I adore a pot full of hot pink geraniums in my huge cobalt blue pots. I move those pots around the garden and yard like a highlight piece. But I got tired of buying them yearly and then waiting for them to fill the pot. Luckily, with five minutes spent in the garden, you can over-winter your geraniums for the next season!
How to over-winter geraniums
Over-wintering your geraniums is super easy as long as you do it before even a light frost, as geraniums are very sensitive. When the geranium stops flowering and the leaves start to fade, but before the first frost, dig up the plant. Gently tease out all the soil with your fingers until you have bare roots.
Storing your geraniums
To store the geraniums, you will want to wrap the plants loosely in a newspaper – I use the strip of brown paper that comes in my dog food delivery. Store upside down in a box with roots up in a cool basement – it’s crucial the plant doesn’t get frosted, so be aware of storing the plants in the garage. The foliage and the shoot tips will eventually die but don’t worry.
Re-potting your geraniums
In March, it’s time to re-pot your geraniums for the next growing season. Remove all shriveled, dead material and prune back to firm, green, live stem tissue. After pruning, pot the plants and water thoroughly initially, then water weekly. I place my potted geraniums under artificial lighting, but a sunny window will work also. They will begin to grow again within a few days. Geraniums prefer daytime temperatures of 60-65*F and slightly cooler nighttime temperatures. Geraniums pruned and potted in March should develop into attractive plants that can be planted outdoors after the last frost and will grow into beautiful plants by May.
Do you over-winter your geraniums?
~ Lola
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