Geranium cuttings
need space to thrive

Foy
wonsson

SOW IT GROWS

ONE OF the ten most asked
questions, whether it be at
dinner parties or in my gar-
dening classes, is “How do I
save my old geraniums or
propagate new ones?”

Geraniums, or pelargonium, as
they are more correctly known, ure
native to South Africa. Several vari-
eties are commonly grown as
Summer annuals but ail are propa-
gated and over-wintered in the same
way. The common garden geranium
is usually Pelargoniwn hortorun
although much hybridization has
taken Place. Ivy leafed or trailing
geraniums (P. peltatum), scented leaf
geraniums (P. capitatwn) and fancy
or Martha Washington geraniums (P.
domesticum) have all become more
popular in the last decade.

New geranium plants can be
propagated from seed or by rooting
vegetative. cuttings. Seed is normally
ordered prior to Christmas and sown
around Jan. 1, as it takes approxi-
mately four months to produce a
flowering olant. Unless you have a
greenhouse or a grow light system
set up in your house, starting from
seed is not recommended .

Producing new geranium plants
from cuttings is generaily easier for
the average gardener who has a suit-
able growing area such as a bright
but cool spare room or a large base-
ment window. Make sure the win-
dow is tall enough to allow light to
shine past the front plants. Nail
cleats around the edge of the ply-

wood and cover with plastic. The
basin formed will catch any excess
water and keep it from staining the
window ledge or running on to the
floor.

The best time to take cuttings
from geraniums or other similar
plant is late August or early
September. [f it is not possible to
take cuttings in the fall, then save the
old plants and begin the proceedure
in March when the new soft growth
begins to form on the old stems.

Select the geranium plants you
wish to propagate, and with the aid
of ¢ pair of sharp clippers, remove as
many 15 cm (6") stem cuttings as
you require. Choose only the healthi-
est plarts and do not take (oo many
from any one plant as each cutting is
a clone of the parent. Also, you do
not want to spoil your Fall show of
color.

A second cut should be made
with a razor blade drawn across the
stem (to prevent bruising) just below
the first leaf node. Remove all the
leaves except the two terminal ones
and all flower buds. Where terminal
leaves are very large, remove the top
half of the leaf. The cut stem should
be left to dry for an hour and then
dusted with a No. | rooting hormone
before being inserted into the rvoting
medium.

A variety of sterile rooting medi-
ums are available but I use a mix of
1/3 peat, 1/3 sharp sand and 1/3 per-
lite. Do not use soil or any material
that has been in contact with soil as
there ure too many fungal microbes.
To reduce the possibility of contami-
nation itis best to wash all your
equipment in a 10% bleach solution.

Dampen the medium with hot
water before adding it to your plant
flat or other shal low container. If
you can squeeze water out of the
rooting medium, then the mix is too
wet. Line the flat with newspaper
and fill it to the brim but do not pack.
Use a pencil to poke holes in medi-
um and then insert the cuttings toa
depth of 3 to4 cm (1 1/44 — 112")
and then firm each one. Space the
cuttings 5 cm (2 1/2") or more apart
and label each variety.

Place the flat in a bright area but
not in direct sunlight. Shade the win-
dow with paper if necessary. Many
geranium cuttings are killed by
excessive moisture. so keep the
medium on the dry side. Bottom
heat. if available, will speed the

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process of rooting.

When the cuttings have rooted
after four to six weeks lift the plants
and pot them up in styrofoam coffee
cups or equivalent-sized pots using a
goud-quality potting soil, Keep them
on the dry side and in full light until
they show some signs of growth in
February or March, At this time you
can use a weak 20.20. 20 fertilizer
and re-pot HW necessary.

To store mature plants for the
winter you should dig thent prior to
the first frost (Oct 15) and cut back
the new growth by at feast ball’
Wrap the lung ruots in at ball and
force the plant into a 1O-cin (4°) pot
before watering. Place the pots ina
very cool but bright frost-free area
for several weeks to let them harden
before moving them into storage.

Water the plants sparingly and

only when the soil becomes very dry.

Remove all the dead stalks and
leaves to prevent fungus or mildew
from forming and to allow more air
circulation and light. In late February
or early March prune back the weak
growth, start watering and re-pot if
necessary. Begin feeding the plants
as new growth develops. You may
not have total success the first year,
but with a little practice you can
become an amateur propagator.

Friday, September 9, 1994 ~ North Shore News - 15

NEWS photo Terry Peters

PROPAGATING GERANIUMS is a simple process and its suc-
cess rate can be greatly increased by following a few steps.

.

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