A shoot with no flowers on it, grown during the current year and snipped about 4 inches (10 cm) from the tip just below an eye, is all it takes to turn one geranium into several. Cuttings are the cheapest way to multiply the plants you already own: keep them shaded, watered sparingly and frost-free, and they go into the ground in 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!
Season to prepare geranium cuttings
The best period for cuttings begins in August and continues until the end of September.
But you can also start trying as early as April when the vegetation phase has started, because success rates are still very high.
Geranium cutting preparation technique
Select one of the nicest stems from your geranium: a stem with no flowers that has grown during the year.
Collect such stems from healthy mother plants that have started growing again.
Snip the stems about 4 inches (10 cm) from the tip of the geranium, just below an eye.
You may cut several at once, this will increase your success rate.
Remove lower leaves, bringing leaf count down to only the topmost leaves.
Dip this portion of the stem in water for a couple minutes, and then in a mix called cutting agent hormones. This can be found in horticulture stores.
Cuttings may still succeed without this rooting agent, but using it will increase your success rate.
Plant the cutting(s) in a pot with special cutting soil mix, or a mix of soil mix and sand.
Space each cutting around 2 to 4 inches (15 to 20 cm) apart.
Place your cuttings outdoors in the shade, except for cuttings prepared in spring which are best kept indoors until outside temperatures reach 70°F (20°C).
Water regularly but without overdoing it, or the nascent roots will drown.
Keep your cuttings in a cool, dry, ventilated place which does not freeze over the winter.
You can plant them in the ground come spring.
Geraniums worth propagating from cuttings
Almost any non-hardy geranium takes readily from a shoot tip, but these are the ones most often found on garden-centre benches. All of them root from a flowerless stem cut just below an eye.
Written by Gaspard Lorthiois | Loves helping out, especially when it comes to growing things. Worked in herbal medicine, runs a farm, and dabbles in tech. Master's degree and engineer.
