Sunday, April 8, 2018

Pelargonium Cuttings

Early spring is a good time of the year to take Pelargonium (Geranium) cuttings to raise new plants for free. I often grow my own annuals to make my garden colorful when other perennials aren’t in bloom. 
Today I’ve chosen 2 varieties of pelargonium plants – Zonale and Grandiflorum, and looked them over for likely cuttings.


I've learned that each cutting must be about 4-6cms long ( 2-3 inches), therefore I must cut with secateurs just above a leaf joint on the mother plant, choosing any that have plenty of shoots or nodes. 


Having new cuttings I removed the lowest couple of leaves, you can just leave only the top pair. If your pelargonium has flowering shoots pinch them out. 
One little secret: before pushing in soil, I always leave the cuttings to dry for about half an hour. 



I’ve pushed beginners into the plastic cups full of soil and compost. My pelargonium cuttings should have rooted within 2 or 3 weeks and started growth.




Next I watered and placed all 5 disposable cups into the used plastic supermarket tray out of direct sunlight – on a shelf near a windowsill.  if the weather is warm enough before to move them in the garden in May.
Another little secret: some types of cutting do best covered with a clear polythene bag to keep the air moist, but not so for pelargoniums, which can rot in a damp environment. 



If you want to keep the mother plant so leave seven or eight good stems to grow on.  On April I always replant old pelargoniums with new, multi-purpose potting soil. Having mother plants you can take cuttings to multiply your stock.


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My neighbor, blogger friend from Finland Anne (Annen jutut) asked me about first spring signs in March - April in Saint Petersburg. 


Well, the first one is when ice of the Gulf of Finland melts and water is cleared.




The second sign is when first tender flowers are seen within snow.



The third sign is when sun is shining in blue sky and warmth is in the air.



Thank you, Anne!


I challenge the next 3 bloggers: what are first signs of spring in your place? 

1. Teresa - Perfumes y luces  de Extremadura

2. Lola    - La biosfera de Lola 

3. MDN   - Un jardin en clima subtropical 

46 comments:

  1. Happy Orthodox Easter, Nadezda. I love plants like geraniums that grow fairly easily from cutting. Thanks for the tip about letting them dry out before putting them in the soil. I never knew that. Your climate is so different to ours. We are in autumn now. The deciduous trees in the street are losing their leaves, and I want to collect some of them before the local council truck comes. Our summer is in some respects like your winter. Plants shut down, droop. But as the weather cools, they mostly revive, and it is a thrill to see. They are resilient.

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    1. Thank you catmint!
      You're in fall now and you could pick up the yellow-red leaves to do "dry roses". I made them here:
      http://northern-garden.blogspot.ru/2016/10/maple-leaf-roses.html.

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    2. they are beautiful, thanks for the terrific idea.

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  2. Nadezda, I hope you you've had a very nice Easter!I will be soon rooting pelagornium cuttinga too, they have grown too big in summer. You want to know about the first signs of of spring here..well winters here are not so dramatic as in Russia, we don't have snow and below zero temperatures and there is plenty of evergreen plants and tree,I think that the first sign of spring is the deciduous trees leafing out, another sign of spring is the return of the hummingbirds, some species are year round residents but others migrate to the north in the fall and return in spring, they announce the spring. Wish you a happy sunday!

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    1. How interesting, MDN! The hummingbirds predict arrival of spring.
      Have a nice new week!

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  3. Надежда,со Светлым праздником Пасхи!!!
    Какие красивые первые проявления весны,,цветочки очаровательные!
    Пеларгонию тоже прочеренковала,уже прижились .Спасибо за совет,что нужно слегка подсушивать черенки,,обязательно опробую.Пакетом черенки тоже не накрываю.
    Красивой и теплой весны!

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    1. Я жду когда мои пеларгонии приживутся, Надежда. Некоторые уже дают новые листочки. Удачи вам в саду и огороде!

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  4. Happy Easter Nadezda!
    That tip for drying geranium cuttings is a good one. I have left them quite a bit longer and they still survive. They are hardy and mostly trouble free plants and put on such a vibrant show during summer.
    While travelling through Europe many years ago, red geraniums were the one plant I saw blooming in every country I visited.

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    1. It's true, Betty, red pelargoniums are widly used in many countries all year around. They are hardy in cool weather, resistant to often rains and easy to propagate.

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  5. Hi Nadezda. It's good information about geraniums.
    Happy orthodox Easter!

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  6. Feliz Pascua Nadezda. Los primeros signos de primavera por el pueblo. Las golondrinas y cigüeñas, el croar de las ranas en la lagunas, las flores de los árboles frutales, los brotes de los rosales etc. Un abrazo muy fuerte y gracias por acordarte de mí.

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    1. Estoy de acuerdo Teresa, las flores sobre las ramas de frutales son signos de primavera para mi tambien. Gracias!

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  7. Hi Nadezda!

    Nice that you show how to take cuttibgs. I have some new seedlings of pelargonia,and one big motherplant frkm last year. I like them very much.
    It's good that sping is coming your way too. It takes a long time here before I can call it spring.
    I wish you a nice Sunday!

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    1. Marit, this winter was long cold and snowy and I do hope you are able to soon say: spring is here! and our gardens will look prettily.
      Have a nice new week!

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  8. Thank you very much for interesting information about pelargoniums !!
    Happy Orthodox Easter, Nadezda !!
    Greetings !

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  9. Hi Nadezda! Wonderful Spring Symbols;-)) Have a nice new week!

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  10. Muchas gracias querida Nadezda, muy buena información. En mi tierra aún hace bastante frío. pero ya disfrutamos de Anémonas, Iris, Narcisos, Campanillas de primavera, Coronas Imperiales etc...Mañana te pondré algo. Muchas, muchas gracias. Un besin enorme.

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    1. Que bien Lola que esta informacion puede ayudarte a ti con pelargonias. Puedo imaginar como tu jardin se pone en primavera, las anemonas me gustan mucho.

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  11. I do not make pelargonia seedlings, because I do not have them where to store in my apartment. I have to buy new geraniums every year, which I like very much. Have a nice Easter for you. Regards.

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  12. I need to take a look at our pelargoniums and see whether there is any cutting material. After winter the parent plants look very sad.

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    1. I agree Sue. The plants suffer in storing in winter time therefore I try to have more new ones.

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  13. Happy Easter to you! And thank you for the tips about making pelargonium cuttings. I have a scented pelargonium which I would like to take cuttings from so it is just in time for me.

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    1. fulI'm glad Jenny that my experience was used to you. Good luck with pelargonium cuttings!

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  14. I always think I will do some propagating of plants but I rarely do it. I don't seem to use too many annuals in my garden. I love seeing them I don't know why I don't. I love Pelargoniums but don't have enough sun for them in my garden. Your area is colder than mine. Snowdrops are one of my first blooms here too. Happy Easter Nadezda, may the spirit always be with you.

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    1. Thank you Lisa for your wishes!
      I love pelargoniums in the garden as annuals and as inside plants in winter time.

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  15. Dear Nadezda, your cuttings look promising. I have never taken cuttings for I don’t grow them. I am looking forward to see how they develop. Thanks for showing the pictures of your signs of spring. I can not imagine the snow is still in your garden! That would make me extremely inpatient. Hope the sun shines and melt the snow quickly,so you can finally start gardening. Groetjes Hetty

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    1. Dear Hetty thanks for your wishes, I do think the sun has heard your words and has sent us warmth. Today we have + 15 C and snow has completely melted in the city.
      I obligatory show you in my other post how these cutting are developing.
      Hugs!

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  16. Hello Nadezda! Χριστός Ανέστη!
    I hope you had a great celebration of our Orthodox Easter! I was lucky that we went to Rotterdam at Easter eve in a Greek Orthodox church of Saint Nicholas! Thank you for sharing your tips! I love the pelargoniums! Wishing you a happy week ahead!
    Dimi...

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    1. Dear Dimi, Χριστός Ανέστη! Христос Воскресе!
      I didn't know the Orthodox church is in Rotterdam, sure you have had a great Sunday with your loved family.
      Have a nice new week!

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  17. Happy Easter Dear Nadezda! Χριστός Ανέστη! Thank you for the excellent tips about pelargonium cuttings. I will try that myself this year. Beautiful signs of spring!

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  18. I love geraniums.
    I suppose you are very happy that you bred these beautiful flowers yourself.
    Hugs and greetings.
    Lucja

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    1. I love them too Lucja. And I have many new pelargoniums for summer.
      Hugs!

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  19. Bellissimo! Comincia a vedersi per fortuna la primavera! Bel lavoro con le talee, sembrano già ottime splendide piante :)

    Ti auguro una buona continuazione :)

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    1. Si, pontos yo espero que mis geranios crecen lindos flores.
      Buena semana!

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  20. Tendrás unos geranios preciosos amiga. Felicidades por esa Pascua que celebrais.
    Por aquí ha vuelto a nevar y el frío la primavera se retrasará un poco.
    Besos

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    1. Oh, Laura, que primavera. Aqui primavera esta tambien atrasada.
      Gracias, tenia buen dia de Pascua.

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  21. Geraniums are so thankful flowers. I love them. Have few of them and going to plant even more.:)
    Super nice days for you and your loved ones. :)))

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  22. Such beautiful and well-overwintered pelargoniums and happy-looking cuttings, Nadezda! Thank you for the interesting tips.
    We still have much snow and ice, but in these days we have sunshine and blue sky... and are indeed sunbathing the face. :)
    Have a great weekend. The online weather report seems to promise mostly sunny and pleasant temperatures for Saint Petersburg for the next few days. Enjoy! xx

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    1. You're right Sara, we have indeed very lovely weather. Snow has melted, and I hope my pond is melting as well. Glad you can sunbath and enjoy the blue sky. We both were waiting for these days during cold winter, dear.

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  23. I look forward to seeing those Pelargoniums in bloom.

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