How to properly plant geranium shoots at home?

According to modern taxonomy, the Geraniaceae family includes five genera. Some members of the family remain wild, while others are quite successfully grown in cultivation. Let's try to figure out how to plant geraniums with shoots and grow it makes a full-fledged flowering plant.

Content:

• Geranium propagation
• How to cut and prepare a geranium shoot
• Rooting and caring for geranium shoots

Geranium propagation

Gardeners and flower growers are most familiar with plants from the genus Geranium and the genus Pelargonium. Geraniums are ubiquitous in the wild and in gardens, while Pelargoniums are most often found in homes as potted plants. These natives of Africa can only exist in the open ground during the summer months. Indoor pelargonium is mistakenly called geranium.

Both geranium and pelargonium reproduce in two main ways:

• generative, that is, seeds
• vegetative, that is, various parts of an adult plant

Not all geraniums can be propagated by seeds. This method is used in amateur propagation of geraniums and pelargoniums with simple, non-double flowers. To propagate varietal and hybrid geraniums, they use the vegetative propagation method.

Of the vegetative methods of propagation, propagation by rooted shoots is most suitable for indoor royal, fragrant and some zonal geraniums. Important! Indoor geranium can grow in a pot for up to 10 years.

However, the flower very often stretches out, the lower part of the stem becomes bare and the plant loses its attractiveness. An elongated flower has to be grown again by cutting off a cutting from it and rooting it in any way. In addition, rare species can be propagated by shoots, which are quite expensive to buy in the store.

How to cut and prepare a geranium shoot

When is the best time to cut a cutting for rooting?

Since the plant is kept indoors almost all year round, cut it stalk possible at any time. However, due to the lack of natural light in autumn and winter, such a shoot can not only take root for a very long time, but can also stretch out considerably during autumn and winter.

Sometimes the rooting process can be delayed due to the fact that the mother bush has fallen into a dormant state. Therefore, it is most convenient to start propagating the plant by shoots at the end of winter. The best time to obtain and root a shoot is mid-spring - early summer. Sometimes this can be done in August, when the plant finishes its flowering period.

How to prepare a cutting

If the mother plant has managed to form buds, then the flower stalks must be removed before taking cuttings. To cut the cuttings you will need a sharp, clean knife. Its blade must be treated with an alcohol-containing liquid.

Cut off a part of the shoot up to 7-8 cm long. Most often, the apical part is suitable for cutting. The cut is made just below the internode. Important! The cut section should have at least 3-4 internodes or full leaves. Don't rush and place it right away stalk for rooting in water or digging into the ground.

He needs to be given time to just lie in the open air. Any place out of direct sunlight is suitable for this.After the cut part of the plant has been left for three to four hours, you need to sprinkle the cuts with any root-forming agent or charcoal crushed into dust. After this, you can begin rooting geraniums.

Rooting and caring for geranium shoots

There are two ways to get roots from a shoot. Some gardeners simply place the cuttings in a glass of water and wait for roots to appear. However, excess moisture can cause blackleg disease in geraniums and destroy the shoot. For prevention, you can add a little crushed coal to the water. To speed up the process, it is best to take a dark and opaque container.

As soon as the roots appear, and this can take from 14 to 30 days, the shoot is transplanted into a pot with soil and cared for as an adult flower. However, this rooting method has limitations. For example, royal geraniums may not produce roots for up to 35 - 40 days. During this time, the shoots can either become sick or even begin to rot.

Therefore, rooting is carried out in the ground. A suitable pot is filled with a mixture of universal soil with sand and vermiculite. We must not forget to check for drainage holes in the pot. The day before, the soil is spilled with very hot water and potassium permanganate. Use a stick or pencil to make a hole in the center.

If you plan to root several shoots in one pot at the same time, then the holes should be made closer to the edges. Having installed the shoot in the hole to a depth of 2.0 - 2.5 cm, the ground around it is well compacted. After this, the pot is moved to a window where there is enough light but no direct sun. As a rule, there is no need to cover geraniums with a bag or jar.

This is done only if the leaves begin to dry out.As soon as the condition of the leaves under the transparent cover has returned to normal, it is removed. During the rooting period, the shoot needs to be watered regularly, but very moderately. When watering from above, you need to avoid getting water on the leaves. You can use the bottom watering, placing the pot in a pan of water for half an hour to an hour.

If the pot is opaque and the young roots cannot be seen visually, then the appearance of new young leaves will indicate successful rooting. After this, the young seedling is transplanted into a pot with light loose soil and placed on an east or west window. Considering that the plant’s homeland is Africa, geraniums should not be over-watered.

In summer, the plant feels good on loggias and balconies. In winter, it is better to place the pot in a room where the temperature is no higher than 14-15 degrees and reduce watering. If everything is done correctly, then next season the bush will delight you with its first flowering.

Video about geranium propagation: