It’s better to plant flowers than curse the weather

Yes, there is still a smidgeon of winter left. As the saying goes, it’s better to light a candle than curse the darkness, don’t you think? To put in another way, it’s better to plant flowers than curse the weather.

Plant flowers? Didn’t I just say that the ground is frozen?

As evidenced by studies, simply gathering flowers around you (in the form of store-bought bouquets, forced hyacinth bulbs or Christmas cactus) can lift your or someone else’s spirits out of a funk or simply energize you.

Another way to bring flowers into your life is to grow new plants from cuttings snipped from existing plants. There are several benefits to this method. First, it’s a convenient way to increase your plant stock for free and in a relatively short time.

Besides, rooted cuttings are often sturdier than seedlings. Plus, the head start usually gives them a leg up and thus, they mature more quickly. Taking it one step further: They often yield flowers and fruits much earlier than seedlings.

One of my favorite plants to use for flower cuttings is the window box geranium. Not to be confused with the wild geranium, or cransebill, that graces our open hillsides from late spring to fall with their lavender blooms. I’m referring to the stout, thick-leafed plants that adorn pots and hanging baskets by summer with long-blooming flowers. Yes, the very plants that do double-time come winter, perched on indoor windowsills.

By snipping a few cuttings from a mother plant, you’ll be rewarded with cheerful displays of pink, white, orange or red flowers. And a single plant can give you plenty of cuttings without jeopardizing the mother plant’s health.

Before you grab a pair of shears, some preparations are in order because not all window-box geraniums come through this kind of bootcamp looking spry and healthy. But if know of a vibrant mother plant, then proceed with full confidence.

PREPARE THE CUTTINGS

You want to look for newer, greenish growth rather than old, woody stems. The stem should have a node on it. How do you recognize nodes? They are the joints where leaves appear or new branches form.

Use shears, sharp scissors, or a razor blade to slice just below a node. The cutting doesn’t need to be long. A single node with a couple of leaves is fine.

Make a clean cut through the middle of the node. Remove all but 1 or 2 leaves. Cuttings should sit for a day or two to form a callus at the bottom end.

WATER OR SOIL?

Geraniums will form roots in water or a rooting medium such as vermiculite or a combination of peat moss and sand (or perlite). Don’t bother with plant food at this point.

Fill a plant pot or container with dampened rooting medium. Using a pencil (see last week’s column for the magic of pencils), poke holes in the rooting medium and slip the cuttings into the holes.

To root cuttings in water, just know that water-grown roots can be a bit fragile. So be extra careful while transplanting them later into soil.

Jaime Rodriguez, who manages The Alpine Garden Nursery in Palmer has developed his own technique. “I use perlite and high humidity. I also use any number of rooting hormone products, such as Hormex, Olivia’s Cloning Gel, or homemade willow water.”

REGULAR MISTING AND WATERING

Mist the tops and water the medium regularly. Above all, ensure good drainage. Jaime recommends, “It’s good to cover cuttings with a dome or plastic.”

Place the container of cuttings in a warm spot but not in full sun. I repeat: Not in direct sunlight. Check your cuttings often. Watch for too much moisture in the bag. Remove any suspect cuttings as soon as you spot any dark gray spots, indicating rot. And when new growth appears, remove any covers.

After 4 to 5 weeks, check for roots by pulling gently on the cuttings. If your tug is met with resistance, it’s likely they’ve developed roots. Give them a little more time before transplanting them into containers filled with potting soil.

If your cuttings are sprouting in water, it’s easy to spot any stems that show signs of rot.What plants make good cuttings?

Once you’ve got the cuttings bug, it’s hard to control yourself. You’ll size up every plant for its potential of spawning dozens of free plants. Here is a list of plants the yield nice cuttings: Sage, thyme, comfrey, African violets, begonia, Fuchsia. Many sources say that you can propagate roses from cuttings, but to date I’ve not had much luck. I’m open to suggestions.

GARDEN CALENDAR

Seeds to start (8 to 12) weeks before planting outside):

Onion (bulb) and green onions, tomatoes (for greenhouse growing), thyme, chamomile (German), feverfew, valerian, catnip, snapdragons, alyssum, petunia, sage, daisy, calendula.

Check out my new YouTube channel called, It’s Never Too Late at www.youtube.com/ItsNeverTooLate. Remember if you have a garden question, speak up! mygarden@alaska.net.