Orange Geranium

[dandysmom]

One of the two I started late from seed has finally bloomed! Gorgeous color, would have shown up better if the sun had been shining today.

http://www.catsey.com/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d117/dandysmom/Non%20Cat/DSCN1011.jpg%5B/IMG%5D
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d117/dandysmom/Non%20Cat/DSCN1011.jpg


http://www.catsey.com/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d117/dandysmom/Non%20Cat/DSCN1012.jpg%5B/IMG%5D
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d117/dandysmom/Non%20Cat/DSCN1012.jpg



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[HappyKatz]

Very pretty DM! Sure stands out...So vibrant & beautiful :) Thanks for sharing!

[alexgirl73]

Oh that is such a lovely colour Eileen :D I just have plain old pinks and whites growing here lol.

[Moli]

Beautiful colour.......Must have some next year....

[calismum]

Wow - that is really orange. Mine were all pink this year.

[dandysmom]

Apparently they're not very popular here, couldn't find any orange ones at any gardening sites I usually use, so went the seed route as I'm stubborn and was determined to have some. They're surprisingly easy to grow from seed; I'd forgotten about them so they were started quite late...May, I think...but I can do cuttings from these two now.

[angieh]

Yup - that's orange - wow - really zappy! Great. Hope your cuttings take well Eileen.

Autumn has come so quickly here, with lower temperatures I wonder if I am too late to take some cuttings from a particularly nice smelling scented geranium?

[dandysmom]

I'd rhink it would be OK now; do you have a sunny window for them and some rooting hormone powder? I bring my big plants in every Winter.

[yola]

That's beautiful, it's just the traditional type of geranium I love!

I bought what I thought were upright vivid red ones this year; turned out to be tumbling pink ones DESPITE what it said on the label. Ah well . . .

[Mags]

They're stunning Eileen :D

I use hormone rooting powder with my cuttings then keep them out of direct sunlight ....

[dandysmom]

You're right, Mags, I worded that badly. Out of direct sunlight until they're well and truly rooted! Thanks for catching it.

[calismum]

Never tried geranium cuttings - are they easy?

[dandysmom]

Never tried geranium cuttings - are they easy?

I've had no problems. Here you go:

To propagate geraniums from cuttings, first select containers three to four inches deep and fill them with moist (not overly wet) planting medium. Satisfactory rooting media include coarse sand, perlite, vermiculite or a mixture of these. Sterile commercial mixes are also available. Cut off shoot tips three to five inches in length and remove the leaves on the lower part of the stem. The use of a rooting hormone is recommended to stimulate the rooting process. This product is available at most garden centers. Dip the bottom one-half inch of each cutting in the rooting medium. Insert the cuttings to a depth of one and one-fourth inches to one and one-half inches. Firm the medium around the cuttings.
Avoid crowding the cuttings so there will be some air movement to help prevent disease. Cover the container with a plastic bag. This helps prevent excessive moisture loss, decreases wilting and increases rooting potential. Place the container in a warm location that receives bright, but indirect sun. Avoid excessive heat buildup in the bag by occasionally opening the top.
Check the moistness of the rooting medium every week. If properly chosen and prepared, it will usually stay fairly moist for several weeks before additional water is needed.
To determine when the cuttings have rooted, gently tug on the stem. If it resists being pulled from the rooting medium, roots have probably developed to a length of one-half inch to one inch, and the cuttings can be planted in small individual containers. Fill these containers with a coarse, well-drained growing mix, and pot the cuttings at the same depth as the original rooting medium. Gradually move the plants into more direct light and continue to water. Fertilization will not be needed until the cuttings show new top growth.

[angieh]

That's good straightforward directions Eileen. Thanks for posting.

[dandysmom]

If you're only doing a few cuttings, as I do, you can skip the big container and plant the cuttings directly in individual pots. Everything else exactly the same.