Geranium is one of the most beloved floriculture plants, unpretentious when maintaining the house and the methods of reproduction. Information on how to plant a sprout of geranium without roots will allow rooting the stalk before planting in a pot. From it, for a sufficiently short period, a beautiful flower will grow.
Botanical flower description
Geranium, or pelargonium, is a meadow plant (one- or perennial) that is found in almost all countries of the world, however, according to scientists, its native land is South Africa. The plant is distinguished by its species diversity: more than 400 species in the world and about 40 in Russia. It grows to a height of 60 cm, can grow both in open ground in a summer cottage, in drawers on balconies, and at home.
Translated from Greek, the name of the flower means "crane". The reason for this name was the form of fruits that resemble an elongated bird's beak. In Germany, it is also called the "nose of a stork."
Geranium grows as a herbaceous or semi-shrub plant, its stems can be erect or flowering (in ampelous species). A geranium flower has 5 petals collected in inflorescences, in some varieties - double, colors - white, pink, red, blue, purple, etc. The leaves of the pelargonium are original: palmate-lobed or dissected, soft, covered with hairs. The leaves have an oval shape, rugged figured.
The most common varieties: fragrant, ampelous, garden, royal (Regal), etc., as well as many hybrids, including interspecific. Among the interesting varieties: star-shaped (Stellar), variegated, tulip-shaped (Tulip), cactus-like, coniferous, dwarf, fragrant, etc.
Breeding methods
Geranium has a good ability to survive, which allows it to grow in any, even adverse conditions. It can be propagated in several ways:
- seeds (bought or received independently) - the method requires a long time;
- by the method of dividing the roots from the mother plant - it is considered risky due to the delicate structure of the roots and the further provision of certain growth conditions;
- cuttings - the method most preferred by flower growers.
An important advantage of transplanting geraniums with cuttings is the ability to propagate it without affecting its roots and without harming the mother plant.
Tips for preparing the mother plant
When pruning the plant, when forming the desired shape of the crown of the bush, often there is a certain amount of shoots that can be used for reproduction. But to obtain high-quality cuttings, it is better to prepare the mother plant specially.
For reproduction, it is necessary to choose only a healthy and non-flowering plant at the age of 2-3 years. Starting to solve the question of how to plant a sprout of geranium without roots, you should first start preparing the mother plant. 2 weeks before the start of propagation, geraniums are placed in a dark place and stop watering. Instead, fertilizing is carried out with a solution consisting of wood ash and water.
Given that the process of geranium can be planted without roots, it is necessary to produce their correct cutting. A stalk is a part of a plant used for propagation, from which in the future a new geranium identical to the mother will grow.
Choosing a Shank for Planting
How to plant a sprout of geranium without roots? The rules are as follows:
- the size of the cuttings depends on the size of the parent plant and ranges from 7 to 15 cm;
- all working tools (garden knife, etc.) are recommended to be pre-disinfected with alcohol in order to avoid infection of the shoots with fungal spores or other infection;
- cut the shoot with a sharp knife at a right angle, be sure to slightly below the node to the stem (violation of this rule leads to improper growth of the stem or its death);
- it is desirable to cut it in the apical part with the presence of 2-3 growth points and a few leaves;
- if the sprout is cut in the middle of the stem, then the upper cut is best done at an angle;
- in the lower half of the stem, you need to remove the leaves, at the top - leave half;
- leave the stalk to dry the slice in a darkened room until the film appears, some growers use activated carbon dusting;
- treat the cut and the lower part of the stem with powder or Kornevin’s solution - this will help speed up the process of engraftment and development;
- on average, roots in a sprout appear after 3-4 weeks.
How to plant a geranium sprout: ways
Cuttings can be cut for propagation at any time of the year, however, in the cold months, geraniums have a dormant period (from mid-autumn to late winter), so rooting of the sprouts will be slower, moreover, the mother plant may die due to untimely cutting. Therefore, the optimal time for grafting is spring (when the growing season begins) or summer.
Rooting cuttings can be done in 2 ways:
- in a glass of water - the fastest method, but has drawbacks;
- in a pot with prepared soil mixture - roots appear only after a month.
Rooting in water: rules and recommendations
1st method - propagation of geranium by cuttings in water - is carried out as follows:
- prepare several cuttings;
- disposable plastic cups are best suited, preferably opaque, formalin solution is recommended for their disinfection;
- pour in each glass pre-warmed previously warmed water to the middle (about 5 cm high);
- many flower growers advise to add crushed activated carbon into the water for disinfection;
- lower the cuttings with the bottom in water;
- changing water is recommended every 2-3 days;
- roots usually appear within 1-2 weeks;
- after root sprouting, the process must be transplanted into a pot with soil.
The disadvantage of the rooting method in water is the manifestation in some cases of rotting of the stem (more often before the roots appear), then the germ needs to be thrown away.
Rooting in the soil
The advantage of this method is the absence of decay of the shoot (this happens very rarely), but there are some drawbacks - it is not possible to trace the process of root sprouting, so it is difficult to determine the ideal time for transplanting the shoot into a pot.
Here's how to plant a geranium sprout without roots right in the ground:
- prepare a soil mixture consisting of garden soil and peat, you can buy specialized soil for geraniums;
- put drainage (brick chips, polystyrene foam or expanded clay), pour soil into the container;
- sanitize the earth by watering it with a solution of potassium permanganate (you can use calcination in the oven or in a microwave oven) - this will help to destroy microbes and fungi, as well as possible pests;
- compact the soil, removing excess air;
- make a hole in the ground to a depth of 3-4 cm with a pencil or other object and plant a shoot there, compacting around the ground (air pockets should not be left to avoid plant death);
- put in a place protected from the sun (optimally - diffused lighting, partial shade), and contain at a temperature not exceeding +20 ° ;
- It is not recommended to put greenhouses over geraniums due to possible waterlogging of the air and decay of the sprout;
- waterlogging of soil and air should not be allowed, therefore, experienced flower growers advise to water the plant not from above, but through a pallet (then holes in the pot are necessary for moisture to enter);
- watering rarely, preferably every 4-5 days;
- evidence of good rooting and the presence of roots will be the appearance of new leaves on the handle;
- You can fertilize a young plant no earlier than 30 days later.
In time, rooting usually takes 3-4 weeks, during which the stem takes root and is already ready for transplanting into a larger and wider pot.
Leaf propagation
Another method similar to cuttings is through leaf propagation of geranium. It consists in the fact that instead of shoots, it is necessary to cut off only the leaves, choosing healthy specimens with a solid base. The sheet must be cut carefully, with a very sharp knife or scissors, at an acute angle with respect to the stem.
Further actions are similar to the usual cultivation of shoots in water:
- cut sections of leaves with charcoal or "Kornevin";
- place the leaf in a container of water and hold until the roots appear;
- put in a small pot (at the bottom you must provide drainage holes) prepared soil, pour;
- plant a leaf in the soil, deepening by 2-3 cm;
- look after and wait 3-4 weeks before the roots appear;
- then transplant the rooted leaf to a permanent place in a larger container.
Transplanting the finished cuttings into a pot
The difference in the two methods of germination of the shoots is only in the duration of the growth of their roots: in water they appear faster than in the soil. When the problem of how to plant a sprout of geranium without roots in a pot has already been solved and roots have appeared, you should plant the resulting young plant in a permanent place in a more spacious container.
Transplant Instructions:
- to get a stalk with roots from water or soil;
- prepare a mixture of several components: turf soil (2 parts), sand, leaf and humus earth (1 part each);
- the pot should be selected shallow and wide due to the fact that the geranium root system is superficial;
- put drainage on the bottom (shards, pebbles, etc.);
- to fill the soil mixture and water;
- plant the shoot in the ground, compacting it around the stem;
- put the pot on the windowsill with good lighting.
Royal Geranium Reproduction
For the reproduction of royal pelargonium, they do not use the method of placing shoots in water because of their decay. When deciding how to plant royal geranium with a sprout without roots, the rooting method should be used exclusively, since when planting in water, the cuttings of this particular variety immediately rot.
Pelargonium sprout is planted in a pot filled with special or prepared soil, and then it is expected to take root within a month. When young leaves begin to break through, the time comes for transplanting the cuttings into a large container.
Instead of a conclusion
If you know the rules and listen to the advice and recommendations of experienced gardeners on how to plant a sprouted geranium without roots, the procedure for propagating home geraniums will be possible for everyone, even the most inexperienced flower lover. Subsequent good care and watering of rooted cuttings will help to grow many young geranium plants that will completely repeat all maternal signs and will certainly please the owner with their bright and beautiful flowers all year round.