Cloning Geraniums and Pelargoniums

Within the genus Pelargonium there are 280 species of flowering shrubs and herbs we call Geraniums, Pelargoniums and Storksbills. In Southern Australia. a small number of species grow in sheltered positions, some native while others are escapees from farm and city gardens.

For many years, my mother has propagated a number of these species, particularly the frilled pelargoniums and colored leaf geraniums. In the past two years she has taught me how to clone these. While the plants produce seeds (and the seeds in her greenhouses of hundreds of different varieties produce exciting hybrids), the principal manner of propagating new plants is by simply dividing a larger plant by cutting the stems and stripping off lower leaves, then planting the stem in a small pot of soil. 

The steps are straightforward.

In the past year we propagated about 600 plants using this method and, to my surprise, every plant survived to glow into a healthy vigorous clone of the original.

In recent years, white fly has thwarted many attempts to propagate pelargoniums in greenhouses.