Geranium saving for winter???

[lesa]

As Pat has noted- frost is in the air. Grrrr! At any rate, I found a lovely scented old fashioned geranium and would love to save it for next year. I don't really want to dig the entire plant up and try to nurse it through the long winter. Can I take cuttings and root it? Do you have any ideas? It's leaves smell absolutely heavenly...Thanks!

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi Lesa

Scented geraniums are very easy to take cuttings from. I find the most successful way is to find some of this years shoots that haven't yet flowered, Break these off where they join the stem, preferably with a slight heel. Take off any leaves in the lower 50% of the cutting & bury that part in a pot of gritty compost & water in.

I always scrape this lower 50% lightly with my thumb-nail just to damage the outer skin of the plant ( this encourages it to grow roots faster)--you can use hormone powder or gell (I don't as I find I can easily root them without)! I usually prepare a wide pot & put lots of cuttings round the edge about an inch apart -- they seem to do better when they have company. Keep the soil just moist -- I tend to spray the plant gently with a mist of water that has aspirin dissolved in it. If the plant has gentle bottom heat it will root faster. When they are rooted separate into their own pots.

It's difficult to say how long the cutting should be as there are so many varieties of various sizes.
I have about 15 different kinds, all with their own unique scent.

By the way they really respond very well to being dug up & bought indoors for the winter. Why don't you try both solutions as the big one should bloom through the winter as well as scenting your room.

Good Luck,


:rose Hattie :rose

 

[lesa]

Thanks for all the info, Hattie! You are such a storehouse of information!! I will try both and see what happens. Have you ever tried rooting them in water?

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi Lesa

Yes but they rotted very quickly after going slimy......!! Nasty smells too! They prefer being drier rather than wet.


:rose Hattie :rose