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Can you keep geraniums over the winter


Overwintering geraniums | UMN Extension

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Geraniums (Pelargonium) are favorite annual flowers in Minnesota. Easily grown in planting beds, pots, window boxes or hanging baskets, annual geraniums can also be overwintered.

If you have included geraniums in your garden this year, you might be considering bringing them indoors to save for next year’s garden. There are several options for accomplishing this. Geraniums can be overwintered indoors by taking cuttings, potting up individual plants or storing bare-root plants in a cool, dry location. Make sure to do one or all of these things before the first frost.

Take geranium cuttings

They should root in six to eight weeks. When the cuttings have good root systems, remove them from the rooting medium and plant each rooted cutting in its own pot. Place the potted plants in a sunny window or under artificial lighting until spring.

Overwinter geraniums as potted plants

Geraniums prefer daytime temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees F and slightly cooler nighttime temperatures. They are likely to become tall and lanky by late winter. Prune your potted geraniums in March, removing one-half to two-thirds of each plant. They will begin to grow again within a few days and should develop into attractive plants by May. 

Overwinter geraniums as bare-root plants

In March, remove all shriveled, dead material and prune back to firm, green, live stem tissue. After pruning, pot the plants and water thoroughly. Place the potted geraniums in a sunny window or under artificial lighting. Geraniums that are pruned and potted in March should develop into attractive plants that can be planted outdoors after the last frost.

Find out more about growing geraniums in Minnesota.

Author: Robin Trott, Extension educator, Douglas County

Related topics: Yard and Garden News Featured news

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How to Overwinter Geraniums | Garden Gate

By: Sherri Ribbey
Use these simple steps to overwinter your geraniums indoors so you can grow them again next year.

Save your geraniums for next year

Annual geraniums (Pelargonium hybrids) are amazing — they grow and bloom beautifully from spring to frost without a lot of fuss. Then you dig them up in fall, put them in a cardboard box or a paper bag to store over winter and these tough little plants will take off and grow again the following spring. Watch our video and read our article below to learn how to save your geraniums over winter so you can enjoy them year after year.

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Step 1. Dig up geraniums in fall

Be sure to dig up your annual geraniums in fall before a hard freeze and shake the soil from the roots — no need to wash the roots or remove every bit of soil. Set the plants in a shady spot and let them dry for a few days. This extra step will help avoid mold or mildew during storage.

Step 2. Store your geraniums over winter

Storing geraniums for winter is super easy — you just put them in a cardboard box or a paper bag and close the top. Here are some tips to improve their survival:

Traditionally, you store geraniums upside down in the bag. No one is quite sure why, but one theory is that it forces the moisture downward into the stems. Whatever the reason, it doesn't hurt and might help to store them this way.

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Step 3. Pot up overwintered geraniums in spring

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. long by the time it had been cleaned up. 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.

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Step 4.

Get geraniums growing

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. In 4 to 6 weeks, the plants should look like the one above and you can start to harden it off to transplant outside.

Published: Oct. 19, 2018
Updated: Sept. 15, 2022

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How to save geraniums for the winter until spring

Many flower growers grow geraniums on their windowsills. And in summer, these luxurious flowers can be seen on garden beds. It is not surprising, because this plant pleases with its beautiful flowering and delicate aroma for many months. Only by autumn the geranium begins to fade. During this period of time, the perennial needs care. Let's talk about how to save geraniums in winter so that next year it will again give us the beauty of its fragrant flowers.

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Proper winter care of geraniums at home prevents the bare stems from stretching out. It guarantees abundant flowering, active growth of lush, juicy greenery.

Contents of the article

Geranium is considered an unpretentious home flower. It takes root on the windowsill and flower bed, pleases flower growers with brightness, there are many other advantages. Breeders brought amazing varieties. They amaze with their diversity, fall in love, delight the eye and cheer up.

The importance of winter care for geraniums

Geranium is a flowering plant. Therefore, in the winter months, he begins a state of rest. It happens in December.

For three months, until March, the plant goes dormant and gains strength for the next growth. At this time, flowering often stops.

The flower uses almost no nutrients, it does not grow or develop. The grower needs to create optimal conditions for geraniums.

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Later, from March to August, the next period will begin when the plant starts growing. Then the conditions of detention will be completely different. Yes, and additional care is required.

How to save indoor geraniums in winter

First, let's talk about indoor geraniums, familiar to everyone since childhood. How to keep geraniums in the winter in an apartment? You need to think about the right light, watering and possible top dressing.

Air temperature

If the geranium stood on the sunny side in summer and everything was fine, then in the cold season the air temperature should be lowered.

It is optimal if the room where the geranium will overwinter will be from +10 to +15 degrees. The temperature may drop slightly, but not more than +6 degrees.

Otherwise, the flower may be lost. To do this, you can put pots of geraniums on a closed loggia, or move them to the north side if it is very cool there.

Light

Geranium loves good lighting. During the period of rest, her addictions do not change. Lighting should be sufficient and long (up to 12 hours a day).

If there is not enough light, it is recommended to use phytolamps. They are placed at a distance of at least 10 cm from the plant.

Watering

Reduce the watering of geraniums during the dormant period. In winter, on average, geraniums are watered no more than once a week. It is necessary to ensure that the earth is moistened evenly, otherwise water will stagnate and the roots will begin to rot.

To maximize the humidification of the air, you can place a container of water next to the geranium or turn on a stationary humidifier.

Pruning

How to prune indoor geraniums for the winter? This question worries many.

Autumn pruning of geraniums at home begins in September-October.

  1. Remove all peduncles, even if they still have flowers.
  2. All damaged and yellowed leaves must also be removed. This can be done with a sharp pruner, scissors, or simply pinch off.
  3. Geranium sprigs are cut in such a way that a beautifully flowering bush will form next year. Therefore, all elongated shoots are cut off, leaving branches. Cut cuttings can be easily rooted.

Top dressing

Geranium fertilization during dormancy is optional. Many flower growers believe that top dressing should be postponed until March.

If the flower does not look good, withers before our eyes, you can fertilize the soil with a fertilizer with a minimum nitrogen content. Once per rest period will be enough.

First water the plant, then fertilize. In order not to destroy the plant, it is worth avoiding the introduction of fresh manure and bird droppings.

Transplanting geraniums in autumn

Is it possible to transplant geraniums in autumn? Or should we wait until spring?

It is best to wait until the plant comes out of hibernation. Of course, this does not apply to emergencies if your pot has broken or the roots are already sticking out of the ground.

How to save garden geraniums in winter

Those who grow geraniums in the garden should take care to store them for the winter.

How to store garden geranium, care for which in autumn is slightly different from care for indoor flower, where to store it?

Care of garden geraniums in autumn, preparation for winter

Do not be afraid that the slightest drop in temperature in September will harm the plant. But the first frosts can destroy geraniums.

Approximately in October, care must be taken to transfer the pelargonium indoors from the open ground. To do this, you need to prune and transplant each bush.

How to prune geraniums for the winter?

Now let's talk about how to transplant geraniums in the fall.

How to store geraniums in a cellar or cellar in winter

A cellar or cellar is a good place for geraniums to survive the winter months.

But it is necessary to carry out the appropriate preparation of the premises:

How to store outdoor geraniums in the cellar or basement in winter? Flower growers offer 3 ways:

  1. The easiest way is to put pots with transplanted geraniums in the cellar. During the winter, you need to monitor the temperature and humidity, provide sufficient lighting. Moderate watering is carried out as it dries.
  2. Another way is to dig up geranium bushes from open ground. Then they are released from the earth. The roots are placed in cool water, and kept for some time so that they are saturated with moisture. The roots are thoroughly dried. The stiffened stems are placed in newspaper bundles and lowered into the cellar for further storage.
  3. In the third method, geranium bushes are dug out of the garden. But the roots are not cleansed from an earthen clod. Let dry. Then the geraniums are wrapped in paper bags. The bundles are suspended so that the roots are on top. Can be used for storage box. Geranium bushes are installed vertically there. Planting material is regularly ventilated.

Knowing the peculiarities of caring for geraniums during the winter holidays, you don't have to worry about its flowering in the hot summer. And absolutely everyone can maintain optimal conditions for pelargonium, regardless of skills and experience in floriculture.

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youtube. The genus includes almost 300 species. In room conditions, zonal, royal, Angels, ivy-leaved, fragrant and felt (mint) pelargoniums are most often grown, and in the garden - Balkan (large-rhizome), swamp, lush, etc. Since this is a southern plant, many flower growers are concerned about questions: how save geraniums in winter at home, what to do with it in winter and whether it blooms at that time. Let's take a closer look at this in our article.

Winter storage conditions

Autumn is a crucial time for gardeners to get their favorite plants ready for the winter. How you want to keep all the flowers, so that next season they will again please the eye with an abundance of colors. Many housewives use geraniums not only as a houseplant, but also decorate flower beds with them, plant them in pots in the open air in spring. With the onset of cold weather, you need to decide how to save geraniums during this period.

From December to February, Pelargonium enters a dormant phase, so its growth and flowering slows down. It is for this reason that it is not necessary to feed the plant during this period. She needs to be allowed to get stronger, gain strength before a new vegetative period. Until about January, pelargonium will delight its owners with bright beautiful flowers. Its growing season starts from mid-spring to autumn.

There are several ways to preserve geraniums in winter: in the basement and in the apartment. The plant can be used as a houseplant. One of the most common ways is to cut cuttings, root them, and plant them outdoors again in the spring.

Wintering Rules

If you want to help your geraniums get through the winter, you need to pre-select the plants for wintering. Severely ill plants or plants that are too weak are not suitable for wintering. Strong and healthy plants overwinter better, because then you have the highest probability that the pelargonium will bloom again in a year, and the cuttings from it will be bred equally healthy and strong.

Pelargonium must not be stored for more than two years. Old plants should be discarded, as they lose their decorative value.

Plants bloom best in the first year after rooting. To overwinter geraniums, you need to choose healthy plants that bloomed profusely and grew luxuriantly.

How to prune geraniums for the winter

Remove geranium shoots before the onset of winter with a disinfected tool. This is a sharp knife (kitchen or stationery) or blade.

Scissors are not suitable for this procedure as they pinch the stem.

  1. The geranium stem is cut off three to five millimeters above the leaf node.
  2. Cut at a sharp angle.
  3. Select nodules pointing towards the outside of the bush.

With the growth of shoots from such a bud, the shoots will not lead to thickening of the crown, as they will tend to separate from the center of the bush.

How to winterize geraniums in apartment

Glazed loggia or insulated balcony

Most of the geraniums overwinter on a glazed loggia, where the air temperature on frosty winter nights does not drop below +12°C. Under these near-ideal conditions, some plants continue to bloom (not as luxuriantly as in summer) through most of the winter. Some pots with bushes are placed in hanging baskets and planters, others are placed on tables and a ladder-stand for plants. This option allows you to get by with corrective pruning in the fall and more radical pruning in late February - early March.

Moderate watering. No top dressings. With this content, pelargoniums bloom for a long time, and by spring they themselves go into "standby mode". The buds almost do not open, allowing the plant to rest and accumulate strength. Part of the leaves periodically dries up.

Window sill

There are no problems with growing geraniums on the windowsill. The main thing is to find a place for them. Pots or boxes are placed on foam sheets or packing troughs so as not to chill the root system. The danger is represented by open windows and transoms on frosty days. It's bad if the battery is nearby. Autumn pruning when grown on a windowsill is gentle, as pelargoniums do not hibernate and continue to bloom. But a strong spring pruning is necessary. Care comes down to fairly rare watering, cleaning of dried leaves and peduncles and pest control.

Frost-proof garage and stairwell

Many amateur growers I know keep flowerpots, boxes and large pots with pelargoniums in winter-proof garages and stairwells. Before this, the plants are heavily pruned, leaving parts 15–20 cm high. Large branches are shortened, but not removed. It is watered several times during the winter, very sparingly, only so that the earth with roots does not dry out.

Refrigerator

When storing pelargoniums in the refrigerator (on the top shelf, shelves on the door, in vegetable drawers), you need to work with the bushes first. In dry weather at the end of September or in October (depending on the weather and life circumstances), pelargoniums are removed from the ground along with the root system. After that, most of the roots are carefully cut off, leaving a root ball with the ground (about 8 - 10 cm).

This ball does not need to be moistened, it is better if it is sufficiently dry. It is wrapped in a film so that the earth does not spill out. Pelargonium is cut off, leaving a stump of such a size from the ground part that two plants fit in a liter bag of juice or milk. The package is wrapped in a newspaper folded into several parts. From time to time, the condition of stored pelargoniums is checked. See if the paper is wet. In February, pelargoniums are taken out, planted in containers and begin to germinate.

“Upside down”

There are many other ways to save geraniums brought from the garden into the house. Among them, attention is drawn to hanging a bush “upside down”, when a lump of shortened roots with earth or peat is packed in a plastic bag, tied tightly and hung from a hook or shelf in a cool place (for example, in the basement). The ground part is also greatly shortened. Connoisseurs consider this unusual wintering option for pelargoniums to be very effective and guarantee lush flowering next year.

Old growers say it's good to sprinkle sulfur powder on the roots to prevent root rot.

At the end of winter, the geranium is taken out of the cellar, pulled out of the paper, and the rotten roots are cut off. After that, they are planted in fresh, moist soil. Water only when the first leaves appear on the stems.

How to keep geraniums in the basement in winter

Some geranium lovers plant them in the garden for the whole summer. Before the winter cold, they have a problem how to save garden geraniums.

There are several ways to store geraniums in the cellar:

  1. Pelargonium bunches are hung in the cellar at a constant temperature of 2 to 7 degrees above zero. Some growers wrap plants in newspaper or paper bags instead of hanging them. In this case, you need to ensure that the packages are open for ventilation. The roots of plants are periodically moistened. This method is called "dry storage".
  2. Geraniums are planted in pots, before which the roots and stems are cut by two thirds. The prepared plant is stored in the basement at a constant temperature of up to 10 degrees, the room should be twilight. Pelargonium planted in this way is watered infrequently, only when the soil becomes dry. This method of storing geraniums is called "canning".

Of course, not every cellar is suitable for wintering your pets. Several conditions must be met:

  1. The room must be frost-free and dry.
  2. Temperature range - within +7 degrees.
  3. It is good if natural light is supported by a small window.
  4. Geranium must be pruned (all flowers and leaves are removed, leaving only the woody parts of the plants).

The temperature regime, the degree of illumination, and the humidity of the air in all basements are different. Therefore, in order to understand which method will help to effectively preserve most of the plants in your particular case, you need to try them all. Regardless of which storage method you choose for your plants, make sure the danger of frost has passed before planting them outside. Then lush flowering will be guaranteed throughout the next season.

Wintering of large-flowered geraniums

Large-flowered geraniums do not have to go through a pronounced dormant period like zonal geraniums and can be stored at a higher temperature. In order for them to bloom again in spring, they must be stored in a well-lit room with a temperature of 12-14 ° C, but no more! Under such conditions, they will grow all the time. They need 2 months to create new flower buds.

When you notice the first buds, raise the temperature to 18°C. Thanks to such winter conditions, geraniums will bloom in April. If for some reason you cannot provide the plant with the above conditions, it is necessary to overwinter the geraniums in the same way as the previous zonal pelargonium. Then the plant will remain dormant. It won't hurt them, they'll just bloom a little later.

How to take care of the flower in winter

In winter, flower growers should pay attention to the following conditions for keeping pelargonium.

Temperature control

In the cold season, geraniums should be kept in a cooler room than in summer. If this cannot be ensured, then you can put the pot on the northern windowsill, making sure that the leaves of the plant do not touch the glass. Ideally, the temperature of the content should not exceed 10-15 degrees above zero. If it is much higher, then there is a risk of dropping just started buds. The temperature of the geranium content can be lowered to 4 degrees.

Protect the flower from drafts.

Lighting

Since the geranium is of South African origin, it loves bright light. If the flower is located on the northern windows, then it needs to provide additional lighting. If this is not done, then the pelargonium will not bloom, and its leaves will become small. Daylight hours should be at least 12 hours. To create additional illumination, you need to use a lamp marked "phyto", placing it at a height of 10 centimeters from the top of the flower.

IMPORTANT: Do not be afraid of direct sunlight: the flower tolerates them calmly in winter.

Watering

Pelargonium likes regular watering. In winter, it is permissible to water it once a week. It is necessary to ensure that the earth in the pot is always evenly moist. Stagnation of water at the roots of geraniums leads to the death of the flower! To adjust the irrigation system, select a suitable drainage system and light soil for the plant. Expanded clay and perlite can be used as drainage.

Spraying of geraniums is not recommended as the leaves may turn yellow or become mottled.

Pruning

If not regularly pruned, the plant will stretch out and stop flowering beautifully. It must be borne in mind that uncircumcised pelargonium is prone to various diseases. When pruning, use only sterile tools (scissors or a knife). Remove all shoots growing from the axils, leaving only 6-7 leaves on the stem. Carry out such a procedure in the fall or at the very beginning of winter.

From December to January, geraniums should not be pruned.

Dried peduncles and leaves should always be trimmed, even in the cold season. They can be easily detached without harm to the plant, even without scissors. Several times in the cold season, the plant needs to be pinched. Miniature varieties of geraniums do not require pruning.

How to welcome spring

Closer to spring, when the temperature outside reaches 2 degrees above zero, you can take pots with pelargonium to the balcony. You need to start from half an hour, gradually increasing the time the geranium stays on the balcony. In this way, pelargonium can be helped to bloom constantly.

  1. If the geranium was stored in the basement, then before taking it outside, soak the bunches in water with fertilizer, then plant them in a pot.
  2. Potted geraniums should be kept indoors for about a week. Only after the onset of the last frost, pelargonium is planted in a garden flower garden.

Thus, in winter, geraniums should be placed in a cool room, provide additional lighting and monitor soil moisture. You also need to break off dried leaves and flower stalks from time to time. Subject to all these simple rules, pelargonium will delight with its flowering and aroma immediately after leaving the rest phase.

Inspect the plants every month to see if they are getting too dry and shriveled. Spray hanging plants with water if necessary. If the geraniums become so dry that the stems begin to shrivel, remove them from the bags and soak the roots for an hour or two in cool water. After soaking in water, let them dry before placing them in paper bags. Do this several times during the winter to keep the plants from drying out. Plants that have overwintered may take several weeks to start growing again in the spring.

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