Geranium cuttings....

After watching Gardeners World a few weeks back and seeing Monty experimenting with Vitamin C tablets and dipping so many cuttings in the dissolved tablets and some just planted au natural i thought i'd give it a go.....

My results are thus....


All the cuttings were from the same plant and kept in the same conditions ....turns out mine are better off without Vit C...It will be interesting to see what Monty thinks to his.....

Must add ...Monty used Orange flavoured Tablets and i used Blackcurrant....

 

Mine just rotted off after dipping in Vit C solution Loli,
Jenny
I don't seem to have much luck with geranium cuttings...

 

Are these Geraniums or Pearlagoniums, look like the later to me.

Reason for asking is my trailing Pearls, have been good and would like to keep for next season, so looking for the best way to keep.

 

These are Pelargoniums, they are zonal pelargoniums, best way to keep is in greenhouse if poss but definitely out of the frost.

Val

 

Will do

 

I lose about 50% to mould even though I keep them relatively dry in the house and don't cover.I overwinter the main plants in the bottom of the greenhouse hardly watering.

 

I beg your pudding....i still call them by their common name.....

 

I tend to prune my Pelargoniums severely about now before 1st frosts, take them out of their pots,remove all soil and remove all their leaves and hang them upside down in a dark frost free area. Start them off again in about March in the greenhouse.I take cuttings off the plants when they have started into growth. No bother at all, no hormone powder, not even a poly bag over the pots, the cuttings root incredibly easily in a matter of a couple of weeks. I have the same Pelargonium plants for about 8/10 years....each plant now fits with a squeeze into huge pots. I have a few varieties both zonal and otherwise. The variety doesn't seem to make much difference to their ability to root from cuttings. With the method I use it pretty well removes any likelihood of mold as the plants are bone dry over winter and is incredibly easy, you don't even need much space to store them plus all being well you have big plants again for the next season, cost? £0

 

hmmm interesting Silu . So you remove all the soil , prune right back..now why store upside down ? Would they be ok hanging up all in an onion bag in a dark frost free garage ?

 

But you do with Aunt Mays cuttings

 

Jenny

 

Hi Harry don't see why not. I expect the "secret" is to let the air freely circulate around the Pelargoniums and yes you remove all the soil and I prune down to about 4/5 inches on ooober big plants. I think you are meant to hang them upside down so as to let them sort of drain. I certainly have my Dahlia tubers upside down for a while when 1st lifted and do think it makes a difference as to how well the tubers survive the winter. Of about a dozen or so Pelargoniums I store every year I might maybe loose 1. perhaps if you have a fair few, you could store some you usual way and the other half as I have suggested. Where mine hang it's pretty dry and certainly frost free. Glad you don't have my address as if you loose the lot you'll be out for blood!!!!

 

Thanks Silu , I only have a few Geraniums so if I lose them its no problem . I have taken cutting of them , but left them out in the rain so the compost is soaking wet . They may be OK or rot !
I'll lift the mother plants later this month remove soil . Do I then need to dry them out ? I'll wrap in newspaper , then I can hang them upside down in an onion bag in the garage.

 

I'd just leave the plants somewhere dry and frost free, 'till the soil around the roots is really dry and easy to shake off, nothing else required. Don't see that newspaper would hurt but I don't bother. I tie bits of string to the necks of the plants and hang them over the back of an old wooden chair then forget about them until around February!

 

I am astounded that this works, they must go totally dormant. I am going to give this a bash after taking some cuttings.

Thank you.