I have geraniums I started from seed a few years ago.
They flower continuously year round indoors and out.

When I repotted them a month ago, I cut some of the long leggy stems back to a node, like pruning a tree.

I have new leaves one node lower than the node below the cut. The stem above the leaf is shriveling up withering away. Since the new leaf is one node down from the
cut, is the plant shedding that portion of the stem?

Is that normal? Will the withering stop at the stem node where the new leaf is?

Should I take cutting from these plants?
Where the stems meet the soil there is crusty salt buildup, otherwise the plants look healthy and have new flower buds.