My daughter has asked me for some cuttings from my white geraniums (not
the hardy type). she has recently read that now is the time to take
them. fine, but what is the process please?

On 11 Sep, 16:26, Broadback wrote:
My daughter has asked me for some cuttings from my white geraniums (not
the hardy type). she has recently read that now is the time to take
them. fine, but what is the process please?

Truly easy - cut below 6 leaves, remove the last two leaves and poke
in cutting compost or any good compost you have. Leave in a light
frost free place, well watered. I mist mine on occasion, they're in
full light in the veranda, it's cold there but frost free in winter.
I"ve got lots of white ones - in fact I only have white ones.

"Broadback" wrote ...
My daughter has asked me for some cuttings from my white geraniums (not
the hardy type). she has recently read that now is the time to take them.
fine, but what is the process please?

It is still the right time to take Zonal Pelagonium cuttings for
overwintering, cut just below a leaf node, remove any loose bits that will
be in the compost and push cutting an inch or two into some freedraining
compost, some add sand to normal cutting compost. Water, indeed soak, and
then do not water again until the plant wilts, maybe a couple of months, by
which time it will be well rooted and you can resume watering sparingly
during the winter. They would rather be dry than wet in winter.
Do not use Hormone Rooting Powder on Pelargonium it can have side effects.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

On Sep 11, 5:07 pm, "Bob Hobden" wrote:

snip
They would rather be dry than wet in winter.
Do not use Hormone Rooting Powder on Pelargonium it can have side effects.

Thanks Bob, it's nice to have it confirmed that I am doing it the
right way!

Judith

" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Sep 11, 5:07 pm, "Bob Hobden" wrote:

snip
They would rather be dry than wet in winter.
Do not use Hormone Rooting Powder on Pelargonium it can have side
effects.

Thanks Bob, it's nice to have it confirmed that I am doing it the
right way!

Judith

To bob's bit I would only add that I find doing the cuttings then leaving
them 30 mins or so before inserting helps stop stem rots.

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars

Charlie Pridham wrote:
" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Sep 11, 5:07 pm, "Bob Hobden" wrote:

snip
They would rather be dry than wet in winter.
Do not use Hormone Rooting Powder on Pelargonium it can have side
effects.
Thanks Bob, it's nice to have it confirmed that I am doing it the
right way!

Judith

To bob's bit I would only add that I find doing the cuttings then leaving
them 30 mins or so before inserting helps stop stem rots.

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars


Thanks folk, looks like she should have some good plants by next Spring!

On 11 Sep, 17:07, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
Do not use Hormone Rooting Powder on Pelargonium it can have side effects.

I wouldn't dream of it, but can you tell us the side effects? I
haven't heard about that.

On Sep 11, 6:54 pm, "Charlie Pridham"
wrote:

To bob's bit I would only add that I find doing the cuttings then leaving
them 30 mins or so before inserting helps stop stem rots.

Thanks Charlie, another tip I've learned.

Judith

On 11 Sep, 20:20, Broadback wrote:

Thanks folk, looks like she should have some good plants by next Spring!

Good luck )

wrote in message
ups.com...
On 11 Sep, 17:07, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
Do not use Hormone Rooting Powder on Pelargonium it can have side
effects.

I wouldn't dream of it, but can you tell us the side effects? I
haven't heard about that.

With Pelargoniums it causes splitting and rotting of the stem base, plus if
used incorrectly hormone rooting powder can act like weedkiller, I have
found during the season its not really necessary but often has a fungicide
in with it that is of benefit. To be any use at all it has to be fresh.

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars

On 12 Sep, 08:35, "Charlie Pridham"
wrote:
With Pelargoniums it causes splitting and rotting of the stem base, plus if
used incorrectly hormone rooting powder can act like weedkiller, I have
found during the season its not really necessary but often has a fungicide
in with it that is of benefit. To be any use at all it has to be fresh.

That is a terminal side effect! During a C&G in gardening practices
course I attended, we did lots of cuttings of hypericum and had to use
rooting powder. A course fellow and I decided not to use it as we
wasn't really happy about it and wanted to experiment. The following
summer we realised that it wouldn't have beent necessary at all as all
our cuttings took. That same year I did over 200 lavender cuttings for
a garden centre and they all were very successful without rooting
powder.

wrote in message
oups.com...
On 12 Sep, 08:35, "Charlie Pridham"
wrote:
With Pelargoniums it causes splitting and rotting of the stem base, plus
if
used incorrectly hormone rooting powder can act like weedkiller, I have
found during the season its not really necessary but often has a
fungicide
in with it that is of benefit. To be any use at all it has to be fresh.

That is a terminal side effect! During a C&G in gardening practices
course I attended, we did lots of cuttings of hypericum and had to use
rooting powder. A course fellow and I decided not to use it as we
wasn't really happy about it and wanted to experiment. The following
summer we realised that it wouldn't have beent necessary at all as all
our cuttings took. That same year I did over 200 lavender cuttings for
a garden centre and they all were very successful without rooting
powder.

Like most tools its as good as the person using it!

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars

Charlie Pridham wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
On 12 Sep, 08:35, "Charlie Pridham"
wrote:
With Pelargoniums it causes splitting and rotting of the stem base, plus
if
used incorrectly hormone rooting powder can act like weedkiller, I have
found during the season its not really necessary but often has a
fungicide
in with it that is of benefit. To be any use at all it has to be fresh.
That is a terminal side effect! During a C&G in gardening practices
course I attended, we did lots of cuttings of hypericum and had to use
rooting powder. A course fellow and I decided not to use it as we
wasn't really happy about it and wanted to experiment. The following
summer we realised that it wouldn't have beent necessary at all as all
our cuttings took. That same year I did over 200 lavender cuttings for
a garden centre and they all were very successful without rooting
powder.

Like most tools its as good as the person using it!

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars


Years ago I went to a talk on cuttings, there they recommended that a
seed of corn was pushed into the bottom of the stem of the plant. Later
when the corn had germinated simply pull it out. That was thought to
greatly assist the root growth.

On 13 Sep, 18:52, Broadback wrote:
Years ago I went to a talk on cuttings, there they recommended that a
seed of corn was pushed into the bottom of the stem of the plant. Later
when the corn had germinated simply pull it out. That was thought to
greatly assist the root growth.

How annoying! I have the feeling I have heard something about this but
can't find where - do you have more info on this or do you know where
we could get it?

On Sep 11, 6:54 pm, "Charlie Pridham"
wrote:
" wrote in message

ups.com... On Sep 11, 5:07 pm, "Bob Hobden" wrote:

snip
They would rather be dry than wet in winter.
Do not use Hormone Rooting Powder on Pelargonium it can have side
effects.

Thanks Bob, it's nice to have it confirmed that I am doing it the
right way!

Judith

To bob's bit I would only add that I find doing the cuttings then leaving
them 30 mins or so before inserting helps stop stem rots.


ahhh; that explains something. I had heard that it was good to let
them dry out for a while before putting in the compost, unlike more or
less all other cuttings; you have now explained why.

Des


--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwallhttp://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars