Can you save geraniums over the winter

Do they still need light? I have a shed which does have a window but it is in a very shady spot with no direct sunlight so is quite dark — would the shed window ledge be suitable?

Thanks for your help Simon. The foliage can remain on the plant too and the light level in the shed should be adequate as the plants will be dormant anyway. I hope the above helps you out. Please let me know if you need anything else. Hello, here in middle Germany have two large Terraces to property, protected by upstairs balcony, have previously, successfully wintered other pot-plants there, well wrapped up.

First time with Geraniums Could my Geraniums still flowering survive this way once cut back and well wrapped? Have no Garden shed, our cellar too small and the underground garage is forbidden to store anything except vehicles! Hi Karen, If you wrap them all up, protect the tops and put them all together is as much shetler as possible then they should survive.

I hope it all works for you! Hi Unfortunately I left my geraniums in the ground whilst I was on holiday. Can I do anything to save them, will the roots be ok?? Hello, I was wondering if you could help me. I am very much a begininer gardener and want to save my plants — two of which are pelargoniums.

I have bought a plastic greenhouse and have placed them in there with other plants. I have put polystyrene on the paving under the plants. I know this may sound stupid but do I have to wrap them in bubble wrap as well and should I open the door of the greenhouse in the daytime for extra light?

I have nowhere in the home these can be placed. Hi Nichola. The polystyrene will certainly help with insulation. If you wrap each plant pot in bubble wrap, or horticultural fleece, it will also provide an extra layer of insulation, which always helps in the dead of winter!

Thanks so much for this. I will wrap them up to be sure. As there are other plants in there as well I am going to open it up in daylight hours now and again when sunny and try and avoid the fungi and mildew also new to me. Trust me with the plants Google has become my gardening partner — finding this lovely blog for example.

Thank you again. Best wishes Nikki. A couple of the bigger ones went into and the conservatory and continued to flower over the winter. So I just bought a mini-greenhouse. A hardwood version with slatted shelves and polycarbonate glazing with vented windows in the top. What are your thoughts? They have been repotted into small pots and are doing well. I have a small plastic greenhous, a garden shed and a cold frame which is susceptible to slugs!!.

How can I overwinter so many plants successfully? Will they need any water I live in rural Shropshire. Ive taken my geraniums out of the garden and put them into pots. I only have storage in the garage which has very little light.

Will they survive the winter. Also the plants are very bushy, so should I cut them down and if so ,how much. On warmer days prop the shed door open to allow some air circulation too, this will help prevent rot. Cheers Graham. I can make a start now before its too late and the frosts start. Hi, can I just put the whole pot, I have about 10 of them, in the garage over winter?

It will be frost free in there but no light. Or be better to leave them outside but covered with many layers of the fleece stuff from garden centres? I live in Chessington area. If you could prop the garage door open during the day to allow light and air in then they would be fine. Thanks Graham. Hi Graham, I have quite a few potted pelargoniums and usually leave them in the garden over winter and most years they survive quite well. Do you think this is a good idea? Hi Graham, when do you repot them up after being wrapped in newspaper over winter and do you give any water at any time?

Hi Topsy They can be repotted in spring, when they will be wanting to start to grow again, When the are wrapped, the compost should be barely damp, which should be enough to keep them going while they are dormant. Wetting them too much will cause mould and rot to set in! Hi again Graham, so when the Pelargoniums are in the shed for the winter, do I need to keep them moist regularly? Usually my geraniums do survive the winter outside, maybe because I live in central London.

To re use the pots could I just wrap them up and store them on the roof of my shed? My geraniums are still in flower. Is it ok to put them in my conservatory, they r in large pots and r too big to put on window sills.? Do I have to cut them back? I was thinking of putting them on the floor on newspaper! Hi Jane, they will be fine like that, if they continue to flower due to the good temperature in the conservatory, keep them fed, otherwise they will become exhausted!

When you say cut back for geraniums…to what approx. Hi Carol, It really depends on the plant, younger plants tend to be cut back quite low — say 3 inches but larger plants can be 8 — 10 inches. I have been growing my 20 geraniums in pots outdoors and have now cut them back and will put them in a garage for the winter. How can I get rid of any bugs etc. Hi Pat, other than repotting, and cleaning off the roots with water before transplanting, there is no sure-fire way of removing any bugs that might be in the soil.

Using an insecticide would probably prove ineffective. Is it possible to overwinter outside under some sort of transparent for light frost protecting cover or fleece? Thanks for your help. Hi Hazel, yes, it is possible, but only really in the event of light frosts, heavy snowfall of prolonged periods below zero will cause the plants to die off!

Great advice but I have a very old geranium which I bring in every year to over winter in my garden room. Shall I repot it, cut it back or what can I do?

I have never been able to take successful cuttings and I would hate to loose it. Thank you for reading my comment. I would definitely cut it back as geraniums will readily re-shoot further down the stem to give the plant a better shape.

Hi Graham Thanks for that!! Need some more advice!! If thats the case should buying more pots for the summer. No problem at all Iain! Hi Graham, Have cleared out most of my summer plants ie Lobilia also geraniums. But am finding that the pots are very root bound will this effect the spring bulbs within. Helpful advice. However, I have a question. We are going to be moving the beginning of January landlords selling the house, so most likely we will be in temporary accommodation until we can find somewhere else.

However, she has no room indoors to look after my geraniums, nor my solanum. I wondered if it is possible to keep these plans outdoors in pots by protecting them with fleece, bubble wrap or some other way…especially if the weather does not get too cold we live in the Bristol area. Hi Jean, if you can put the plants somewhere as sheltered as possible, place them in a group and use bubble wrap around he pots to protect the roots and a generous amount of fleece around the tops then they have a very strong chance of surviving.

Other than that, they should be fine! Best of Luck Graham. Thank you very much for your quick reply. I will try this. Hi all. I tried different ways to overwinter my geraniums last winter and found the best results to be the easiest. When You take in the geraniums shake off all soil from the roots, soak the roots in a bucket for an hour and then hang upside down in a cool place i. Roughly wkly soak the roots again and hang up again. Then in February plant up in compost and I had the best display ever and no rot or disease.

Is that normal because I thought frost killed them?? I would like to leave in my garden rather than have to mess about lifting them!! Hi Bob, it is fairly unusual, frost would normally kill off zonal geraniums as they are considered tender. Are your gardens particularly sheltered, or do you have a micro-climate that means better winter temperatures? Alternatively, does your neighbour protect the plants whilst still in the ground with fleece, a cloche or a dry mulch of any sort?

Many thanks Graham. Hi Graham Thanks for your reply. My neighbour does not cover his geraniums but they are in a border that is close to his house. He has a great display the following year after being left in the soil. Hi Bob, I wonder if your neighbour has Hardy Geraniums in his garden not tender Pelargoniums commonly called Geraniums. Hi Jan will hardy geraniums survive the winter outside?? Thank you.

Hi Paddy, we have another blog all about taking geranium vuttings right here! Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Whatever the reason, it doesn't hurt and might help to store them this way. It's time to pot your geraniums 6 to 8 weeks before the last average frost date in your area.

Pull the geraniums out of the bag or box it's been sitting in for the past few months and tidy up the plants — snip off any extra-long roots, and cut the stems back to healthy green growth, as you see in the inset. This one was only about 4 in.

Then fill a container with premoistened potting mix and tuck the stem deep enough that two leaf nodes are below the mix — that's where new roots will emerge. After potting up your geraniums, you should see new growth in 7 to 14 days. The real key to making this work is to water cautiously, only when the soil dries out about an inch down.

Pelargoniums can handle this because of their thick, succulent roots, which survive so long as they do not dry out or become diseased. Yes, it does not matter where you are, it matters what conditions you can provide during the colder seasons. As long as the plants do not freeze, they can survive the winter. You can keep them as houseplants, propagate cuttings, or store the entire plant or just the bare roots, in a dry, cool location.

True geraniums genus geranium like cranesbill are hardy perennials. Yes, you can take cuttings any time in the growing season and root them for new plants.

Geranium Genus: Pelargonium The Geraniaceae family of plants includes Geranium species , Pelargonium species and Erodium 80 species. How do I winterize my geraniums indoors? Can geraniums survive a freeze? Can I grow geraniums Pelargoniums from cuttings? Vintage Harvest Essentials for Gardeners. Place in a sunny window and water as needed. Pinch shoot tips back to force branching and prevent spindly growth.

New plants produced from cuttings should be vigorous and about the same size as most geraniums sold in spring. Dormant Storage Geraniums are unusual and unlike many annual flowers, they have the ability to survive for most of the winter without soil. If properly stored, they can resist extended dry periods due to their thick, succulent-like stems.

To overwinter geraniums in dormant storage, dig up the entire plant before frost and gently shake the soil from the roots. Place the plants inside open paper bags or hang them upside-down from the rafters in a cool, dark location for the winter.

Ideally the temperature should be between F. Two or three times during the winter, take the plants out the bags or down from the rafters and soak the roots in water for 1 or 2 hours. At this time, inspect the stems. While many of the leaves will die and fall off, the stems should remain firm and solid. Discard any geraniums with shriveled stems, since those plants will most likely die. Pot up healthy dormant geraniums in containers in late March or early April.