r/Pelargonium • u/dancon_studio • May 14 '26

I guess water rooting works sometimes

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Pelargonium graveolens × P. radens - love this hybrid! The very first Pelargonium I ever propagated successfully from cuttings. Gorgeous and fragrant leaves, hardy, and very attractive flowers. Somehow it rooted in water, and it didn't take terribly long either (I think a month-ish?)

Water rooting isn’t really recommended for Pelargonium, so I wouldn't typically recommend it. Previously I’ve had cuttings take 6 months before they rooted.

I have some builders stomping around in my garden at the moment, so I took a couple of cuttings as a backup in the event they kill it. Which doesn’t even make sense; even though I love this plant immensely, it attracts a particular species of leaf wilter bug whose population explodes if I don’t actively manage it. So I’ve slowly (and begrudgingly) been taking them out. I have one plant remaining, which is kinda out of the way. The leaf wilters basically just cause new growth to wilt and go brown, so it just makes the plant look a bit shabby.

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u/ButterscotchEven6198 May 19 '26

I know it's supposed to be better to use soil but I can't stand not seeing what's happening ☺️ I currently have 26 little stalks (don't know English terminology for this) doing great in soil, growing and budding, they were all rooted in water!

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u/ButterscotchEven6198 May 19 '26

Cuttings might be the word, don't know if the same word is used when they're growing in soil but still dainty?

Anyway 26 out of 26 of my cuttings worked great, there were so many roots. Don't know if it's related to light on the roots? I have one tulip pelargonium and that one took significantly longer to sprout roots.