best way to propagate hardy geraniums

whats the best way to propagate hardy gernaniums? i have some cranesbill under some trees in a shady part of my garden and it seems to thrive there and i would like to put some in other parts of the garden to cover some gaps. Whats the best way, should i collect the seed (they have just finished flowering) or dig up some of it and transplant it?

lil

you can do both. I got info on starting seeds from Mary here. Put them in a damp paper towel, put that in a baggie, don't zip it, just fold the end under. I have 2 that already sprouted and have been in soil for 3 days. I feel like a pro!!! I was so excited. And since we're getting rain here all week, I'm going to divide my one established plant today and put half that baby in one of my new front beds.

thanks tiG, the seeds should be ready soon so i think i'll try that method, should have loads of babies soon!

lil

division is by far the quickest method. seeds DONT always produce plants the same as the parent plant. geraniums cross very easily with each other.

Mark

tig - you may come up with an exciting new plant from your seeds :-)

well, probably not:) The seeds that I sprouted came from Thompson Morgan. But they are Splish splash, I want them so much!!!

ive collected some seeds of my geranium sanguineum and if anyone wants any ill be glad to send some, ive got loads! TiG ive got splish splash coming up too, that i sprouted from seeds, but its too small to flower yet.

lil

My splish splash just has it's first true leaves. I'm having some trouble with all my seed starting. I am using weak tea, and they're not damping off, just not coming up:) But I am so proud of these two, I just hope I don't kill them!!!

tiG, that splish splash was the only one out of 6 that came up, dunno why, they were all in the same pot? i put mine in the garden last week and its got about 6 leaves now, i'm so proud too, i agree, it's like taking your children to school or something! haaha

lil

you might find that geraniums will not grow from seed until they have had a chill over the winter. you can imitate that by chilling seed catalog seeds in the 'fridge for a few weeks before you plant them.

when your geraniums are big enough to handle plant them out. you will be surprised how fast they'll grow.

Mark

thanks mark, i'll try that

lil

mark are they very tender? I've read something about another seed lately not to touch that one until it has 6 sets of leaves. I've got these in the kitchen under the light, how do I harden them to the sun? I don't want to lose them, I know I could just buy one, but it's not the same, you know how i feel!!!!

as far as I know you can move any plant provided you only hols the seed leaves.

one of the worst places to germinate seeds is in the house. I know many Americans do this but the young plants are very soft and quite often cant cope with going outside. they can very quickly become too leggy.

geraniums are hardy enough to plant in pots or modules which are left lying outside where they can germinate in their own time. I just planted some seeds yesterday in a module tray which I have watered and will leave the seeds to do as they please. modules are, in my opinion, the best place to plant and germinate seeds. the ones I use have plugs which are about 2 or 3 inches deep. the young plants can stay in these until the have a few proper leaves. to get them out all you do is push a pencil up the drainage hole and out they come with the root ball intact ready to plant out. I'll take some photos today of the module trays and some rootballs.

to harden off your plants bring them outside, provided all risk of frost has past, and put them against an east wall so they will get sunshine but not scorching mid-day. keep them well watered as they are likely to go limp very quickly. after a few weeks you could try them in a spot where they get more sun and do this until they are in the place you want. I suppose you could try one in it's planting position and see how it copes but remember to keep it well watered for a few weeks so the roots get a chance to establish.

I hope I didnt ramble on! maybe someone else has a view on this?

Mark

Yeah! Me, Mark! I used to do my Geraniums outside, but I've found they germinate much quicker (only 1-2 weeks, instead of months outside over the winter) indoors. I nick the end of the seed, and put it between a folded damp paper towel, put inside a loosely closed plastic bag which I keep in the kitchen. As soon as they've germinated, I put them in their own pot and keep them in the conservatory for a couple of weeks then the unheated greenhouse if it's winter, or directly outside if it's summer when they germinate.

I've had success with G. bohemicum, clarkei, himalayense, Johnson's Blue, ibericum, incanum, lambertii, maderense, magnificum, malviflorum, nodosum, oxonianum, palmatum, pratense, regelii, robustum, sanguineum (red, pink, white, striatum), wallichianum (Buxton's Blue, Syabru, pink), and more.

I wouldn't think of germinating any seeds under lights, and I get my seedlings outside as soon as I can, but I find germinating Geranium seeds this way works for me and I wouldn't go back to doing it outside.

thanks for all your comments, i should have a garden-full next year! lol!

lil

Mary, do you chill yours? I started several different kinds last night, and then today it hit me that I didn't chill them.

Mary

not wanting to be nasty, are you sure your Magnificum sets seed? just wondering as it's a sterile hybrid. your plant must be either G. Ibericum, which you list anyway, or G. Platypetalum both of which are parents of Magnificum and look very alike.

Johnstons Blue is a sterile hybrid also. are you sure it is labelled correctly.

Mark

Mark,

I haven't a clue what my plants really are. I just label them with whatever name they have when they come to me. I had serious doubts about Johnson's Blue, which I also thought was a sterile hybrid, but look how many people are trading seeds for this. I just thought I must be wrong (again).

The one I have labelled G. magnificum has much bigger flowers than the G. ibericum, and they're flushed reddish in the centre. I prefer the one I have labelled G. ibericum. I have photos of both of them, so I'll go and find them and post them somewhere for you to identify. I don't know if either of them produce seed as this is their first year flowering, but they both seem to have seedpods coming.

I have one called G. platyanthum (from Plant World), but perhaps it's really G. platypetalum? It's a pale wishy-washy mauve, smallish flowers, but lots of them and lots of seed.

hi Mary

your magnificum with the reddish hue points towards
G. platypetalum. this geranium and ibericum both set seeds. I was talking to somwone who grows lots of geraniums re magnificum et al and she told me the seedlings of both these plants are gettings called all 3 names which is a pity as soon no-one will really know what they have.

my local garden centre has all their Himalayense labelled as J Blue. when I told them they said I was wrong because the plants came from a nursery in holland who specialise in geraniums.

Mark

Just an update. I started platyanthum and pratense 7-9, and I now have 18-22 of each in pots. Did the paper towel in baggie starting and I have had a huge success. Thanks Mary, so very much!!!!

Two of my geraniums have just decided to give up. I noticed one had lost most its leaves, they were brown, so I quickly dug it up and repotted it. Is it possible for it to come back from the crown once the leaves have died? I have one other whom I think may be all right. I've potted it, but should I bring it in the house? It's been in the 90's here and my first year in growing these plants. I have maybe 12 or so. Some prefer full sun and some more shade. Doris

hi Doris

there are 2 possibilities. your plants may be summer dormant. do you know what sort they are?
or it could be heat stress if the ground is very dry?

Mark

Doris I have just had the same problem with leaves browning and it was not due to lack of water. With our temps well into the 90s I know it has to be too much sun. I would try planting the geranium where it gets light but just a little direct sun. There are not many geraniums that can tolerate the excessive prolonged heat of the summer unless they are shaded. What type of soil do you have??

They are Johnson's Blue and Dalmaticum. (I had to run out and look). I noticed there's an endressi that's beginning to look a little wilty. Though about 4 feet away, I have another endressi (Mrs Warwick something,forgot name on the way upstairs) and she looks great, her leaves are much larger than the other endressi. (the one thats wilty.) Could it be the soil? The ailing ones were in two different types of soil, one rather tending towards hardness and the other loose and more on the sandy side. This is my first year of serious gardening, and I will be doing a lot of evaluating on what I'm trying to grow. But I want cranesbills!! and I don't want to kill a bunch of them trying to get them to grow.

They are Johnson's Blue and Dalmaticum. (I had to run out and look). I noticed there's an endressi that's beginning to look a little wilty. Though about 4 feet away, I have another endressi (Mrs Warwick something, forgot name on the way upstairs) and she looks great, her leaves are much larger than the other endressi. (the one thats wilty.) Could it be the soil? The ailing ones were in two different types of soil, one rather tending towards hardness and the other loose and more on the sandy side. This is my first year of serious gardening, and I will be doing a lot of evaluating on what I'm trying to grow. But I want cranesbills!! and I don't want to kill a bunch of them trying to get them to grow.

Doris, even back home in England Johnsons Blue did not like a hot site at all in my garden. Have you kept them watered and mulched?

sandy soils should always have lots of organic matter added to retain moisture. try adding multipurpose compost, leaf mould and composted farmyard manure.

clay soils, if thats what you call hard soil, need the same as above but also add lots of horticultural grit.

geraniums aren't very fussy about about soil type but taking it to extremes puts them under a lot of pressure.

Mark

Hi Mark- Just to let you know, the geranium seeds Splish Splash you sent me last year germinated well and I have 6 healthy plants now growing in my nursery beds...will probably have to wait till next summer to see them bloom- Thanks- Maureen

tiG, what's this about weak tea? Is it supposed to prevent damping off?

can't remember where I read it, I was thinking it was here. But yes, and that's what I watered my geranium seedlings with. And I didn't lose them:)

Hmm, will have to try that. Thanks tiG.

MARY! I followed your advice w/ the baggie method. What is unclear to me is what's next. I put them in starting mix and have them under lights...but I don't know if they should be under lights, warm, cold...I just don't know. What should I be doing??

Thanks in advance!
Jess