They can hardly be found in any garden. No wonder, because the geraniums are easy to care for and impress with their blooming ability, which lasts throughout the season. But when this is over, they often end up in the trash. Why actually, when you can easily overwinter them? Do you have to cut the geraniums before they go into winter quarters?
Yes, preparing for winter also includes pruning. But don't worry, it's easier than you might imagine and only takes a few minutes.
Anyone who has ever tried to overwinter the flowers without pruning will have noticed that not many of them survive in the end. This is also one of the reasons why most people rule out overwintering and instead prefer to buy new flowers next season. Why bother?
Well, actually all you need to do is prune and the geraniums will survive the winter without any problems. So there can't be a lot of effort involved. And yet it's worth it. Because:
- This measure will make the plants bloom even more luxuriantly and beautifully.
- Furthermore, too many plant parts also mean that the flower is deprived of an unnecessary amount of moisture during the winter. It is therefore better to keep the plant smaller overall so that it can use remaining moisture and nutrients better and for longer.
- Remaining leaves, flowers, etc. increase the risk of rot, causing the plants to become sick.
- More plant parts also mean an increased risk of pest infestation.
Do you overwinter in a pot or not?
Whether you take the plants out of their pots and boxes or simply leave them there doesn't really matter. In both cases, overwintering should go smoothly. In the end, it just depends on how much space you have available. For example, if you have a large basement, you may have enough space to place all of the planters.
However, it isBalcony plants for an apartment, the whole thing looks different. Then, fortunately, you can store them without a pot or soil. We will now explain how exactly.
How do you prune geraniums to get them through the cold season?
The best time to prune before winter is the end of October.
Although it's a really simple task, many people don't really dare to do it because the cut is quite radical, with only the thick stems left in the end.
- If you overwinter the geraniums in pots, you can prune them as they are.
- If you prefer to overwinter the individual flower stems instead, first take the plants out of their containers.
Cut geraniums correctly:
- Hopefully you have removed dried parts of the plant regularly over the course of the season, as this promotes new flower formation. If there are any left, do so now and cut them off.
- In the same way, you also remove all parts of the plant that are still fresh. Yes, all green leaves and yes, all flowers too!
- Side shoots and flower stems can usually be removed simply by breaking them out, even without scissors.
Only the main shoots, i.e. bare canes, should remain. But here too you use the scissors again.You have two options:
- It is recommended that these canes be shortened by a full two-thirds. It may be difficult to overcome, but these plants are actually so tolerant of pruning that it will do them anything but harm. In addition, they will sprout even more luxuriantly in the spring.
- Discard damaged shoots. This also applies to those that are rotten or if you find them hollow when cutting. They are completely useless and will never recover.
But:
- It is often necessary to cut geraniums again after overwintering. For this reason, many people avoid this vigorous shortening of the main shoots. You can therefore also remove less, e.g. B. between a third and half.
- The final length should ideally and if possible not be less than 17 cm, but not necessarily more than 20 (if you have chosen to cut back by a full two thirds, then 12 to 15 cm remain).
- Make sure to leave enough leaf eyes on the shoot from which the flower can sprout again later. 2 to 3 are optimal.
Cut geraniums and overwinter the loose shoots properly
If the plants remain in the pot or flower box, leave them as they are after cutting. In spring you just fill up with some fresh soil.
However, once you have taken them out of their pots, you should:
- Wrap the geranium shoots in newspaper.
- Store them cool in a cellar or refrigerator.
- Keep the roots moist by watering them every now and then.
- Do not moisten the shoots themselves to avoid rot.
- The wrapped plants stay in storage until February and can then be planted straight away.
What else you can do in Februaryfind out here.
