Over Wintering Annual Geraniums

[Nyboy]

I have 22 cement planters along my driveway that I planted with geraniums. Most did great, but at 3 plants per planter was $$$$. A fedex guy told me years ago his grandfather would over winter them by hanging them up in basement ceiling. Does anyone know how to do this?

 

[lesa]

My Mom used to try that... if it were me, I would cut them back and keep them in a cool, place with very little water. When it is spring time get them in a cold frame or a sunny window. Don't be tempted not to cut them back- they will get very leggy and unruly fast. Good luck!

 

[ducks4you]

I had 13 annual geraniums in my upstairs windows last winter. IF you pot any for the winter, dig out, shake the dirt off of the roots, and fit the pot to the roots. Many people also prune them back. They are VERY HARDY, just not frost tolerant. They also like it on the dry side. If you underwater, the leaves just turn brown and fall off. If you over water, they turn yellow, but the plant doesn't die. I have some that I have moved outside to inside to outside 3 seasons, now.

 

[so lucky]

I think I remember my mom hanging them up bare root, too. I have kept them several years by cutting back in the fall and keeping indoors, dry and cool in the pot they grow in. If I had as many as you, I think I would try several different methods, and see what works best for your conditions.

 

[thistlebloom]

I do this every year for a customer. We lift them from the ground or container, prune off any diseased leaves, shake the dirt off the roots and store them in large sturdy boxes she has collected. The boxes are left open for air. They are stored in her heated, but cool garage. Around February, I take them from the boxes, soak the roots in water for 20 minutes or so, drain well and put back in the boxes. In late April they get potted up with fresh soil and live in the garage until end of May, coming out for some sunshine on nice days. After the frost danger is past, I plant them back in the beds, or into decorative containers.

 

[so lucky]

Fantastic instructions to this! Thanks, thistlebloom!

 

[Nyboy]

Thistlebloom thank you, when do you lift from ground?

 

[897tgigvib]

Yep, the way thistle says should work.

But there is a different way we did it in barely zone 4 Dillon Montana, where in winter the air is not just cold but also very dry. At the nursery we had a greenhouse really built deluxe, and a few customers would bring their tender outdoor potted plants to us to "babysit" for the winter. Roses and Geraniums mostly.

For the Geraniums, we'd cut them way back to just a few inches above the ground. (I'd use some of those trimmings to propagate the more beautiful ones.) Once cut back, I'd put them on the bottom plant shelves in the greenhouse. In winter water is used very sparingly in the greenhouse. The temperatures in the greenhouse in winter are around 40 degrees at night and around 60 in the day. I'd just make sure the soil in the Geraniums' pots did not get bone dry.

Around early January plants are moved around, and the Geraniums were put onto the middle shelf in the middle row where they'd get some light. Amazingly, they would often be growing vigorously already. I'd just cut back any pale growth, clean the soil surface. Sure is cool how Geraniums create their own compost! Aromatic compost. I'd scratch off an inch or 3 of the soil, including some roots and not worrying about it, and replace it with "the good stuff" potting soil that I'd added bone meal to.

After another month or so, the Geraniums were again lightly and neatly trimmed back and put back down to the bottom shelves. We needed the higher shelves for new seedlings and propagated things that "took". Vegetables, annuals, and perennial seedlings. Oh, and the Crab Apple yearlings from seed.

Oh, the Geraniums started the year in the Greenhouse! From their care I might go on about the whole year in there!

Around mid May the folks'd come and get their plants. As all plants in the Greenhouse, watering slowly increases as the day length increases. Space in the greenhouse got to be a premium, and around April cleanup, the Geraniums'd be put onto the ramp to near the door, and would be growing like crazy. The Ivy types would get pinched and trained to gracefully drape. The so called annual varieties'd be pinched to be compact little bushes.

We also had quite a collection of scented Geraniums. Everyone always wanted one!

I kind of think Thistle's method is better and easier, and takes less premium space. Hers is definitely better if the winter is not all as long as barely zone 4's winters.

 

[vfem]

Oh this is so great to know!

 

[journey11]

I am glad so to see this... I saved 3 pink geraniums from last summer and took them into my sunroom and babied them all winter long. They have bloomed a lot this summer, but never really looked as lush and happy as before. Now I know better what to do and it's less work too! Houseplants and I don't get along too well, since we heat with wood. The sunroom is unheated and if I forget to leave the door into the house open a crack, they freeze!