Although in our area gardeners treat geraniums as annuals, they’re actually perennials in warmer climates. With just a little extra effort you can bring your geraniums indoors for the winter and enjoy their vibrant blooms again next season.

You can successfully overwinter geraniums no matter where they are growing—small containers, large pots, hanging baskets, or directly in garden beds. With the rising cost of bedding plants, saving your geraniums is not only easy but also a smart way to save money while keeping your garden full of colour.

This article from Simple Life Garden has some great tips on how to overwinter your plants.  You can read the full article at  https://simplegardenlife.com/

Timing is Everything!

“The first secret to success when saving geraniums is to act early. Unfortunately, once plants are hit by a heavy frost or light freeze, trouble looms. That is because the damage done to their roots usually makes them impossible to save.

Although geraniums are usually tough enough to survive a light frost, once the foliage and blooms freeze, the plant begins to die off. Freezing causes severe damage to the cell structure. Not just to the plant’s leaves and blooms, but more importantly to the roots as well.

Roots are made up of a large percentage of water. When that water freezes and crystalizes, it then ruptures the walls and lining of the roots. And once the root structure is damaged, saving simply is not an option.

With this in mind, early fall is the best time to prepare your geraniums for overwintering. As soon as temperatures begin to dip into the high 40’s or low 50’s in the evening, it’s time to jump into action. Geraniums usually start to fade late in the season anyway, so it’s also a great way to clean up your flowerbeds and containers.

Geraniums usually cannot recover from a hard frost or freeze. The damage to their root structure is too much for the plant to survive.”

Two Ways to Save Geraniums Over the Winter!

“When it comes to saving geraniums, there are two methods to keep them alive over winter. Geraniums growing in pots and containers can actually be brought indoors to grow as a houseplant through the winter. But you can also cut them back and save as a bare root cutting.

Although both methods are simple, selecting the best one really depends on how much space and light you have indoors. It also matters how you are currently growing your geraniums outside. With that in mind, here is an in-depth look at each method, along with some tips for helping your geraniums bounce back with big flower power next spring.”

1. Bring Potted Geranium Plants Indoors to Save Them Over Winter

“If you happen to grow your geraniums in smaller pots, containers or hanging baskets, bringing the plants indoors to continue to grow as a houseplant is a quick and simple method to save them for next year.

The key here is to make sure you have the proper location for growing them as a houseplant. And that means having a space to give them the light and warmth they need.

Geraniums hail from a tropical background. As long as they have plenty of light and can have temperatures close to 70° (F), they will maintain their growth. Mind you, they may not bloom, but they can stay healthy and strong all winter long.”

Watering & Winter Care

“As for light, placing your geraniums in a southern facing window is best. Southern facing windows provide the best chance of winter sunlight. In addition, make sure to keep them away from cold drafts and heating vents that can dry them out too quickly.

Keep them watered but be careful not to over water. Geraniums suffer more from too much water than not enough. Under normal inside humidity, watering lightly every ten to fourteen days is ideal. If they cannot get enough natural sunlight from a window, a grow light will work wonders for keeping them perky and fresh

When bringing potted geraniums indoors, you can also allow them to go dormant. For this, begin by pruning the plant back to around half of its original size. Next, place in a cool, darker area and place a paper bag or burlap over it to keep light out.

An unheated garage or basement usually works well as long as they don’t encounter freezing temperatures. Water your geranium lightly once a month. When spring rolls around, simply bring the plant back outdoors to grow back its foliage once again.”

2. Save Geraniums as Bare Root Plants

“The second method for saving geraniums in the winter is to save them as bare roots. This is great for plants that grew in flowerbeds – or if you happen to be short on space indoors.

A geranium growing from a bare root. How ever you store your geraniums, saving them is a great way to save money!

To save a bare roots, start by digging up geraniums roots and all. For potted plants you can simply pull the entire plant out of the soil. Cut the top growth down to 1/3rd of its original size. You can cut the plant back prior to digging out to make the process easier.

All you have to do now is store your roots until next year. Place the roots upside down into a cardboard box or a brown paper grocery bag. For storing, place in a cool, dark place that does not freeze.

Next spring, when the temperatures warm, you can plant the bare roots directly into pots or in the ground. In short order, they will spring back to life and fill back out.”

When Spring Arrives!

“Whether saving by bare root or as a houseplant, a little early spring fertilizing will help your geraniums bounce back fast.

Once you take plants back outside, applying a well-balanced liquid fertilizer will re-energize the roots. Compost tea, worm casting tea or a commercial liquid fertilizer all work great for providing quick power to the plant.

Liquid fertilizers can absorb into the roots quickly. Although granular fertilizers will work, they will take longer to power up the roots. Continue applying the liquid fertilizer every two weeks for six weeks and your geraniums should be off to the races.”

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