Methods to Multiply Geraniums through Stem Cuttings: Top 3 Approaches for Expanding Your Plant Collection
Growing Vibrant Geraniums as Annuals: A Guide for USDA Zones Lower than 10-11
Geraniums, with their bright and colourful blooms, are a popular choice for many gardens. However, in USDA zones lower than 10-11, where geraniums are not winter-hardy perennials, they are typically grown as annuals. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to propagate and grow geraniums as annuals:
Indoor Propagation
- Start the propagation process indoors in late winter or early spring. You can either sow seeds about 0.25 inches deep or take stem cuttings. The Maverick Series, for instance, is suitable for zones 2 through 9 as an annual and grows compact plants ideal for pots or garden borders.
- To take stem cuttings, use sharp, sterile shears or a knife to get a 3-4 inch stem cutting from the terminal end of the shoots. Remove leaves from the bottom 2 inches of the cutting and dip the cut end in rooting hormone.
- If you're using stem cuttings, root them in moist medium indoors to get healthy plants before transplanting outdoors once the frost risk passes. To do this, push the cutting into the medium far enough that it supports itself, ensuring that any bare leaf nodes are buried in the medium.
Overwintering Indoors
- Before the first frost in fall, bring potted geraniums indoors to a sunny window or grow room to keep them alive over winter for replanting next season. After planting the cutting, water the medium and allow it to drain, then cover it and the cuttings with a clear plastic bag.
Outdoor Planting
- Transplant young plants outdoors in spring after the danger of frost has passed. Geranium cuttings can also be started directly into the soil outside, but they should be started in a partial sun area when temperatures are warm, not hot, and kept consistently moist, not sodden.
- Geranium cuttings started indoors should be placed in bright but not direct sunlight. The cuttings should root in about 6-8 weeks, often earlier. When the cuttings have a good root system, transplant them into their own containers and place them in a sunny window or other area with good artificial light until the spring.
Caring for Container-Based Geraniums
Propagated geranium cuttings can be cultivated as container-based geraniums. Geraniums thrive in well-drained soil and require plenty of sunlight. Water them regularly, but allow the soil to dry out slightly between waterings to prevent root rot.
Additional Tips
- Geranium cuttings can be started in water, sterile potting medium, or planted directly into the ground. However, starting cuttings in water tends to result in mildew and requires early transplanting into a good potting mix.
- After planting the cutting, water the medium and allow it to drain, then cover it and the cuttings with a clear plastic bag to maintain humidity and encourage root growth.
- Geranium cuttings can be overwintered indoors in containers, planted directly into the soil outside, or started in water for later transplant.
Liz Baessler, Senior Editor at Gardening Know How, shares her expertise on this topic. With a BA in English from Brandeis University and an MA in English from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, Liz has a backyard garden filled with vegetables and flowers. She has been with the company since 2015.
In USDA zones lower than 10-11, home-and-garden enthusiasts can cultivate geraniums as annual plants by propagating them indoors using stem cuttings or sowing seeds. (Indoor Propagation) After the plants have developed a strong root system, they can be transplanted outdoors in spring, thriving in containers with well-drained soil and plenty of sunlight. (Caring for Container-Based Geraniums)
