The plant family Geraniaceae includes Geraniums (430 species), Pelargonium (280 species) and Erodium (80 species). There are several ways to store these tender perennials from your garden during the cold months. Using newspaper, a cardboard box, a paper bag, or a sunny windowsill, you can overwinter geraniums and have fresh blooms next spring. In this article we will introduce you to some options and give you tips for winter care.
Methods for overwintering geraniums
Method 1: Bring it into the house as a houseplant
If you have space for the pots in a sunny location, you can bring your geraniums indoors over the winter. Although they need sun, they thrive best in moderate temperatures of 12°-18°C. West-facing windows, which are slightly drafty so the air around them is slightly cooler, are particularly suitable for this.
Overwintering geraniums in pots – digging and transplanting:Some preparation is required to ensure they are happy, healthy and insect-free.
- If your geraniums are in the ground, you should dig them up and repot them about six weeks before the first frost.
- If they are already in pots, you can repot them if you wish, but first cut them back heavily and check for pests.
- When repotting, cut back any overly long roots or gnarled root balls.
- Use a potting mix that is suitable for flowering plants in pots.
Label by color:
- Sort your geraniums by color and label them if you want to keep track.
You can also find more useful tips in our articleGeraniums overwinter without soil: in newspaper
You should also consider these factors
Cut back geraniums:
- It is generally recommended to cut back the entire plant by a third to a half.
- You should also remove any dead, damaged, moldy, unhealthy or diseased parts.
- While this hard pruning is best in the long term, you can try to keep any buds or flowers if the plant is otherwise beautiful and healthy.
Insect inspection:
- Look for aphids, spider mites, fungus gnats and other sneaky beasts.
- Apply an insecticide spray specifically designed for moving plants indoors.
Bring into the house:
- Water moderately and place your plants in a sunny but not too hot location.
Winter and spring care:
- Keep them moist, not dry or wet.
- A humidity of 50% is optimal (without the risk of mold).
- Cut back the shoots.
- Fertilize lightly in spring.
- Begin hardening off (preparing plants for outdoor life) a few weeks before the last frost.
Also read:How to overwinter an orange tree? Follow these care tips!
Method 2: Rooting Geranium Cuttings in a Pot
Instead of bringing the whole plant indoors over the winter, you can also take cuttings. This is a good solution if space in the house is limited or you want to have more plants.
How to take cuttings:
- You want to get a stem about 4 to 6 inches long with two healthy leaves at the top.
- Choose a new stem that is green (not old and woody).
- Using a clean, sharp scalpel or very fine knife, cut just below a leaf node.
Method 3: Geraniums overwinter without soil, with bare roots
This is a popular method that has been practiced for generations. You need a garage, shed, cold or unheated basement where temperatures do not drop below freezing or rise above 7° Celsius. This method is called “bare root” storage because the plant is removed from the soil, trimmed and stored in a cool place. Geraniums can handle this because of their thick, succulent roots, which survive as long as they don't dry out or become diseased. How to proceed:
Dig up or repot:
- Gently shake off any loose soil.
- You can let the plant air dry for a few days and then shake off more soil.
Overwintering geraniums – storage: Whatever you do, you don't want the plants to get soggy or sit on moisture because they are susceptible to mold. However, you must always provide them with water and not let them dry out (otherwise they will die). There are several options:
- Hang the plants from ceiling hooks.
- Place them in paper bags and hang them on hooks or place them on a shelf.
- Wrap them in newspaper and place them on a shelf.
- Have geraniums placed in a cardboard box (box).
At what temperature can pelargoniums be allowed outside? You can do thatfind out here!
Follow these tips for pelargonium winter care
- Check on your plants every one to two weeks.
- The plants should remain firm and not look wilted or unhealthy.
- Remove any mold, black spots or dead matter.
- Soften thosePlants every monthin warm water for one to two hours.
- Allow them to dry before returning them to bags, newspaper or boxes.
Six weeks before the last frost – reviving dormant geraniums:
- Prune plants as necessary and remove excessively long roots.
- Pot the plant in moist potting soil and bury it two leaf nodes deep (these will form roots).
- Gradually bring the plant back into the light.
- New growth should appear in 1-2 weeks.
- Gradually move the plant outdoors (hardening off) to wait for the last frost.
Do you want to propagate geraniums? How to do thatfind out here!
