Sunday, January 22, 2012

How do I over winter my geraniums?

I have loads of geraniums, I read in a paper how to take cuttings for next year and now I have loads (about 30 very healthy plants) they are all in pots, how do I overwinter them? do I cut them down? they are also bushy, I have an unheated greenhouse with no insulation I dont want to lose them as they are lovely and some are unusual, (stripey salmon) anyone any ideas
How do I over winter my geraniums?
As you found with taking and starting cuttings, geraniums are easy to propagate. They're no harder to overwinter. I have also used the unpot and keep dry technique. Replant in April and start watering and voila! Instant plants. I've also cut them back, taken them to the basement and left them there and dry all winter. In April, bring them back to the light of day, cut off all the stringy, anemic little shoots and start watering them again. They'll come back like gangbusters. We make big mama stock plants for the greenhouse about this time of year, winter them dry and revive them in February. By April, we can take new cuttings to propagate plants for sale.
Reply:If you have enough room in your house, even in an unused room, bring your potted geraniums inside and treat them as houseplants for the winter. Place by a sunny window if possible, but quite frankly, I have seen geraniums placed in a very low-light environment survive the winter.



Another method I 've heard of but have never used myself is to take the geranium plants out of the soil, allow them to dry slightly, place the roots of each plant in a small paper sack and then hang the plant upside down in a dark, dry place. Then either repot them towards spring or just wait until its warm enough to plant them outside again.
Reply:You can cut them way back and wrap in newspaper and keep in dark place until spring and then repot around March and they will come back and bloom. Myself I just bring them in and keep them in their oiginal pots and set in a sunny window and water as nor mal year after year and you have beautiful flowers all winter
Reply:My mum cuts hers back and wraps the pots in bubble wrap with plenty of excess bubble wrap hiding the actual plant parts from view. She doesn't seal the top off but she makes sure the plant is well insulated before popping them in the unheated garage on a set of shelves.
Reply:I wonder where you live? geraniums are pretty hearty flower.. you can take cuttings and just put them in good dirt.. easy!! keep them watered.. as for the winter... i get them out of the way of harsh weather.. .. put them in your greenhouse, put up a temp roof, just so there is a bit of protection . In early spring is a good time to cut them back if you want..
Reply:hmm lets check the yellow pages.
Reply:Bubble-wrap is an easy way of insulating your greenhouse. Just tape it to the glass. Stand your pots on polystyrene as the ground can get very cold. Not sure about cutting them or not - sorry.
Reply:A German nanny once told me how to do this, and I've been doing it ever since: Take the healthy plant in before the first frost, and shake all the dirt off of it. Then let it get good and dry for 2 days. then enclose in a brown paper bag and put in your cellar or someplace cool during the winter. In the Spring, plant it and it comes right back to life. You can keep the same plant for years. Good luck. (P.S.: I'd like to know about how you got the cuttings)
Reply:cut them back %26amp; mulch the crap out of them prior to first frost.
Reply:Iput mine in my unheated basement and put them neer a window stop watering them and dry down and in march I start to water and I put them upstairs in the house by a window and there fine , I have also forgotten a plant one year in the basement and it was there a full year my wife wanted to toss it but I cant toss a plant and started to water it and in a couple of weeks new growth started to my amasement and it was beautiful in the summer what a tough plant
Reply:I put mine in the (unheated) conservatory last winter. In spring I cut the back really hard and put them back into the garden (they are in pots). They have all grown magnificently this summer, so I plan to do the same thing again this year. They are very hardy plants so will respond well to cutting back etc. If you're concerned about frost getting to them invest in some fleece and cover them with that - they should be ok.
Reply:let the soil dry out , cut them back . store pots above ground leval covered in straw if possible

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