Hi, I propagate 6 new geraniums from a 3 year old geranium that was starting to look very tired. I followed an online video showing how to do it. I cut 6 newer softwood geranium branches. Took off the leaves from the bottom up, leaving 5-6 upper leaves. I lightly dipped each stem into rooting powder and tapped off the excess into the garbage. I potted them up in wet soil, letting them drain a bit. Placed the 6 cell pack I used in a clear plastic bag inside a basket (which served to keep the bag away from the cuttings). Before sealing the big plastic bag up I exhaled into the bag to give the plant some CO2 as well. Each day I repeated opening the bag to let out excess moisture and exhaled before twisting the large plastic bag tight like a ballon. It took about 10 days in indirect light for all 6 stems to root.

This was my first attempt doing this. I have a heated mat propagator but it was too small to do this in. Needless to say I'll be trying this on other softwood cuttings this spring and fall. I want to get some other coloured geraniums - just one plant and let it grow over the summer to propagate more next winter. Like I need more gardening excuses! I start many seeds indoors in the winter too.

Okay everyone - do tell what you've been up to! I'm all ears too.

Cheers,
Peggy

Petunias, coleus, verbena, calibrachoa, poke a dot plant, ivy, biden, euphorbia and ipomoea. I am in zone 9 and was itching to get started. I had mostly old winter growth that are poor candidates and the nurseries were bare. Finally I started finding plants the first week of March and got started. I had a week of overcrowding on my heat mat until the weather warmed enough that I could use my cool greenhouse to take the first batch. Next year I will be more patient. If I can't get the green, it's too early to start. But I have to start on time. Plants have to be established to take our summer heat. I expect summer to begin next Monday. No more rain. I have more plants then I know what to do with. I can't stop cloning. DH told my sister my green thumb has mastatis to my brain. She has the same problem.

Was given cuttings of a bronze beauganvillia! Really nice, hope they'll take. I'm going to give a petunia a haircut tomorrow, and will root them in another hanging basket. Also have a plectranthus that's more than a year old, and gave it a haircut a couple of weeks ago and stuck the cuttings in a pot. This is sold here as an annual but the last one I had lived 3 years before a bad freeze got it, and I've had this one more than a year so far.

And recently I've made cuttings from 3 different lavenders and some have taken! Godwin Creek will grow here in this hot climate, and someone gave me cuttings from a Spanish and some other type that they've been growing here for a long time. Looks like they're taking, too. Those will be in a shady spot when it really gets hot this summer (Texas).

Oh, and a neighbor gave me cuttings from her chrysanthemums, very small purple flowers, a few weeks before she passed, and I'm really glad they have taken!

Lots of cuttings taken today ~80 or so.. Gojiberry, 2 types of thyme, winter savory, rosemary that has survived 4 zone 5 winters, feverfew, greek oregano and probably a few things I'm forgetting.

I used the flimsy cell packs and put that in a sturdier tray. All cells were filled with Jiffy seed starter mix. Then the dome went on top. Under fluorescent lights right now probably for about 2 weeks.

Yesterday my goal was to get out in my flowerbed where the raspberry wine bee balm is planted and shovel prune it as it has spread into other plants that I wintersowed and planted last year. I only got one clump dug up because it was so bitter cold and windy. I took that clump into the garage where I would be out of the elements, although it felt almost as cold as the garage is unheated. I broke away a good size piece with root and potted it up in a qt. nursery pot; the others I cut into rooting size pieces, keeping a few leaves in tact and dipping the stem into rootone and planting it in 4 in. nursery pots but these are deep pots that I'd purchased creeping phlox in. I know this is an experiment..do you think those pieces will take root?
I thought it would be nice if I could get a bunch started for an upcoming plant sale and a plant swap in May.
Please give me your opinion. I know that I will have to keep the potting mix from drying out, so I'll keep a close eye on them.