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How do I take successful Geranium cuttings? Advice please.

(7 Posts)
isthisallthereis Mon 12-Nov-12 21:41:56

I've had some lovely geraniums this year. Some big white ones and some deep carmine trailing ones in a wall pocket have been particularly good.

How do I take cuttings for next year? Do I cut them below or above a side stem?? And where do I put them until I plant them out? Do they need full light over the winter? When should I plant them out in open soil? June? After hardening? Will they grow at all in the winter months? Advice please. I've never done this before.

janeainsworth Mon 12-Nov-12 22:12:18

isthis I am no expert but I usually succeed by taking a healthy, young looking stem about 4 inches long, cut off any flower buds, and stick it in a glass of water, making sure that any leaves below the water line are cut off too.
After 3 or 4 weeks, little roots will have started to grow.
Transfer to a small pot - 3-4 inches diameter will do - with ordinary potting compost. Keep on a windowsill over the winter and water very occasionally -if you overwater they will rot.
Put in your border next year after the danger if frost is past. If you are really keen you can transfer them to bigger pots after a few months but it's not really necessary.

Nanadog Mon 12-Nov-12 22:31:18

Try this link isthis

www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/greenhouse/how-to-take-geranium-cuttings/332.html

Notsogrand Mon 12-Nov-12 23:03:05

An alternative to growing the cuttings in potting compost, is to grow them in a pot of vermiculite stood in a dish of water. Particularly good over winter as the vermiculite takes up only the water it 'needs' so the cuttings don't get over-watered and run the risk of rotting.

Once you've taken off all your cuttings, trim back the main plant and you should be able to keep it going over the winter in a coolish room with hardly any watering. Re-pot at the end of Feb and start to increase water and you should have another lovely show next year.

Jendurham Mon 12-Nov-12 23:17:53

Do you mean Geraniums or Pelargoniums?
Geraniums self-seed in my garden.
Wherever we've lived we've bought Geranium plants, usually from every National Trust or Botanic Garden that we've visited.
Unfortunately when we left the guest house in York, we left all the plant pots behind (the garden was a car park so we had to use lots of plant pots) so we had to start again. The one in the front garden is still flowering, probably because it was dead-headed every time I cut the lawn.

Nelliemoser Mon 12-Nov-12 23:22:45

Cut a few stems off and stick them in a jar of water until roots show. Then pot them on. Its not approved of but seems to work. It works for fuscias as well.
My late Mil did it with no special treatment at all.

isthisallthereis Tue 13-Nov-12 05:54:22

I do in fact mean Pelargoniums. I'll try taking cuttings of Fuscia too. Thx for the advice all.