Geraniums are one of the most popular plants grown in boxes on balconies and terraces. Sprinkled with flowers, they are a decoration throughout the summer, until the first autumn frosts. In order for them to bloom beautifully and grow he althily, it is worth planting fresh pelargonium seedlings in the boxes every year. Seehow to make geranium cuttings , when is the bestgeranium planting dateand what you need to do.
How to make pelargonium seedlings?
Why you should make geranium seedlings
Geraniums bloom wonderfully planted in boxes on balconies and terraces, as well as in garden beds. Although they can be stored through the winter until the next year, the new seedlings bloom most profusely. Therefore, new plants are usually bought every year in the spring. These, however, can be quite expensive. Therefore, it is worthmaking geraniums yourself , especially as it is quite easy and the cuttings take root quickly.
Geraniums vegetatively propagated from cuttings repeat the characteristics of the mother plant in 100% (which is often unsuccessful when propagating from seeds). Plants from self-obtained seedlings will surely provide us with more satisfaction than those bought!
When to pick geranium seedlings
Geranium seedlings can be harvested at the end of summer , from August to September. This is the best time to obtain pelargonium seedlings, because then we can look at the plants and in full bloom, and take the seedlings from the best specimens.If we have not collected pelargonium seedlings by this date, we can overwinter our plants in a bright room protected against frost and collect seedlings from them in the period from February to March.
How to pick geranium seedlings
For the propagation of pelargoniums, apical cuttings are taken. Shoots forpelargonium cuttings are taken from he althyplants that are well-flowering and most fertile. It should be done on a rainless day, so that the shoots and leaves cut into cuttings are not wet.
Note!Mother plants, about a month before the cuttings collection date, it is worth pruning slightly. As a result, they will branch out more and provide more shoots suitable for seedlings.
The tops of the shoots5 - 10 cm long are cut for the pelargonium cuttings. We use a previously disinfected sharp knife or secateurs so as not to crush the shoots - the place of the cut should be straight, even and not torn.Then, shoots and flower buds, as well as lower leaves and bracts are removed from the cut off fragments of shoots. Each seedling should only have 2-3 leaves. Too many leaves increase water transpiration and can cause the seedling to wither before it takes root. Prepared in this wayshoots for pelargonium cuttingsit is worth leaving a few minutes in the air to allow the wounds to dry.
How to plant pelargonium seedlings
Plant the pelargonium seedlingsin small plastic pots (you can use yoghurt containers with drainage holes in the bottom), filled with a light substrate, e.g. a mixture of deacidified garden peat and sand in 1: 1 ratio. You can also buy a soil for sowing seeds. The substrate should have a pH of about 6.5 to 7.0. Before planting, it is worth immersing the lower end of the seedling in the rooting agent, which supports the process of root formation. Remember to use rooting for herbaceous (non-woody) cuttings. After placing the seedlings in the ground, lightly water the plants, remembering that the water should be delivered directly to the ground, without watering the plants.
How to care for pelargonium seedlings
Place the pots with pelargonium seedlingsin a warm and slightly shaded place and make sure that the soil in the pots is slightly moist all the time (water often but not too abundantly). So that ourpelargonium seedlings do not witherwe cover them with transparent foil. This will ensure that the air humidity is high until the cuttings take root. It is practical to stick sticks (e.g. skewers) into the ground, which will support the foil so that it does not lie directly on the cuttings. Every few days we open the foil to ventilate the interior. The recommendedtemperature for geranium seedlingsis 16-20 ° C.
So preparedpelargonium seedlings should take rootwithin 2-3 weeks . Once they start to grow, we'll be sure that everything has gone well and that the cuttings are rooted. Then the foil cover can be removed. When new shoots start to appear on the seedlings of geraniums, it is worth pinching their tips so that they can branch better.
Ifpelargonium cuttingsare prepared at the end of summer, they will be well rooted and developed by the time winter comes. We overwinter them in a bright, frost-free room (temperatures above 5 ° C), just like older geraniums overwinter. Specimens affected by pelargonium diseases (e.g. with spots on leaves or wilting) should be removed on an ongoing basis so that the disease does not spread to other, still he althy plants.
In spring, when the risk of frost has passed, i.e. from the second half of May,geranium seedlingscan be planted outside in boxes on balconies and terraces or in the garden. Remember to harden them beforehand, i.e. gradually get used to the conditions outside (airing the storage room, gradually exposing them outside during the day).
Prepared in this waygeranium seedlingswill bloom wonderfully from the beginning of summer until late autumn.
