Geranium or Pelargonium?

Same URL for the plants sold as geraniums. Genus Pelargonium. True Geranium is a different plant.

Iowa’s FAQ is a stem. UGA: many bedding plants in shops are seed-grown; cuttings keep color, scent, and zonal marks. UMN names both.

How long until roots?

Iowa: 6 to 8 weeks. Illinois: 4 to 8. Wisconsin: about 6. UMN, UGA, and UNL: 3 to 4 weeks. Those are not one number.

How to Propagate Geranium | Propagate How-To

The plants sold as geraniums are Pelargonium. Zonal (P. × hortorum), ivy-leaved (P. peltatum), Martha Washington or Lady Washington (P. × domesticum), and scented types stay on this URL. True geranium, wild geranium, and cranesbill are genus Geranium, a hardy perennial. That is a different plant.

Iowa State answers “how do I take geranium cuttings?” with a stem. Illinois, Wisconsin, and UMN also overwinter the whole plant as a houseplant or store it bare-root. UGA and UMN name seed for bedding types. Missouri lists only a herbaceous cutting and says keep the foliage dry while it roots.

Scented Pelargonium stays here. This page is not an herb garden.

For mix in a drained pot, see soil propagation.

Stem cuttings

Iowa’s geranium FAQ: 3- to 4-inch cuttings from the ends of the shoots. Pinch off the lower leaves. Dip the base in rooting hormone. Root in vermiculite, or in perlite mixed with sphagnum peat moss. Insert just far enough that the cutting stands. Water, drain, then a clear plastic bag or a dome. Bright light, not direct sun. Roots in 6 to 8 weeks. Pot each one, then a sunny window or lights until spring.

Illinois: 3- to 4-inch terminal shoots, hormone, perlite, vermiculite, or a sand-peat mix. A bag is optional; watch for mold. Bright lights. Roots in 4 to 8 weeks, then 3- to 4-inch pots indoors.

Wisconsin Hort: 3 to 4 inches, peat moss, sand, or perlite. Bright, not direct sun. Well-rooted after about 6 weeks.

UMN: cuttings any time of year. 2 to 3 inches of terminal stem. A node in the mix. Peat moss, sand, or perlite. North or east window, or lights. Generally 3 to 4 weeks. A partly open bag is optional; they also flag mildew.

UGA: 3 to 4 inches, lower leaves off, about 1 inch deep in coarse sand or another aerated mix. Usually 3 to 4 weeks, indirect light, do not let the cuttings dry.

UNL Lancaster: about 6 inches from healthy tips, late summer before frost (September on that page). Leaves off the lower half, pinch flowers and buds. Hormone. Roots ½ to 1 inch long in 3 to 4 weeks, then individual pots for winter.

Those lengths and weeks are not one number. Do not average 2 to 3 inches with 3 to 4, or 6 inches with either. Do not average Iowa’s 6 to 8 weeks with UMN, UGA, or UNL at 3 to 4.

Missouri: keep foliage dry during rooting.

Seed

UMN: geraniums can be started from seed. Mid-January indoors. Barely cover the seed. Clear cover, bright indirect light, 75 °F. Germination 1 to 3 weeks depending on variety. Then lights, days in the 70s °F, nights no lower than 60 °F, 16 to 20 hours of light, 3 to 4 inches above the plants. Half-strength liquid fertilizer. Into 4-inch pots at three sets of leaves. About 3 to 4 months from sowing to outdoor planting.

UGA: germinate best at about 75 °F in a porous sterile mix. Germination in 7 to 10 days. Transplant as soon as they can be handled, then light fertilizer. Many bedding geraniums in shops are seed-grown. Cutting-grown types keep flower color, scent, and zonal pattern.

UGA’s 7 to 10 days and UMN’s 1 to 3 weeks are not one figure.

Wisconsin Hort mentions plants started from seed the previous winter. That is not a sowing recipe.

Overwintering the plant

Illinois, Wisconsin, UMN, and UGA also keep the same plant through winter, before frost.

As a houseplant: Illinois digs or moves the pot, prunes by one-third to one-half, bright window or lights, about 65 °F by day. Wisconsin: same prune, 60 to 65 °F, away from heat vents. UMN: prune to about two-thirds, 60 to 65 °F, south window or lights. UGA: cut the top to not more than 6 inches, sunny window, soil kept moist. Those prune fractions and temperatures are not one recipe.

Bare-root: Illinois shakes the soil, paper bag, 45 to 50 °F dry, March cut to firm green tissue, then pot. Wisconsin: hang upside down or an open paper bag, 45 to 55 °F; some gardeners soak roots a few times (they treat that as an experiment). Cut back in March to about one-third or to live green. UGA: hang in a cool, moist basement that does not freeze; soak roots now and then; in spring remove one-half to three-quarters of the top. UMN: hang, soak several times, about 45 to 50 °F; pot in early spring. UMN and Wisconsin both say bare-root can fail, and to take cuttings as backup.

UMN also stores a dormant pot in the dark at about 45 to 50 °F, water about once a month, then a sunny window in early spring.

Common mistakes

Averaging Iowa’s 3 to 4 inches and 6 to 8 weeks with UNL’s 6 inches and 3 to 4 weeks, or with UMN’s 2 to 3 inches.
Averaging UGA’s 7 to 10 day germination with UMN’s 1 to 3 weeks.
Treating wild geranium or cranesbill as this page.
A wet leaf on the mix. Missouri wants dry foliage. UNL: leaves on the medium rot.
Turning scented Pelargonium into an herb page. It stays here.

Keep reading

UMN Extension - Growing geraniums (reviewed 2026)

Growing geraniums as annual flowers in Minnesota

: genus Pelargonium; started from seed or stem cuttings. Cuttings any time of year; 2 to 3 inches of terminal stem; node in the mix; peat moss, sand, or perlite; north or east window or lights; generally 3 to 4 weeks; partly open bag optional (mildew risk). Seed: mid-January; barely cover; clear cover, bright indirect light, 75 °F; germination 1 to 3 weeks; then lights, days in the 70s °F, nights no lower than 60 °F, 16 to 20 hours, 3 to 4 inches above plants; half-strength liquid fertilizer; 4-inch pots at three sets of leaves; about 3 to 4 months to outdoor planting. Houseplant: prune to about two-thirds, 60 to 65 °F, south window or lights. Bare-root: hang, soak several times, about 45 to 50 °F; pot early spring; can fail — take cuttings as backup. Dormant pot in the dark at about 45 to 50 °F, water about once a month, then sunny window in early spring. Reviewed in 2026.

UGA CAES - Geraniums B790 (June 2023)

Geraniums (Bulletin 790)

: plants sold as geraniums are Pelargonium; zonal (P. × hortorum), ivy-leaved (P. peltatum), Martha Washington / Lady Washington (P. × domesticum), and scented types named. Stem cuttings 3 to 4 inches, lower leaves off, about 1 inch deep in coarse sand or another aerated mix; usually 3 to 4 weeks; indirect light; do not let cuttings dry. Seed: germinate best at about 75 °F in a porous sterile mix; germination in 7 to 10 days; transplant when they can be handled, then light fertilizer; many bedding plants in shops are seed-grown; cutting-grown types keep flower color, scent, and zonal pattern. Overwinter: cuttings; bare-root hang in a cool moist basement that does not freeze, soak roots now and then, in spring remove one-half to three-quarters of the top; potted plants cut to not more than 6 inches, sunny window, soil kept moist. Published with full review June 23, 2023.

How to propagate geranium