, I just set the cut outside in the flower bed about April 1 for me here, but I have a very sandy loam and that time of the year it will not dip below 50F at night.
The other way I do it. I use rose pots (l" about x 4") filling them up half way way my hand mixed cactus mix. I do not use packaged cactus mix. I make my own using 50% pumice 40% coarse washed sand 10% forest mulch, (red wood bark shredded, or oak leaves) This what has worked for me. Norma

I am in the midst of going thru all my container geraniums--at least 55 plants--from at least 10 large containers --and getting them ready to winter over. this is the first time I've ever done this because I've never had a greenhouse before and never had the ability to winter them over -- so with the exception of one cherished one (which I would bring into the hosue over the winter) all have died and I've had to start all over again in the spring. because my containers are so large, I have to take the plants out of the large containers, and pull them out of the soil, carefully of course, and then cutting all the growth off them to reduce size of plant, and repot them in 3 & 5 gal pots which I can then fit into my greenhouse which is only 8 x 12. then in the spring I will replant them in the large containers for a gorgeous collection again --

so in the process of cutting off all growth I now have lots of potential cuttings, but don't know how to root them. I presume that I can cut off the stems which are about the thickness of a sized AA battery, and root them in just pearlite and keeping them covered would speed up the time for getting them rooted??? I do have a heated pad for seedlings ? what temp should the heater be set at??? and would making a tent out of a plastic garbage bag do??? I would have at least 75 cuttings from one of my containers which had 10 beautiful pink blooms.

sorry for dumb questions, I am a novic e at this

HELP! i just checked out my geranium cuttings which I transplanted on sunday -- I covered them with a dome and then placed them on my seeding elec. pad -- there's a white substance growing on about 25% of the plants -- looks like tiny fluffs of cotton! can't be good! looks like little cotton balls on them. what shall I do? anyone know what it is and why -- presume it's result of high humidy to the cuttings.

Propagation: Geranium cuttings: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/504369/

Herbs: Scented Geranium Swap (Pelagonium): http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/512482/

HTH

~* Robin

naturewalker -- thanks for the link--I printed out the info and am keeping it in my "reference" binder. I've ordered a book on geraniums, but waiting for it to come. I've picked off the cotton fluffs looking stuff -- am afraid it
s a fungus of some kind -- and they may all be doomed, have removed the dome and see what happens -- but have no hope for them. will move on --

terrynewgardner,

Try this on those white fuzzies: one teaspoon of ordinary household peroxide and 8 ounces of non-chlorinated water (distilled or spring water; you don't want a chemical reaction between the chlorine and peroxide) put into a clean spray bottle and mist daily. It acts like an antibacterial and oxygenates the plant and soil.

~* Robin

Pioselli
Chester, N.Y I've literally done hundreds of geranium cuttings using the following technique. Take a cutting about 4 or 5 inches long and remove the lower leaves. With a razor blade make a cut just below a node(place where the leaves join the stem) Dip the cutting in a rooting medium such as rootone & insert the cutting into sterile potting mix in a 4 inch pot. Water the cutting until a SMALL amount of water emerges from the base of the pot. Do not cover the cutting with a plastic bag as the high humidity will encourage bacterial and fungal growth. Place the cuttings under a fluorescent light setup (two cool white bulbs will work fine) A heat mat under the cuttings will make them root rapidly, but is not entirely necessary. If some of the lower leaves yellow, just cut them off-this is normal. Also, cut off any flower buds that form-all strength sure go into rooting at this time-not into flower formation. Don't let your cuttings dry out, but don't overwater them. Remember, more plants die from overwatering than all other causes combined.

Terry,

If you're using perlite, for your geranium cuttings, I won't worried about it. If you want to check, you can spray with water to remove the perlites on your plants. I didn't put a plastic bag over them, since I have a pebble tray for humidity; I don't want to overwater them or let them dry out the new roots. I just do it for safety precaution, however, I do water them about once a week. Just make sure it have plenty of light.

Linda

Hi!

you shouldn't cover the cuttings with anything or they will rot. they should be wet from the bottom of the pot to encourage the roots to go down.

This is what I learned from the British Geranium Society.

Anna

Here's a picture of my geranium cutting.

Linda

Very nice
How long do you find it usually takes to root?

Paul

Pelargonium, Citronella Plant

Before (the crispy old leaf) and After (the new leaves & growth.)

~* Robin

I did my stem cutting about mid-October. I didn't check when I have roots until January. There's a lot of great looking roots when I transplant them into light soil. My guessed, It didn't take long, probably about 60-90 days to get a small amount of roots. It tried to flower around 90 days, which I removed any flowering. Water from bottom to encourage roots to go down. It has plenty of light facing the south.

You're looking great too.

Linda :)

I've done geranium cuttings in a way similar to Pioselli, except no rooting medium. I had two geraniums that flowered constantly on a sunny, south windowsill in a WI classroom. I took cuttings in January and by the time school was over for the year, the little plants were of respectable enough size to send home with students. I thought they rooted quickly, but I'm very much a novice.

Ok all of you are going to hate this, but... all of the geranium cuttings I have ever made w/ 95 to 98% success rate:
all cuttings dipped in rooting hormone, then stuck immediately into potting soil, water when dry-over watering has been responsible for the death of many cuttings, kept outside in shade, all rooted within 2 weeks. I watered w/ dilute general fertilizer and Superthrive. Both my husband's mom and my grandmother rooted them in water. I have tried covering them w/ plastic and that didn't seem to help or change the outcome.