The hanging geraniums, also known as ivy pelargoniums, love sun, warmth and nutrient-rich soil. They should be fed weekly in summer with a special fertilizer for flowering plants to keep them blooming until the first frost. In areas at risk of frost, the sensitive plants should overwinter in a cool greenhouse or winter garden. Hanging geraniums are also easy to propagate.
How can I propagate hanging geraniums?
Hanging geraniums can be propagated by cuttings or sowing. In late summer, cut 10 cm long shoots, remove lower leaves and plant in soil. When sowing, fill cultivation containers with soil, sow seeds and wait for plants to sprout.
Propagation by cuttings
Hanging pelargoniums - as the geraniums, which should not be confused with cranesbills, are actually called - are propagated from cuttings in late summer / early autumn. The reason for this lies in the nature of the shoots, which are already half-ripe at this point - if they are too soft and still green, they will quickly become moldy and the attempt at propagation will fail. So cut in August / September
- About 10 centimeters long, non-flowering shoots.
- Remove the lower leaves directly at the leaf axil
- and leave only the top leaves on the cutting.
- Now let the freshly dried shoots dry for two hours.
- Now plant the cuttings in a mixture of compost and potting soil,
- you can also put several shoots in one pot.
- However, the cuttings must not touch each other.
- Water the newly planted cuttings thoroughly
- and put a clear plastic bag (€4.00 on Amazon) over it.
The young plants can be potted individually as soon as new leaves appear. The young hanging geraniums are then kept cool over the winter.
Propagation by sowing
Growing hanging geraniums from seeds that you have either collected yourself or bought is also relatively simple. Advancement is possible from January, but should be done by February at the latest.
- Fill the cultivation container with cultivation or potting soil.
- Plant the geranium seeds in there,
- but only cover them thinly with the substrate.
- Keep the substrate evenly moist
- and place the planter in an indoor greenhouse.
- Alternatively, you can also put a transparent plastic bag (€4.00 on Amazon) over it.
- The plants are separated as soon as the first leaves appear.
- Place it in a bright and not too warm place.
- Start hardening off the young plants from the end of April / beginning of May.
- Put them on the balcony during the day and bring them in at night.
After the Ice Saints, you can finally move the young hanging geraniums to their final location.
Tip
Older hanging geraniums from around four to five years old can also be propagated by division.