Tips for growers how to root geraniums easily and without problems

The ways

Geranium reproduces in several vegetative ways. Breeding by cuttings has one major advantage - the preservation of all maternal qualities. In the springtime, this happens quite easily and quickly.

Cuttings

Cuttings can be stem, root, or leaf.

Root

During the dormant period, the mother plant is carefully dug up and freed from the ground. Aboveground parts are removed so that all the plant's forces are focused on rooting

Then the plant is divided, if necessary, you can use a sharp knife. The cut is processed with a solution of potassium permanganate, you can sprinkle it with charcoal.

Stem

If necessary, propagate geranium by stem cuttings, a part of the stem with two or three buds is used. Usually, one-year, elongated shoots are used.

The lower horizontal incision is made about half a centimeter below the kidney. Leaves on a prepared cutting can be cut or removed altogether.

For germination of harvested geranium babies, it is necessary to take a loose earthen substrate with a high content of river sand.

Of course, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for germination - these are high humidity, sufficient illumination and favorable temperature indicators.

Rooting will be faster if the bowl with the geranium stalk is placed in a mini-greenhouse - a plastic bag or an inverted glass jar.

As necessary, it is necessary to spray the plantings, opening and airing the greenhouse. For a successful landing under the open sky, it is necessary to wait for a stable warm temperature, when the threat of return frosts has passed.

Sheet

In order to breed geraniums, you can even use a leaf. This method is rarely used, since it has less chance of success, but subject to all agrotechnical subtleties, it has the right to be used by hardworking florists.

The leaf used for breeding is best taken from a healthy strong plant from the bottom of the stem. Before planting, the leaf must be saturated with moisture, so it is placed in a glass of water for a week.

A week later, the leaf is placed in the earthen substrate with the handle down, immersing it with a small part of the plate. The ground is slightly crushed around the planting leaf, sprayed and covered with film. Care must be taken that the edges of the glass or film do not touch the cut sheet. The planting container is placed in a warm, shaded place. The film cover is regularly removed for ventilation and spraying.

Seeds

Geranium reproduces wonderfully by seeds. This is easy, fast, even a beginner can handle it. With this method, there is still one, but significant disadvantage. When planting with seeds, nature does not guarantee the transfer of maternal qualities, such as, for example, the variegation or doubleness of the flower.

The benefits of seed propagation of geraniums are several factors.

• Ease and accessibility of the method.
• Seeds can be stored for a long time without prejudice to germination.
• The ability to get healthy plants without harmful viruses and genetic diseases.
• Young plants have a powerful root system, which has not undergone division and reproduction, which provides high qualities that adapt geranium to external environmental conditions.
• Geranium seeds bought in a specialty store are usually slightly more expensive than in questionable places on the street, but with them, confidence in the quality and variety of seeds is gained.In addition, they are most often already prepared for planting and do not require disinfection and pre-sowing soaking.
• The recommended timing for sowing geranium seeds is February and March. Then, by the middle of summer (in early July), geraniums will delight you with their abundant flowering.
• When sowing at other times of the year, it may take a little more effort and time. It is possible to increase daylight hours due to additional lighting with special phytolamps.

Consider step by step the process of seed propagation of geraniums.

It is necessary to pay special attention when buying planting material - the seeds should be dense, dry, without blotches

Disinfection for half an hour in a solution of potassium permanganate and preliminary soaking is all that is needed. When planted dry, the seeds will germinate a little later, on average, the germination time fluctuates around 1.5-2 weeks.

After germination of seedlings, the film is removed.

Propagation of pelargonium by seeds

This method is more laborious than planting cuttings, but some still prefer it. Geranium seeds are in a dense shell, therefore, before planting them in the ground, you need to perform scarification, that is, carefully process the seeds with fine-grained sandpaper. Thanks to this, the seeds germinate faster and easier, seedlings will appear in about 7-10 days.

It is best to plant seeds in late winter or early spring, because when shoots appear, daylight hours will be longer, and young shoots just need more light. The soil should be loose so that air and moisture can penetrate well to the seeds. You can either buy the soil or prepare it yourself by mixing turf, sand and peat in a 2: 1: 1 ratio. The finished substrate must be rid of harmful bacteria and organisms; for this, it can be steamed in a water bath.

Pelargonium seeds must be spread out on the surface of the soil, and then covered with a small layer of the same soil or sand. Then the container is closed with a plastic bag and placed in a warm place. In the morning and in the evening for 15-20 minutes, the "greenhouse" must be ventilated, that is, the package must be removed.

When the first shoots of pelargonium appeared, the container with them is placed on a well-lit windowsill, however, direct sunlight should not be allowed to fall on the bores. Natural light promotes rapid germination and rooting of seedlings. The earth should always be moistened, if it dries up, the sprouts may die.

You need to dive seedlings only when two full-fledged leaves have formed on them. If the sprouts begin to quickly stretch upward, during transplantation, the stems must be buried in the ground to the level of the first leaf.

The best temperature for a newly sown geranium is 18-21 degrees. After 5-6 leaves appear on young pelargonium, it is advisable to pin the top of the plant. Thanks to this, you will get a sprawling, beautiful bush. Young pelargonium is transplanted into large pots only after the roots have completely filled all the ground in the old container, this usually happens two to three times a year.

So, propagation of pelargonium by cuttings or seeds is best done in early spring. This is the best time for young plants to quickly take root and begin to bloom. Breeding geraniums is a fairly simple exercise. Following the recommendations from this article, you can successfully breed pelargonium at home or in an apartment.

Instructions for rooting cuttings (step by step)

Cuttings can be rooted in two ways - in soil mixture and in water. If you follow a simple scheme, breeding geraniums at home will definitely be successful.

Landing in the ground

When the cut points on the cuttings are dry, they can be planted immediately in the ground, in separate containers or in a common pot (the distance between plants is about 15 cm). In this case, you need to be guided by the following recommendations:

• The landing container must be suitable.It is optimal to use a small pot or an ordinary plastic cup, the volume of which does not exceed 200 ml;
• There must be a drainage hole at the bottom of the container to drain moisture. In a plastic glass, they need to be done independently using a red-hot knitting needle or needle;
• It is necessary to prepare a substrate suitable for geraniums by mixing peat, sand and perlite in a 1: 1: 1 ratio;
• It is recommended to sterilize the substrate by spilling it with boiling water or a hot solution of potassium permanganate (the water should be slightly pinkish);
• A drainage layer is laid on the bottom of the container (pieces of foam plastic, foam balls or expanded clay), then the soil cooled after sterilization is poured almost to the top, and a cutting is inserted into it to a depth of no more than 4 cm;
• The ground around the trunk must be gently tamped with your fingers;
• You need to spill the soil a little and put the glass with the handle in a shaded place for 3-4 days;
• Further, the cuttings are exposed to a light window, where there is no direct sunlight;
• Watering is carried out as the top layer of the soil dries up, it is best to pour water into the pan - this way you exclude moisture from entering the shoot itself.

Cuttings need to create greenhouse conditions (cover with a jar or a transparent bag) only if the leaves begin to lose turgor and turn yellow. If adaptation to new conditions is successful, no additional manipulations are required.

Rooting in water

A fairly simple way to get good roots on geranium cuttings is to place them in water as follows:

• You need to take settled water at room temperature and fill a dark glass jar with it. You can also use a regular plastic cup;
• A crushed tablet of activated carbon is added to each container - to prevent root decay and the development of microbes;
• The stalk needs to be dipped in water only halfway;
• The water needs to be changed periodically. You also need to ensure that there is no complete evaporation of the liquid and the flowering of the container;
• It is better to put glasses with cuttings in a bright place, but it is advisable to shade slightly.

The formation of roots is clearly visible in the water - when their length reaches 2.5-3 cm, the cuttings can be planted in the ground according to the above scheme.

Features of the reproduction of geraniums at home

The flower can be grown at home or in flower beds. Breeding developments have resulted in many varieties and hybrids. They have different shapes and colors of leaves and flowers.

Flowering geranium

It should be borne in mind that it is recommended to transplant geraniums at intervals of 3 years. If you neglect the renewal of culture, it will lose its decorative properties. As a result, the bushes grow strongly, and the stems acquire a woody structure. Such plants do not bloom well.

Geranium propagation is carried out taking into account its variety:

• Royal pelargonium has large flowers up to 15 cm in diameter. They differ in shape and color. You can cut a culture according to general rules. This procedure can be carried out in the spring and summer. In winter, the culture begins a period of dormancy. At this time, it should be kept in a bright room, the temperature in which does not rise above +15 degrees.
• Zonal geranium is characterized by long flowering. It can last all year round. Culture is durable. It retains its decorative properties for 20 years. Before rooting this variety of geraniums, you need to prepare a composition based on perlite and sand. You can also use peat.
• Scented geranium differs in color and smell. It is best to carry out cuttings in water. It is also permissible to propagate the plant by dividing the bush. The procedure is performed in March.
• Trumpet geranium is also called ivy or ivy. It can be grown in hanging pots. The culture is bushy. Flowering begins in June and lasts all summer. It is best to propagate the plant by cuttings.Before grafting geraniums, it is worth preparing a composition of sand, peat, leafy soil, humus. There must be a drainage layer at the bottom of the container. It is made from expanded clay.

There are many spectacular geranium species

How to carry out the procedure?

The cut off shoots do not yet have roots, which are necessary for the development of a full-fledged geranium, therefore, after their preparation, it is necessary to root the cuttings. This can be done in water or directly in the finished substrate.

Rooting cuttings in water

How to propagate a plant by placing the cuttings in water? The main advantage of this method is the ability to observe the process from start to finish and not miss the moment when the shoot will have roots and it can already be planted in the substrate.

1. Prepare a small transparent container (disposable cups are great).
2. Pour settled water at room temperature into the container up to about half a glass (5 cm).
3. Dip the scions into the water.
4. Change the water every 2 days.
5. After about a week (during this period the first roots should appear), transplant the rooted cutting into the prepared substrate in a container of a suitable size.

Rooting in water also has its own significant disadvantage: sometimes rotting of the cutting can occur even before it takes root, and in order to prevent this, flower growers strongly recommend adding crushed activated carbon to it every time you change water for disinfection.

Using this method, you can get beautiful and healthy geraniums.

Rooting in the ground

Is it possible to plant a stalk without roots directly into the ground? Thanks to rooting in the ground, you can not be afraid of rotting of the processes, as this happens extremely rarely, but you will not be able to see when the roots appear, which sometimes spoils the planting material by the fact that it is transplanted ahead of time. How to plant correctly can be read in the instructions:

1. Prepare a substrate from garden soil and peat.
2. Place prepared soil in a small container, moisturize abundantly and compact well.
3. Choose a location with sufficient diffused lighting. Cuttings do not like scorching rays very much.
4. Place the scion in the substrate at a depth of 4 - 5 cm and re-compact the earth around it.
5. Waiting for new leaves to appear on the handle means that it has successfully taken root and is ready to be transplanted into a full-fledged pot. It will take about a month.

Preparation

Before planting the cuttings of geraniums, it is recommended to stand for 2-3 hours in a solution of "Heteroauxin" or any other growth stimulator. From home remedies, aloe juice diluted 1: 1 is successfully used. You can use "Kornevin" by simply dipping the end of the cutting into powder. The smallest particles stick to the wet surface of the stem, without shaking them off, plant the cutting in the prepared soil.

For planting a geranium shoot without roots, a special earthen substrate is used. It is desirable that it consists of peat, leafy earth and coarse sand. The container with drainage holes is filled to 1/4 of the height with expanded clay and 2/4 with the prepared substrate. The earth is well spilled with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

We place the stalk in the prepared moist soil, immersing it by about 2 centimeters.Thus, the tip of the appendix will be in a humid environment, and the stem itself will be in a drier earthen mixture. This will minimize the risks of decay at the initial stage of rooting. The earth needs to be tamped a little, sprayed with a sprayer and covered with a bag.

Diseases and pests

Garden geraniums are usually disease-free. But sometimes you can notice small damage with powdery mildew or brown spotting. To prevent the disease from spreading, you need to cut the plant right after flowering, after which it will become stronger. Young healthy leaves will appear on the geranium, which tolerate the cold season well.Large bushes, if they are damaged by some disease, must be mowed completely as soon as they fade. The plant will grow back and bloom a second time.

When affected by brown spot, all shoots are cut off and burned. But it should be noted that garden geraniums can become infected with a fungal infection only in cold and rainy summers. The bush will not seriously suffer from this disease.

Rarely, but it happens that the roots are gnawed by the larvae of the furrow beetle. The plant stops growing. The beetles eat the leaves and the edges dry out. You need to dig up the geranium and check the root. This should be done at night when the beetles are active. If larvae are found, remove them and spray the root and entire plant with the fungicide solution.