Overwintering pelargoniums - what do you do?

marciaz3 Tropical 3 Northwestern Ontario

11 years ago

I have a lot of them. I usually just prune them a bit and put them in the sunny west window of my porch and mostly ignore them all winter. Once in awhile, they get watered and the dead foliage cleaned off. However, a lot of them are starting to look pretty bad, with large thick stems and no leaves at the bottom, so it's time to do something different.

What works best for you all?

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Comments (4)

kioni
11 years ago
Back when I would save geraniums over winter, I tried to take tip cuttings by mid August before the overnight temps were consistently falling below 10C (read somewhere that the lower evening temps change the cellular structure and lower the chances of rooting). Then in a sunny warm window thru the winter so they'd grow. Prune back depending upon size of plant, pinching once in mid February when the days start getting sunnier and longer, and then again mid April.

My mom keeps the original root ball and stems, and stakes hers. They do look lanky on the bottom, but it is amazing how many cluster/bloom heads those plants will put out! One has to be 4 feet in height (and staked and kept out of the wind). She will get some branching lower down, but it doesn't appear to be too strong, but then again, she doesn't prune them back very hard (like I would). During the winter, she keeps them on the dry side in a window in the garage where the temp never gets below freezing, so I think she is holding them over in a dormant state.
marricgardens
11 years ago
I used to save mine overwinter when we lived in the city. I would take up the plant, trim the root ball and the top and repot in clean soil and leave them in the garage where it was kept just above freezing. I would water only a few times during winter, just enough to keep them from drying out completely. I did not use lights as I did not want the geraniums growing. I forgot to mention, water them before bringing them in using an insecticidal soap mix to kill any insect eggs, also spray the outside of the pots, you never know where those kritters lay eggs.
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K W....do you have such a place like your mother...a cool basement where the temperature is not allowed to go much above 55 or down below the freezing mark. Geraniums must never be allowed to freeze...if you ever hope to bring them back......but..back they will come..better than ever. No water, no light, no nothing should touch them after you remove them from their soil...container or bed. Shake off any loose soil, take them to that cool part of your basement, hang them up...upside down...and leave them alone...never to be touched by anything. In mid February, you bring them out, cut them back as you please...by 1/3...1/2...remove all old leaves, inspect the roots for any damage. Into fresh potting soil, water them and take them to a sunny window. They will soon put on new leaves...eventually new budding and new bloom. The key is to not believe they must be given water....what for..they're not growing...or they must be given some light....again..what for...they're not growing. They must be allowed to remain cool and dry. I kid you not....this is the way to ensure your plants from this season come back next season, and the next, and the next and the.........
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Do you have a cold frame? A greenhouse is a brilliant asset but since not many of us can spare the space for one, a cold frame is a good winter protection for tender cuttings. Yep, the top growth may die back but it is the roots where the action is so as long as the pots do not freeze for weeks at a time, they should be OK. If your winters are too cold, then simply keep them in a dormant state in a garage or basement - they are not dead, just resting. I sow a lot of my seeds all year round and frequently have cuttings to overwinter from summer...and I just assume that the plants 'know' what they are doing, will go into dormancy and when the conditions are right, will start to grow top growth again the following spring. There are always losses, especially with tender pelargoniums, which are susceptible to over watering (I keep mine practically dessicated now) but if the cuttings have developed enough roots, they will be perfectly OK coming through the winter.
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If the thought of bringing plants/soil sprayed with 'cides inside is equally concerning, dunking plants in a tub of water so the soil is submerged for 10-15 mins should kill anything that needs to breathe. I do this to pots that may or definitely do have ants trying to make their home in one of my pots. Another option, if using a plastic pot that roots can slide out of easily and remain in the pot shape is to take the plant out of its' pot, put it somewhere up off of the ground overnight, and likely anything living in there may want to leave. This works with ants most of the times I've tried it. Another option could be to repot plants before bringing them in, remove the old soil and replace with new, then bring it inside before sitting it on the ground. Sitting on the ground is the most likely way for critters like those you described to get into pots. Using pot feet or other kind of riser that keeps the bottom of the pot dry and off of the ground can help prevent pots being as enticing of a place for them to go. One thing to consider is that if there are particles in your pots that have reached the level of decomposition to where critters are able to find enough to eat to sustain themselves, the soil will quickly turn to mud (critter poo) in the bottom of the pot, which will cause roots to be unable to access enough oxygen, leading to suffocation/rotting. If this process starts to happen, munchers of decaying organic matter will start munching the decaying plant roots, and if there is nothing left but plant roots to munch, healthy or otherwise, that is what they will do. If you notice a pot is a lot heavier when you water it than right after you had last repotted, this can be the cause. Outside pots also accumulate grit/sand when the wind blows, that can sift down to the bottom of a pot and cause the same problem over time.
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mytime
11 years ago
I used to not have a place cool enough to store them, so had to keep them inside...of course, then they got leggy, and I hated to cut them back in the spring when they got blooms. Now I have a refrigerator in the garage just for pelargonium, fuchsia, and dahlia tubers. If you have the space, you can usually find an old one for free.
marciaz3 Tropical 3 Northwestern Ontario
Original Author
11 years ago
Our garage is actually DH's workshop. It's minimally heated all winter, but there's definitely no room for plants in it. As for a fridge - good idea but you have to pay for the hydro! LOL I have way too many to keep in a fridge, anyway. :) But thanks!

Overwintering pelargoniums - what do you do?

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kioni

marricgardens

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Overwintering pelargoniums - what do you do?

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kioni

marricgardens

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mytime

marciaz3 Tropical 3 Northwestern OntarioOriginal Author

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