Geraniums and impatiens can be reproduced easily from cuttings. The cuttings
can be taken any time of year. Start with disease-free, vigorous plants. Choices of
rooting medium are several, but all allow for easy water penetration and fast
drainage. Pure sand is the simplest medium but requires the most frequent
watering. Better are half-and-half mixtures of sand and peat moss or of perlite and
peat moss, or perlite or vermiculite alone. Loss of water through the leaves that
remain on the cuttings is the greatest threat to softwood cuttings. To minimize
water loss, provide a greenhouse atmosphere, high humidity, for the cuttings while they
are striking roots. The easiest way is to place a plastic bag over the cuttings and
container, then tie it around the container to confine humid air within the bag.
Ventilate any of these improvised greenhouses for a few minutes every day.
Propagation Method
1:
Leaf Cuttings
Some plants will root successfully from a leaf portion of
the plant. New plants will sprout from the base of each leaf section.
Propagation Method 2:
Softwood Stem Cuttings
Cut below a leaf, remove lower leaves, dip cut in rooting hormone, then plant.
Grow seedlings under fluorescent lights until they’re
ready to be transplanted outdoors. (Keep at 65 degrees F) Keep lights only three or four
inches above the growing plants and leave them lit for 16 to 20 hours daily.
3459 Cleveland-Massillon Rd. Norton, Ohio 44203 Just 1/4 mile North of I-76 in the historic Loyal Oak area of
Norton, Ohio 330-825-3320 or 1-866-500-6605
info@daytonnursery.com contact: Amy Calhoun,
Webmaster
Geraniums and impatiens can be reproduced easily from cuttings. The cuttings
can be taken any time of year. Start with disease-free, vigorous plants. Choices of
rooting medium are several, but all allow for easy water penetration and fast
drainage. Pure sand is the simplest medium but requires the most frequent
watering. Better are half-and-half mixtures of sand and peat moss or of perlite and
peat moss, or perlite or vermiculite alone. Loss of water through the leaves that
remain on the cuttings is the greatest threat to softwood cuttings. To minimize
water loss, provide a greenhouse atmosphere, high humidity, for the cuttings while they
are striking roots. The easiest way is to place a plastic bag over the cuttings and
container, then tie it around the container to confine humid air within the bag.
Ventilate any of these improvised greenhouses for a few minutes every day.
