At last, we have a day warm enough for a few gardening chores. I managed to extract some plant pots from the back of the shed and, fortunately, I had put them away washed and clean last year. Today was the day for splitting up the three mother pelargoniums that I have overwintered on the kitchen windowsill. You see, when the frosts start nipping at things in the garden
in late autumn I pot up the sun and warmth loving pelargoniums, two or three to a pot, or four, and bring them indoors. In spring, I separate them again. From the three 'mother' plants, I now actually have 10 pots and although they look pretty straggling and sorry for themselves, most of them should soon pick up now we are getting more sunshine. I still cannot put them outside as it is far too cold. Also, I managed to take twelve cuttings from the pelargoniums and although they might not all take, most of them will, I hope. Something for nothing.
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| Overwintered zonal pelargoniums x 3 |
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| Pelargoniums after separating the plants above x 10 |
To take pelargonium cuttings, I just cut a strong and healthy stem just below a leaf joint with a clean sharp knife or secateurs and then I remove all leaves (and flower stems) except for one or two leaves at the very top. I remove any untidy bits on the stem and then I just stick them in some ordinary multi-purpose compost and put them in a light place, out of strong sunlight. I never bother with hormonal rooting powders or anything like that. They do just fine without, I think. I don't bother putting them in a plastic bag, and I don't fuss over them. I just keep a close eye on the cuttings to make sure the compost never dries out fully, and I always water them from below, allowing natural capillary action to draw the water up from the base. If a cutting does not take, then I remove it from the pot before it starts going mouldy.
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| Pelargonium cutting and a curious Ragdoll cat |
Gently rub off any flaky brown bits on the stem and plant
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Pelargonium cuttings
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