READER’S QUESTION

WHEN and how should I take cuttings from my pelargonium?

Mrs. B. Jackson, Cumbria. tAKe cuttings between June and October from outside plants.

they should be young shoots, roughly 8cm long with plump stems and a terminal bud. Before you remove a shoot, ensure the plant is free of disease

or pests. First, fill a small flowerpot with potting compost. then remove a shoot from the donor plant, making a clean cut across the stem.

Remove the lowest leaf or two and gently push the stem into the compost. Leave the pot on a well-lit windowsill and keep it moist but not over-watered.

Roots will develop in a few weeks. You’ll know they have developed when the plant begins to grow.