Geraniums (Pelargonium) can be propagated by cuttings or by seeds. This will save you buying new copies next year.
Geraniums (Pelargonium) belong to the cranesbill family (Geraniaceae) and are one of the top-selling bedding and balcony plants in Germany. Around 500 million pelargoniums are currently sold every year in Europe alone. Geraniums (like many other plant species) can easily be propagated from cuttings or generatively from seeds. Cuttings are nothing more than cut shoots from plants that are used to propagate them. Propagation by cuttings is a form of vegetative propagation. The resulting plants are therefore copies (clones) of the mother plant. If you have a favorite specimen that impresses with a particularly beautiful growth or particularly colorful flowers, this is the ideal starting plant for propagation. In this way, your cuttings are sure to become particularly beautiful plants and you can enjoy a larger number of your favorites for a long time.
Propagating geraniums from cuttings
The best time for propagation from cuttings is between July and August or at the beginning of the year until March.
Cutting and planting cuttings
The shoots used should be he althy and strong. Ideally, neither light green nor woody, but half-ripe (=already slightly brown) shoots without flowers or flower buds are used as cuttings. The cut is made just below the base of the leaf. The lower leaves, buds and side shoots are removed. It is enough if one or two leaves remain. The side shoots can also be planted as cuttings. A knife that is as sharp as possible should be used to cut cuttings. Bruises as a result of blunt knives or scissors increase the risk of rot and thus reduce the likelihood of successful rooting. The geranium cuttings will be about two inches deep inPrepared pots with soaked potting soil, such as our Plantura organic herb and seed soil, and then pressed down well.
Tip: Low-nutrient potting soil promotes the formation of many fine roots.
Summary: cut and plant cuttings
- Use he althy, strong, half-ripe (=already slightly brown) shoots as cuttings
- Cuttings without flowers and flower buds if possible
- Smooth cut below the base of the leaf
- Remove the lower leaves, buds and side shoots
- 2 cm deep in pot with soaked potting soil
The optimal location
The choice of location is crucial for the success of the cuttings propagation. The pots with the cuttings are placed in a partially shaded but warm and sheltered place for three to four weeks. In late summer, when the days are getting shorter and the nights colder, a bright window seat in the house is possible. A film hood should be used so that the cuttings have an optimal feel-good climate for their start as independent little plants. Below that, like in a greenhouse, there is a nice and high level of humidity, which is important to compensate for the water absorption from the non-existent roots. However, once the first roots have developed, regular airing should not be forgotten, otherwise there is a risk of rotting due to the increased humidity. If the first new leaves sprout after a few weeks, the propagation has been successful.
Summary: The Optimal Location
- Semi-shady, warm, protected location for 3 - 4 weeks
- Foil hood for optimum humidity
Pruning as a source of cuttings
By pruning, geranium cuttings in the form of shoot tips (so-called head cuttings) are produced all year round. In preparation for wintering, the shoots of the plants are cut back radically in September or October. Here there are a particularly large number of long shoots that can be used as cuttings. In this article you will learn how to prune the plants for a successful overwintering of geraniums.
Even in spring to early summer there are top cuttings, as the tips of the shoots should be cut back regularly for better growth. Other care measuresfor a nicer growth you can find out here.
Older geraniums should be repotted about every 2 years. Here, too, the pruning produces shoots that can be used as cuttings. Everything else about repotting and planting geraniums in general can be found in this article.
Summary: pruning as a source of cuttings
- Cuttings through radical pruning in September/October.
- Cuttings in spring to early summer by occasionally shortening the shoot tips
- Cuttings from pruning older geraniums when repotting
Overwinter geranium cuttings
Cuttings can be overwintered like adult geraniums. This is particularly useful when there is not enough space for the adult plants to overwinter. However, it should be noted that due to the darker and colder environment, the success rate in propagation is compromised. If you want to achieve a good rooting rate even in winter, you can use tools such as LEDs or heating mats. The cuttings are placed close together in a pot with soil. You can read about the best place to house your cuttings and adult geraniums over the winter in our article on overwintering geraniums.
From the start of budding at the beginning of February, the cuttings are planted apart. They are placed in a bright and warm place and fertilized. In this way you will quickly have large, flowering specimens again in the new summer season.
Propagating geraniums by seeds
If you are not yet the proud owner of a particularly beautiful geranium specimen or want to grow new varieties inexpensively, propagation via seeds is recommended. The sowing time for this is in February at the latest, so that by May the plants are big enough to withstand the weather outside and bear flowers in summer. Seeds from a wide range of cultivars can be purchased in specialist shops or in garden centres.
The sowing takes place in bowls with a germ-free and high-quality seeding soil such as our Plantura organic herb and seeding soil. Since geraniums germinate in the light, the seeds should only be covered very thinly with fine soil. However, the easiest way is to sow the seeds individually in peat pots and plant them next to each other into put a seed tray. So that the humidity is right, the seed tray is closed with a transparent lid. The germination temperature of geraniums is 20 to 22 °C. The seeds should germinate in 10 to 20 days. After that, the lid is regularly lifted briefly to air it out, otherwise there is an increased risk of rotting due to the high humidity. The African origin of the geranium also comes through during germination: Lots of sunshine or an additional light source accelerate growth.
Once the first four leaves have formed on the little plants, they are pricked out individually in a pot with more nutrient-rich soil. Our peat-free Plantura organic potting soil is ideal for this, as it contains all the nutrients for a rich bloom.
When frost is no longer expected (mid-May), the small plants can be planted outside in a sunny spot.
Summary: Propagating Geraniums from Seeds
- Sowing time no later than February
- Seeds in a seed tray with sterile seed compost
- Cover seeds with a fine layer of soil (light germinates!)
- transparent cover for optimal humidity
- Germination temperature 20 - 22 °C
- Germination after 10 - 20 days
- Air regularly after germination to avoid mould
- after formation of four leaves: transplant the individual seedlings into pots with fertilized soil
- Mid-May: transplanting the geraniums outside
You can find out how best to take care of your young plants in our article on caring for geraniums.