How To Take Geranium Cuttings

I’m not sure about you but I have found Autumn to be just as busy in the garden as Summer. Don’t you agree? Granted, things have slowed down in the growth department but there is tons to do in preparation for Spring next year, tidying up and protecting from the cold this year, cutting back for more growth next year, clearing leaves before they ruin lawns and create mouldy mounds everywhere.

Phew!

But we can only take it one task at a time, plod through, achieve what we want to and feel we can and who cares about the rest. Really, who cares? Gardening is tremendous fun not a chore. It also saves heaps on gym bills and I HATE gyms but love keeping active so it works for me.

I planted up two baskets of zonal geraniums on the side of the house this summer (only one basket on show here). They are an upright and bushy variety and almost appear to stand up and wave to you as you pass them on the hot days.
This variety are annuals but they are extremely easy to take cuttings from which means that if I am successful I can have them again next summer, albeit in a different location.

* Please note that you are not able to take cuttings from any plant you like due to copyright infringement so do check first *

When taking your cutting cut a longish stem off of the plant just below one of the stems lower leaves.

I then removed the lowest leaf from my stem.

Remove the flower heads and any more lower leaves that still remain. You want all of the energy to go in to the new cutting not into keeping the flowers alive.

Fill a seed tray like this one with potting on compost which is found easily in most garden centres.
My tip when doing this is to use a bulb planting trowel as they fit the seed trays really nicely and it means less of a mess when filling trays with soil.

Dip the root of the cutting in an organic root powder. It’s debatable whether or not you have to use root powder when taking geranium cuttings as they root very easily but I have used a small amount.

Poke a wee hole in the middle of the soil with your index finger to make space for the cutting.

Pop the cutting in to the seed tray and firm down with your fingers.

Here is my finished seed tray.
This is going in a warm spot in the house but not in direct sunlight
It will be kept moist but not soaking as the roots may rot
When they get too big for the trays I will put each individual plant in to its own pot and transplant when the frosts have gone next Spring
But of course I’ll keep you updated on their progress in the meantime