Geranium Cuttings: [Concept, Period, Rooting and Planting]

What does it mean to plant by cuttings?

The process of planting or sowing by cutting is the use of a piece, fragment or part of a plant to achieve the reproduction of the species.

The botanical dictionary defines the cutting as a stem fragment with buds of woody consistency that is used for the reproduction of a new plant.

The cuttings are classified as indoor plants and outdoor plants depending on the type to which it corresponds and the multiplication must be carried out in accordance with that division.

Fans of planting, agriculture, horticulture, etc., use the technique of planting through cuttings because it is a practice that, in their opinion, is very simple to carry out.Geranium, like flowering plants, has the ability to rebuild all its organs when given specific conditions.

What is the best time to plant geranium cuttings?

Experts recommend that for the cultivation of geraniums from cuttings, planting is carried out in two periods of the year: from mid-August to mid-October and from the beginning of February to the end of March .

However, excellent cuttings of geraniums treated in such a way that they can be successfully planted almost at any time of the year are commercialized nowadays.

The ivy geranium variety and the hybrids of P. Zonale are well suited to outdoor cultivation, while the grandiflora species is more delicate and suitable for indoor planting and cultivation.

How to get geranium cuttings to root properly?

Although not all plants can be reproduced by cuttings, the Geranium is a species that will take root very easily by using a part of it for propagation.

The environmental conditions, temperature, humidity and sun exposure are fundamental conditions for the good rooting of the geranium cutting.

Geranium cuttings require lighting but never direct exposure to the sun, high and constant temperatures that could be between 15-20 ˚C and high air humidity.

Tip cutting cut in the spring can be used and should be kept in a bright location with little watering until rooting occurs.

How should we take the geranium cuttings to plant them?

To obtain a geranium cutting, the use of plant material in good phytosanitary status of the mother plant is recommended.

Some horticulturists point out that a cutting or stem from a geranium plant that has wilted can be used to propagate the new plant.

To take the geranium cuttings, it is necessary to delicately cut the healthiest and most flexible stems, avoiding causing damage to the plant and especially to the cutting selected to multiply.

The cuttings must be cut horizontally at the bottom and diagonally at the tip, using suitable and clean tools.

The most effective cutting for the multiplication of the geranium must be a stem or branch that is at least one year old, and with a length of approximately 15 to 20 cm, although this length can vary depending on the plant.

How long should we leave geranium cuttings in water?

Specialists and flower growers recommend that once the geranium cutting has been prepared, it must be planted to prevent it from losing its components through dehydration of the cutting point and foliage.

Is it convenient to use fertilizer or compost?

To achieve and try to guarantee the reproduction of the geranium cutting, it is necessary to use substrates rich in nutrients.

A mixture of compost and sand; well watered and loose, in a proportion of two-thirds peat and one-third sand, could give very good results.

It is recommended to carry out a rooting treatment for the geranium cutting with stimulating substances such as auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, ethylene and abscisic acid.

You can use a natural rooting powder for geranium cuttings based on free amino acids and organic nitrogen, spreading them generously.During the summer months it is important to supply a special liquid fertilizer for flowering plants, every 10 days.

The substrate where the geranium cutting will be planted must be previously prepared and left very well watered and loose.The geranium cutting should be planted about eight centimeters deep, so it is important to consider a pot more than 10 cm high.

It is recommended to open the hole to the depth at which the cutting is going to be planted and without nailing it or sinking it, just imprison it with the earth.

How long does it usually take for a geranium cutting to come out?

In about 6 to 8 months you can already see the emergence of the first shoots of the new geranium plant.

However, other studies indicate that the multiplication of flowering plants through cuttings can take up to 3 years to fully take root in the garden.

The time in which the new shoots can be seen will also depend on the process carried out for this is necessary:

Locate the cutting in a place with good lighting.
Keep them moist, never flooded, by spraying and with mild temperatures.
Sometimes it is convenient to cover the cuttings with a plastic bag to maintain the humidity that the geranium needs to reproduce.