How to Take Pelargonium Cuttings Step by Step

Which shoot should you choose for a cutting?

Pick a healthy side shoot or tip cutting that isn't flowering. A flowering shoot puts its energy into ripening the bloom rather than forming roots, so it roots more slowly and less reliably. If flowering shoots are all you have, that's fine too — just pinch off the flower or bud before you plant the cutting.

Make sure the parent plant is healthy and free of pests. Aphids and whitefly spread easily onto new cuttings, and a cutting that's already fighting an infestation has a harder time putting energy into rooting.

Avoid soft, leggy growth from a plant that has only just woken from winter storage. That kind of growth is weak and full of water, rots more easily and roots less reliably than firmer shoots from a plant in full summer growth. It's usually worth waiting a few weeks until the plant has built up sturdier growth first.

When is the best time to take pelargonium cuttings?

Most gardeners take cuttings at one of two points in the year: late summer into early autumn, or spring. Both work well — which suits you best usually comes down to what you're already doing with the plants at that time.

Late summer and early autumn is a natural window because you're cutting the mother plants back for winter storage anyway. Cuttings taken then often have time to root and establish as small, independent plants before winter, which gives them a real head start compared with waiting until spring. It's also a good way to save space, since a small rooted cutting takes up far less room in winter storage than a full-sized mother plant.

Spring, roughly March through May, works just as well and often lines up with pruning and pinching the plant back once it wakes from winter rest. Shoots you'd otherwise throw away make perfectly good cuttings at that point.

Scented-leaf and regal pelargoniums generally root more slowly than the common zonal or trailing types, and benefit from an earlier autumn start if you want an established plant before winter. Budget six to eight weeks for those varieties, against two to six weeks for easier-rooting types.

Good to know. Taking cuttings of several varieties at once? Start the slower-rooting scented and regal types a week or so ahead of the faster zonal varieties. That way everything reaches a similar stage of growth by the time you're ready to pot them all on together.

If you're taking autumn cuttings, timing is tied to your first frost date, since the mother plant needs to come indoors before then anyway. Exact dates vary a lot by region.

Treat the table as a rough guide rather than an exact calendar — check your local forecast from late summer and act earlier in a cold year.

What do you need to take cuttings?

You don't need much equipment to succeed:

• A clean, sharp knife or secateurs. A dull blade crushes the stem instead of cutting cleanly, which raises the risk of rot at the cut.
• Small pots, roughly 2.5–3 in (6–8 cm) across. An oversized pot holds moisture longer than a newly rooting cutting can absorb, which increases the risk of rot.
• Light, low-nutrient seed compost, ideally with a handful of sand or perlite mixed in for extra drainage. If you're unsure what compost you already have, our guide to choosing potting compost can help.
• A spray bottle to keep the compost moist without drenching the cutting.
• Plant labels so you don't lose track of which cutting is which, especially if you're taking several varieties at once.
• Rooting hormone (optional). Can speed up and even out rooting slightly, but pelargoniums usually root well without it.

How to take and plant a cutting step by step

1. Cut a healthy shoot 3–4 in (8–10 cm) long. Make the cut just below a leaf node, where most roots form.
2. Remove the lower leaves and any flowers. Leave just two or three leaves at the top of the cutting.
3. Let the cut end dry for about an hour before planting. A fresh, open wound in damp compost rots more easily than one that's had time to form a thin, protective callus.
4. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone if you have some to hand. Entirely optional, but it can give a slightly more even result.
5. Push the cutting 1–2 cm into moist compost. Firm it in gently without compacting the soil hard.
6. Label the pot with the variety and date. Easy to skip, hard to remember accurately later on.
7. Place it somewhere bright but out of direct, strong sun, at around 64–68°F (18–20°C), and water gently so the compost is evenly moist.

Should cuttings root in soil or water?

Plant the cutting straight into compost. It's tempting to stand a pelargonium cutting in a glass of water on the windowsill and watch roots appear — it's a satisfying thing to watch — but most experienced growers advise against it for this particular plant.

Roots that form in water are adapted to take up oxygen and nutrients differently from roots grown in soil. When you later move a water-rooted cutting into compost, it essentially has to rebuild part of its root system, which makes the transition riskier and raises the chance the cutting loses vigour or dies right when it should be establishing. Water also holds less oxygen at the stem base than moist, airy compost does, and on pelargoniums that lower oxygen level more easily lets the stem turn slimy and begin rotting before any roots have formed at all.

Planting straight into compost skips that transition entirely. The roots that form are already adapted to the environment the plant will actually live in, which generally means a higher proportion of cuttings survive and go on to become strong plants.

Caring for cuttings while they root

Keep the compost lightly and evenly moist, never wet. A spray bottle is easier to control than a watering can for a cutting this small — it's much simpler to avoid drowning it. Letting the compost stay too wet during rooting is a far bigger risk than letting it get a little too dry for a while.

Give the cutting bright light but shield it from strong, direct sun for the first few weeks. An east- or north-facing window often works better than a sunny south-facing one, where the compost dries out fast and an undeveloped cutting scorches easily. If you don't have enough natural light available, taking cuttings late in autumn for example, grow lights running until mid-April can make a real difference to the outcome.

Keep the temperature around 64–72°F (18–22°C). Anything colder slows rooting considerably, and the cutting is more likely to rot before roots ever form.

Common mistake. Covering the cutting with plastic or a clear lid to hold humidity in. This works for many other plants, but pelargoniums often have slightly hairier, softer leaves that attract mould easily in still, damp air. Give the cutting fresh airflow instead of a humidity dome.

How do you know a cutting has rooted?

New growth at the top of the cutting is the clearest sign — once it starts producing fresh, healthy leaves, it has almost certainly formed roots capable of supporting that growth. This normally takes two to six weeks, longer for scented and regal types.

A slight resistance when you gently lift or very lightly tug the cutting also suggests roots are holding it in place. Test as rarely as possible, though — every time you disturb the cutting, you risk damaging the new, delicate root hairs before they've had a chance to anchor properly.

If the cutting is in a clear pot, you can sometimes see white roots along the inside edge. Otherwise, patience and new leaf growth are the most reliable signals you have.

How to pot on a rooted cutting

Wait until the cutting has a clearly established root system before moving it into its own pot — usually once roots show through the drainage holes or top growth has clearly picked up pace. Moving it too early risks needless damage to fragile young roots.

Use nutrient-rich pelargonium or general-purpose potting mix, the same type suited to a mature plant. Choose a pot only one size up from the small cutting pot — an oversized pot holds moisture longer than young roots can absorb, exactly as with the original cutting compost. For help picking the right size, see our guide to choosing outdoor pots.

Pinch off any early flower buds that appear in the first weeks after potting on. It can feel wasteful to remove a flower you've been waiting for, but it helps the young plant put its energy into roots and foliage instead of flowering too early on a root system that isn't strong enough yet.

Increase light, watering and feeding gradually as the plant fills out. If it's eventually heading outdoors to a balcony or patio, harden it off gradually over a week or so before the final move, and never before the risk of frost has passed. For more on positioning, see our balcony gardening guide.

Common mistakes

• Using too large a pot from the start. Holds moisture longer than new roots can absorb, raising the risk of rot.
• Covering the cutting with plastic. Raises the risk of mould on a pelargonium's soft leaves far more than it helps with humidity.
• Planting straight away without letting the cut dry. An open, damp wound rots more easily than one that's had time to form a protective callus.
• Watering heavily "just in case." The single most common reason cuttings rot before they've had a chance to root.
• Taking cuttings from soft, newly awakened spring growth. Roots less reliably and rots more easily than firmer growth from a plant in full summer growth.
• Forgetting to pinch off the first flower buds after potting on. Lets a young, weakly rooted plant spend energy flowering instead of establishing.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a pelargonium cutting be?
Around 3–4 in (8–10 cm) suits most varieties. Shorter cuttings have less energy reserve to form roots, while longer ones tend to wilt and lose water before roots can establish.

Do you need rooting hormone for pelargonium cuttings?
No. Pelargoniums generally root very well without it, and most home gardeners get good results with none at all. A light dusting can give slightly more even and faster rooting, but it isn't essential to success.

Can you take pelargonium cuttings all year round?
Technically yes with enough grow-light and warmth, but late summer to early autumn and spring give noticeably better results for less effort. In winter, natural light is often too weak for cuttings to root and grow well without supplemental lighting.

Why do my pelargonium cuttings keep rotting?
Usually it's compost that's too wet, a pot that's too large and holds moisture too long, or a plastic cover trapping damp air. Check that the compost is light and free-draining, let it dry out almost completely between waterings, and avoid creating a humid, still environment around the cutting.

Can you take cuttings from a store-bought pelargonium that's already flowering?
Yes, but results improve if you choose a shoot without a flower, or pinch the flower off before planting. A flowering shoot spends its energy on the bloom instead of forming roots.

How many cuttings can you take from one mother plant?
There's no fixed limit, but don't take more shoots than the plant can spare without looking stripped and stressed. On a healthy, well-grown plant it's usually fine to take several cuttings at once without it showing.

Are pelargonium cuttings genetically identical to the parent plant?
Yes. A cutting is a clone of the mother plant and will be genetically identical to it, unlike plants grown from seed, which vary and rarely come true to the named variety.

Can you take cuttings at the same time as overwintering the whole mother plant?
Absolutely, and it's a good way to insure against the mother plant not making it through winter storage. Take the cuttings a week or so before cutting back and bringing in the rest of the plant, so you're not doing everything under time pressure at once.

Want more practical growing tips delivered straight to your inbox, timed for your zone and your plants? Subscribe to the GardenLovers newsletter and we'll keep track for you.