I am going to give this a try spring, thank you so much. That doesn't sound like any trouble at all to try.
One more thing, is it to late for me to cut the back and try to root the cuttings? Or would I have to keep them in a growing environment to get them to root this late in the season?

I keep mine in a growing area. I think cuttings need to be active so they would need warmth. Geraniums stop growing in the cool temp.

This spring I took my seed geraniums out of the greenhouse and put under a plastic make shift harding-off area and they just stopped with the cool spring temps. we had. I should have held in greenhouse but was pressed or room.

Love seeing your pelargoniums! I have only one of them..at first I planted it where it gets much sun, and I notice it sends out flowers faster, and it bears the tri-colored leafy pattern. But the growth of the plants seems slow, maybe because I have not moved it to a larger pot. This summer while I was away, my hubby moved them to a bigger container and put it in shade. The plant grew noticeably bigger, but it is not sending out flowers that much and the tricolored leaf pattern is now just the cream on the side and green pattern in the middle. It looks healthier, but I miss its flowers, unless the flowers really just come out better during spring and summer.

This photo taken on June 1, 2010


I really love seeing the very red flowers


Here she is Sept 2011

Okay spring, I won't try the cuttings this year, but maybe if they make it through this coming winter, I will try the cuttings once they have grown enough to prune back.
I'm not patient enough to start from seed.

Tarev, beautiful leaf colors and bloom.
Spring will help us understand the best way to get the most out of our geraniums.

Pelargonium cuttings are very easy, like coleus. If you can bring them into the house, in warmth, and use a humidity dome, they root immediately. I kept them under lights inside and they bloomed all winter.


As they bloomed I rotated them into a basket with pots of coleus and I had fresh blooming flowers all winter.


Very easy! I didn't keep any this year. I should have.

Karen

I am just not that good at taking care of indoor plants. Other than bringing in the frost tender succulents that will take care of themselves over the winter.

They require little care. They need to be kept dry so even watering isn't very frequent. They tolerate prolonged drought well. It doesn't get easier then pelargoniums.

Karen

Hmm..now I feel motivated to get some cuttings out of my pelargonium....could really find a use for those starbucks coffee cups with its dome covers to create humidity

There are lots of ways to do this but this is what i do.
Clean your cutting tools, this is surgery so clean is in!!
Leave cuttings for 12 or more hours so they callus over
Dip in root tone
Place in damp planting soil. Good drainage is key
only water when very dry and just to make soil damp
they are slow. Take more than you want because some will fail.
I don't cover mine but they are in the greenhouse and the humidity in there is high.
Trarv, that is one gorgeous plant. Mine were in AM sun until like 12 but this is the northwest. Not that much sun and not strong like down south or in the east.
Have fun that is key and try different things. They need light also!

a friend told me to take cuttings of my seed geraniums and they will be stronger plants... not sure if it's true.. but mine usually don't bloom strong the first year either... 2nd year is always better

I forgot about the callousing- I did that for my geraniums too. I read online somewhere that it would help prevent rot so I did it. I wasn't as particular as springcolor in my technique though. I just cut off part of the stem, threw them in the garage for a day, then stuck them in dirt under a dome and they grew. I guess it's better to be lucky than good.

My tender plants outside will be goners today for sure- it's 35° out there now. I still have fall clean-up to do. I had carpal tunnel surgery 10 days ago and am still "recovering". The surgeon still says no lifting, no overworking the hand, etc. Sheesh- the thing never even hurt. I'm going to have to get out there this weekend and make some progress, even if I have to do it left handed.

Karen

Karen be careful you sure don't want to mess with the DR's work.
In the 50's here but raining. Need to get out and plant a few guys that jumped in my car the other day.

Lynn
I have been thinking about the 2nd year theory. Mine don't bloom until the 4th of July. I start them New Years Day, feed them bloom plant food, stress them with little water. They might be a plant that needs longer days to bloom well. What do you think about that idea?

Any of you grow the Regal or Martha Washington? I have not grown those for 20 years but pre-orered some when visiting Jordan Nursery. This guy's hobby has gone wild. He has hundereds of Fuschia (hardy and non-hardy) and geraniums. Went to a bloom festival there back in September. He had all the blooms in a cup of water on about 30 tables. Fantastic!

I really think geraniums need warmth and longer days to bloom. I grew up in S. CA and they grew like weeks and got huge.
Here is one in my cousins back yard that was a 3 yr old Martha Washington.
Have to give you a link, can't find the photo on my hard drive right now. : (
Regal Geranium (Pelargonium x domesticum)

WOW! thats a monster.

They can get really huge when they can stay planted in the ground. It was more like a shrub. Sighhhh.
I still have the memory of the scent of geraniums everywhere when I was growing up. One of my very favorite scents.

oh wow... too pretty.. need to move where it's warmer!!!

Wouldn't it be awesome to grow geraniums that way.

and the black & blue salvia!!!

The black and blue salvia. Love that. Last year I left that out thinking it would be hardy. No. This year its in side. I just love blue/purple to make a contrast with other colors. For me there is just nothing else like it.
Tarev, like to trade in the spring for one of you beauties posted above. I should have some you might be interested in.

It's our rainy season that does the Black and Blue salvia in. The roots rot. I had one that came back for several years, but it was up under the eaves of the house and got very little moisture in the winter. It was killed off the summer we painted the house. I loved that plant. Sighhhhh.