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GREENHOUSE AND GERANIUM CUTTINGS

dannyandshazdannyandshaz Posts: 36
in The potting shed
Hi earth lovers,
Well todays a write off due to an unexpected cold spell,
But not to worry ive the greenhouse to look after and a few plants to re-pot and a few more cuttings to take.

When i buy geraniums i buy one and expect to get at least 6 for free !!!!!!!!!

No im not a shop lifter "but" i am very keen to buy a good bushy geranium thats got at least 6 good sections i can take as cuttings and a good bottom root system.
Some people say those bigger bushy geraniums cost a lot more than those 10 in a tray ones.

Well those 10 in a tray ones started life off as cuttings from the larger healthy plants
So by taking cuttings your doing the same as the  garden centre people .

But if you dont take the cuttings correctly you'll end up with little if any extra plants.

So lets look at how to do it proberly,
You'll need a very sharp blade (important must be sharp to prevent jaggering the root system)
cutting compound (powder or liquid)
a pot to put the cuttings in (more about the difference between plastic/clay pots later)
A good light compost
The geranium your cuttings are to come from
And a dibber to make the planting hole. (important to use a dibber)

Pots "plastic or clay"
Now the pots are made to house the plants but we see so many pots that differ, ie some have 1 drainage hole & some have 5 or 7 holes Why is this?
Is plastic better than clay? Whats different between the two types???

Holes for drainage,
1 hole pots need you to use drainage in the bottom of the pot otherwise the hole can get blocked and cause the plants roots to suffer from watering and rotting the roots,

5 or more hole and you dont need drainage material (grit or old terracotta) as the water will drain away freely "but as a tip put a piece of kitchen tissue on the inside bottom of the pot to stop the compost sifting through
the tissue will break-up very quick but the compost would have hardend up by then.

How do you know how much compost to put in each pot?
Fill up until just under the pots lower rim this rim is the measure of how much water to pour into the pot  So under the rim for compost above the rim amount of water for that pot size.

PLASTIC OR CLAY?
Well again cost can be a thought here plastic is cheaper than clay but clay pots are warmer and we're as plastic will not soak any water into its material clay will "hence" your plants got less of a risk of getting rotted away and the eye can see from the clay outside walls how much water the pots soaking up. Once you've got use to using clay you'll be able to tap the pot to hear if it need watering or not (this comes with practice)

So now we've seen the pot situation lets take our first cutting,
your looking for a nice approx 3 or 4 inch stem with a good head, your going to cut just under a nod (that's we're the stem has joined the main stem, take your very sharp blade and slice downwards and the cutting will come away from the stem, now clear away all the leaf's all the way up to the top of this cutting "but leave" 2 leaves at the top,
Now dip the cut end into to rooting powder/liquid rooting fluid and leave it in the rooting material while you fill your pot with the compost up as far as the lower rim and now compress the compost so its firm.(use the bottom of another pot the same size as a pot firmer)
I myself do the pot filling hours pre taking the cutting as i like to water the compost and let it really dry "but this is just my way"
Now take your dibber and push down enough so the cutting will have an inch space above the compost,
Note why use a dibber,
This is one common mistake some people do make and it can cost you the cutting,
If you just push the cutting into the compost without making a correct size hole you'll take off the rooting powder/liquid befor the plants down to its settled rooting area and it'll have nothing to aid the rooting "but" more inportant than this fact is the plants very delicate system will be damaged and it wont be able to take the needs from the rooting system and will rot.

Now take the cutting from the rooting compound you've used and the rooting powder needs to be lightly tapped off the cutting (just the excess powder) the liquid rooting system!!same again just very gently tap any drips off the stem,
Now again gently lower the stem down the pre made hole and when its at the bottom gently fill the space around the stem,
Note I like the clay pots and in a 3 inch to 5 inch pot i put all my cutting hole as near to the pots sides as i can, this is the warmer part of the clay pot and the cutting seem to like this part of the pot best,
Now you can put a plastic bag over the pot but dont let the plastic touch the plant "use sticks etc to make a tent idea and secure it with an elastic band etc,

I just keep my cutting in the cold greenhouse and they are all doing well as ever.
TIP
Keep an eye for any leaves that look yellowing and if so remove them.

Well a bit of a write up here but it's for the new to gardening folk its intended and when you doing the above its not that much work really.

Good luck to you all.


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Posts

  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    What is jaggering the root system?
  • dannyandshazdannyandshaz Posts: 36
    Hi debs64
    Jaggering the rout system is a term used  and it's if you dont have a really clean slice "cut" but a cut that you'd do using a teethed saw, that kind of cut isnt smooth but by feeling the cut with your finger its rough with a jaggering edge and this can cause bacteria to have a place to settle,
    you dont see the vets etc using a saw to cut a wound open, its a very sharp and clean blade thats to be used.

    Any good debs?
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    I see, never heard of jaggering myself I thought it was a local word from wherever you are, a sort of slang term if you see what I mean? 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited May 2019
    A very thorough description of how you take pelargonium cuttings and I’m sure new gardeners will find it interesting along with the several videos showing how to take pelargonium cuttings  in the ‘How to’ section of this site.
    As you’re new yourself you’re probably not aware of the many helpful features on this site ... it’s not just a forum. 
    Just click on the Gardeners’ World.com logo at the top left corner of the page and explore. New features are being added all the time.  :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    Yes Dove very informative but I was worried about the “jaggering” I thought it might have had something to do with Mick! 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    debs64 said:
    Yes Dove very informative but I was worried about the “jaggering” I thought it might have had something to do with Mick! 
    There you go @debs64 ... an old man trying to show us lassies a thing or two eh? 😉 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I don’t take cuttings from my geraniums, just dig up bits of root and transplant somewhere else in the garden, or send it to friends.
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    I had visions of strutting around the greenhouse in skin tight trousers! I like the Rolling Stones but there is a limit. 
  • pitter-patterpitter-patter Posts: 2,429
    @Lyn I think the ones described are pelargonium cuttings rather.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Lets spend the night together :)
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
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