How To Easily Propagate Geraniums From Cuttings To Fill Up Your Garden For Free

Why buy more plants when the ones you already have are perfectly capable of making new ones for you? There are tons of stunning flowers that are easy to propagate from cuttings, including geraniums (Pelargonium). With just a pair of scissors or shears and a little bit of know-how, you can multiply geraniums and fill your garden with these gorgeous blooms for free. Propagating from cuttings isn't just budget-friendly; it's also easy and a little bit magical. Whether you're after lush flower beds or just a bit of DIY gardening satisfaction, this is the method for you.

Geraniums are flowering plants that bloom all summer long and into the fall, brightening up any garden and outdoor space with their deep and vibrant colors. They grow lush green foliage, which is sometimes fragrant, and produce clusters of flowers with delicate, vibrant petals. Most varieties come in shades of pink, red, purple, and white. Size-wise, they can be as compact as 6 inches or grow up to be about 2 feet tall. This makes geraniums a versatile choice, whether you're looking to fill small pots, window boxes, or gardens. You can even grow happy and healthy geraniums in containers. 

You can take cuttings from a geranium anytime between spring and fall, even if it's not flowering, but transplants are typically more successful in the summer sun and warmer temperatures. To do this, you'll need small nursery pots for your new plants, a bit of potting soil mix, and a sharp knife or gardening shears. You'll also need some water and, of course, a healthy mother plant to take your cuttings from.

Start by taking a good look at your mother plant and find a healthy stem to take your cutting from. The ideal piece should be about 4 inches long, with a few healthy leaves growing on it. Aim to take a side shoot or secondary stem, rather than cutting into one of the main stems of your mother plant, which grow directly from the base of it. This way, you'll have a strong cutting to work with while keeping the mother plant full, stable, and healthy.

Use clean and sharp gardening scissors or shears to cut right above the leaf joint (that's the spot where your stem connects to a larger one). Make sure the cut is clean and straight, rather than cutting at an angle. Next, remove any leaves from the lower part of the cutting, and place the stem directly into a small pot filled with some well-draining soil mix. Give it a light watering to moisten up the soil, and that's it, you've planted your geranium cutting.

Place the new plant in a sunny spot where it'll get tons of sunlight. The time to plant cuttings is while the weather is still warm, but if temperatures start to drop, you can give them a bit of warmth with a grow lamp or a heating mat to keep them cozy and comfy. Keep the soil moist, not wet or soggy, to encourage healthy roots to grow. With a bit of patience, your cuttings will develop into their own plants, usually forming a strong root system in about eight weeks. Now, you know how to propagate plants like a pro.