Rose Geraniums

[alexia]

This summer I grew a rose geranium in my garden which became humongous. Today tried a transplant, but had to have someone else do the digging and lifting (bad back). I think the root has been too roughly handled and am worried about its survival. I intend to get some growth hormone and snip of the ends of all the branches to try to make some new plants. Any tips?

In case the salvage operation fails I thought I'd try to save the leftover leaves in the freezer. Can these be frozen for future rose geranium pound cakes, etc? My plan is to freeze them whole on a sheet pan, wrap in paper toweling and then put into plastic baggies. Or would it work better to dry them out instead as one would with mint?

Thanks for any light you can shed on this. It's a flavor/aroma I love and I'd like to use it throughout the winter even if my gardening "skills" fail me.

 

[paisan]

Alexia.... It is very possible for you to "clone" your plant. Go to a hydroponic or garden store and look for "root tone", or something of that nature that contains gyberrillic acid. It agitates the cuttings to form roots from where you cut the plant. If you cant find root tone, use a VERY weak solution of plant food. Somewhere in the range of an NPK (nitrogen, potassium, phosphurus) ratio of 10-20-10, and mixed at around 100-150 PPM (parts per million). Apply this to the cutting and place them in either damp paper towels or a clean glass of spring water. Once they start to grow roots you can transplant them to a soil pot. Be careful not to overwater, as mold is a #1 enemy to those little cuttings. Oh....when you take the cuttings...cut on an angle so there is as much exposed fresh area as possible. Good luck!!!!

Ciao....paisan :bounce:

 

[alexia]

Thanks paisan, I am going to get some this AM. I've tried rooting geraniums in water before (without the root tone) and they' ve just rotted away. I'm going away for about a week, so the water would work better with my schedule, but I'll put some in the damp towels, too, to be on the safe side. I'll wrape the towels with a little plastic (with some holes in it) to slow down the evaporation.