Making Cuttings Of Scented Geraniums
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: Teresa
Posted on: July 13, 2010

LOVE your company, products, service and website! I need some information from you! I’ve bought numerous plants from you and some do well and some don’t and I know that’s just how it goes.... BUT - I would like very much if you could tell me if there is any "trick" to propagating the peppermint and citrosa geraniums that I’ve gotten from you. I’ve got regular geraniums figured out (I cut them a few inches long under a node, leave only a few leaves, let them dry out in the refrigerator overnight, dip in rooting hormone then plant in promix medium and keep moist in a sunny window til they get roots) but I think the scented geraniums must be different because I CAN’T get them to root this way or even without the refrigeration over night drying. Is there any chemical that I could use to help me out? Is there anything you can tell me that will help me make some new babies out of my old. I’ve been trying for years and would really appreciate any help you can give me about this.

You are doing a couple of things that I would not advise. First take a top shoot of about 5 to at most 10cm (2-4") and cut it off just underneath a node. Roots come from the nodes not from the stem between the nodes. Remove the leaves from that node and possibly from others as well so that you have only about 2 leaves left on the top of the shoot. If the leaves are too big, cut the top half off them -they would transpire too much water and the plant has no roots to replenish the water. Let the cut ends call us over at room temperature, the fridge would shock them. Make sure all the soil and pots are sterile before using them for making cuttings. Enclose the watered and drained pots in clean plastic and put them in a bright spot out of direct sun light. When the tops of the plants start to grow gradually open the plastic and remove it over the course of a week. Bottom heat helps rooting.

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