By ccodez
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04/04/2023

print font size How to winter geraniums to survive the cold days

Do you grow geraniums, but are you used to buying new seedlings every year? Try winterizing them this year. You will be rewarded with richer flowers than the previous year and you will save even more. And as a bonus, you can create new seedlings in the spring. So when geraniums do not survive the winter outside, with the arrival of the first frosts the question arises as to how to properly store them for hibernation.

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Preparation for winter: limit watering and do not fertilize

It is good to start preparing geraniums for winter in time, i.e. at the end of summer. Before wintering, watering must first be reduced and we also do not fertilize any more - at this time it is not desirable for the plants to continue to grow significantly. It is important to remove dry, yellowed and unhealthy leaves, and we must also pay attention to cutting off shoots that would weaken the plant with their growth. The cut needs to be made as deep as possible - just above the knee. Finally, preventive spraying against pests and fungi is also an essential part of the process of wintering geraniums.

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When to winterize geraniums and where to store them

When is the best time to store your flowers for hibernation? It is ideal to catch the time just before the arrival of the first frosts. If you missed it, don't worry, geraniums are very hardy and are likely to survive the first echoes of winter. But it is better to prevent the possibility of damage to the plant and move it to suitable premises in time.

If you are thinking about the ideal place to place your geraniums, there are several essential aspects to consider. The absolute most important thing is enough light – forget about a windowless garage or basement. The absence of light can cause the shoots to pull out. In addition to light, geraniums also need to adapt to the ambient temperature during the vegetative period - about 6-10 °C is said to be ideal. So you can store them, for example, in an unheated veranda, corridor, conservatory, in the workshop, in the attic or perhaps between casement windows. A tempered greenhouse is also recommended.

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Wintering in newspapers, the method according to our grandmothers

Today, it is generally advised to leave flowers in the flowerpot or box in which we normally grow them when moving. But if you don't have enough space, you can use the method of wintering in newspapers according to our grandmothers and great-grandmothers, who took individual plants out of their pots and then wrapped them one by one in newspapers and hung them upside down in a cold room.

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Wintering geraniums in a box in the cellar

How do you actually do it if you live in an apartment and don't have any light and cool room available? A good solution can be glazed loggia, but it is not part of every apartment. You can also store the plants during the vegetative period, for example, in a cellar - but in most cases, the paneled one is not entirely suitable due to the absence of windows, so there is no other option than to store the geraniums in the dark. In this case, the method of wintering geraniums in a box in the cellar is definitely worth a try. It is done by stacking the plants in a box upside down, then covering it with newspaper and closing the box and storing it in the cellar. In the spring, the geraniums will not look very good and will be a little dry, but there is a good chance that they will come together and decorate your balconies again thanks to thorough care.

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How to care for geraniums in winter

Even during the winter rest period, it is important to carry out a regular inspection of the flowers. Of course, it is not a good idea to let them dry out - so we only water them occasionally, ideally when the substrate dries out. At the beginning approximately once a week, later even less. As a general rule, the lower the ambient temperature, the less water will be needed. We don't fertilize until spring, we don't want the flowers to grow or set on flowers. If we notice significant growth or flowering, immediately remove the flowers and move the plant to a cooler location. We must also pay considerable attention to pest and disease control – it is important to remove infected plants in time and treat others with sprays to prevent the spread. And last but not least, it must be remembered that we certainly do not transplant geraniums during the vegetative period.

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Wintering according to species: overhanging, English and upright geraniums

Overhanging geraniums (Pelargonium peltatum) have very long shoots, which we shorten by approximately half, we can keep the shorter shoots. The ideal temperature for them is about 8-12 °C. The spring haircut, which we do in March, is also important.

Pelargonium geraniums (Pelargonium grandiflorum) are true queens among pelargoniums, characterized by beautiful large flowers and smaller leaves. That is also why they have slightly higher requirements for wintering. These geraniums must be cut and kept at a temperature of up to 10 °C. It is necessary to keep them all the time only in a bright location, and in the spring it is advisable to transplant them into a larger flower pot.

Upright geraniums (Pelargonium zonale) or banded geraniums also need a temperature of around 10-12°C. There is no need to make such a radical cut with them - on the contrary, you can cut them back only in spring, and before winter it is only necessary to remove old leaves and faded flowers. Cuttings can then be used for further propagation.

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After the arrival of spring

The first fertilizing of geraniums will be carried out at the beginning of March and at this time we will also gradually start to increase the watering. We also cut individual shoots and we can plant the cuttings to get new seedlings. We will move the plants to an outdoor location as soon as we are sure that they cannot be threatened by frost.