Geraniums & Pelargoniums

Rex became involved with the Pelargonium and Geranium Society of Southern Victoria 22 years ago.  The club no longer exists as a working group and is known as the Pelargonium and Geranium Friends Group.

Geraniums, often referred to as Zonal Pelargoniums, have a zone in their leaves, and have smoother softer leaves and stems than Pelargoniums. Originating in South Africa these plants grow well in dry conditions and their brilliant coloured flowers bloom for many months.

Rex said that the time to prune is in February and this is also the time to strike cuttings. This is how he suggested doing it:

•      Clean secateurs with disinfectant
•      Cut plant by about ½ 
•      Select stems about a pencil thickness and 8-10 cm long
•      Cut under an outgrowing node
•      Remove excess lower leaves, retaining 1-2 small leaves at the top
•      Plant in small container (yoghurt, margarine or polystyrene cup!!) in ‘old’ potting mix
•      Keep moist, but do not over water
•      Re-pot into an 8cm pot in 6-8 weeks in ‘new’ potting mix.

 He had an informative booklet for $2, which outlined what to do each month.