Many geraniums are simply thrown away after the end of the flowering period. A mistake, actually, because with the right method the flowers get through the winter quite well. Geraniums overwinter in newspaper - so the perennials survive the resting phase even without soil!
Geraniums overwinter in newspaper: When is the right time?
Geraniums are among the flowering plants in the garden. They require hardly any care, tolerate short dry periods without any problems and bloom tirelessly throughout the garden. But the autumn season presents a big challenge for the flowers. Because the exotic from South Africa cannot tolerate frost at all. When temperatures drop below 5° Celsius, the plants stop growing. They cannot survive even a frosty night and will die.
The end of September and beginning of October is therefore the best time to cut the geraniums and bring them into their winter quarters. Even if the temperatures are still high - in autumn the weather is changeable and can still surprise you.
Of course you canOverwinter geraniums in pots. If there is a lack of space in the apartment or for garden plants that would require too much effort to repot, the alternative is to overwinter the pelargoniums without soil. This is best done in newspaper. We explain the correct process.
Step 1: Cut back the geraniums
First, the geraniums in the bed or pot are cut back. This pruning is done on a sunny, warm day. Proceed as follows:
1. Remove dead flowers.
2. Remove all diseased or yellow plant shoots and shorten the plant to a third.
3. Cut off a third of the leaves.
4. Leave the plants alone for a few days to allow them to recover from pruning.
Some American gardening experts recommend not cutting back geraniums. The leaves and shoots will die and dry out. In this case, the plants are cut back in spring.
Step 2. Dig up the geraniums
Dig up the geraniums very carefully. Be careful not to damage the fine roots - otherwise the plant will not be able to absorb water and nutrients properly. Geraniums recover very slowly from cuts and the affected roots are likely to die. To avoid this, dig up the roots and the soil and then carefully loosen the roots from the soil.
Step 3. The geraniums overwinter in newspaper
First leave the geraniums at room temperature for 2-3 hours and then wrap the plants in pairs with newspaper. Then place them in an empty wine box and place it in a dark and unheated room. The room temperature should not fall below 5° Celsius and must not exceed 10° Celsius.
The flowers need a cool place to winterandbe stored in a dry place. Refrigerators and cellars are not suitable - the high humidity can lead to mold formation. Most of the time the leaves will become moldy and the entire plant may die.
The roots must not be wet under any circumstances, but they must not dry out either. To prevent this, spray the roots with plenty of water once a week.
Step 4: Give it a nourishing cut in March
A caring cut is then carried out in March. If you have overwintered the plants and their foliage, you will have to cut them back heavily.
However, if you have already shortened the plants in autumn, simply cut off all dried parts of the plant.
Step 5: Winterize the flowers again
After cutting, the geraniums are first planted in a flower pot and placed on a sunny windowsill in the heated living room or in the winter garden at the end of March. Geraniums that were cut and repotted at the beginning of spring can be placed in the bed after the Ice Saints. Balcony plants can be left outside during the day from mid-April as long as the location is sunny.
Propagate geraniums before overwintering
Before overwintering in autumn is also the right time to propagate your favorite flowers. Proceed as follows:
1. Cut about 10 cm from a healthy new shoot before cutting.
2. Dip the shoot interface in rooting hormone.
3. Fill geranium soil into the cultivation pot and add perlite. Alternatively, you can take potting soil and mix it with natural clay and perlite.
4. Insert the cuttings into the soil with the interface facing down.
5. Water the cuttings thoroughly; the substrate should become really moist.
6. Discard the excess water from the saucer and cover the nursery pots with plastic bags.
7. Place the cuttings as brightly and sunny as possible. They need six to eight weeks to root. Then you can place the young plants on a sunny windowsill. They do not need to be overwintered.
Also read:Lantana overwinter in the garage or in the apartment: How you should care for your plant in winter!
