The common bedding geranium of window boxes (properly Pelargonium x hortorum) is readily propagated from cuttings. With a sharp knife or razor blade, take 3- to 4-inch-long cuttings of terminal growth. Make an angled cut just below a node - the point where the leaf joins the stem. Remove the lowest leaf or two.

Next, dip the cut end into rooting hormone (0.1 percent IBA; available as Hormodin #1, Hormex #1, or Hormo-Root A). Fill a small pot with equal parts of peat moss and perlite and use a pencil to poke a hole in the medium before inserting the cutting. This prevents the rooting powder from being scraped off. When you have stuck all the cuttings, water them well and place the pots in a plastic bag secured at the top with a twist-tie. Set the pots in a location receiving bright, indirect sunlight. Rooting should occur in two to three weeks.

When the cuttings have rooted, remove the pots from the bag and move into direct sunlight in a cool room between 55 and 65 degrees F. You will end up with bushier, more floriferous geraniums if you pinch each of these young plants back at least once.