The geranium is a plant that can offer pink, blue, white or even red flowers. The geraniums that can be grown as annual plants belong to the Pelargonium species, while the perennial geraniums, which are grown in the garden, are hardy and resistant to extreme cold. If you have decided to grow geraniums on your balconies or terraces, be aware that these indoor plants have a hard time surviving during the winter. To preserve them and allow them to overwinter, here are our tips.
Appreciated by gardeners, geraniums display a beautiful bloom that lasts from May to October and evergreen and decorative foliage. There are many varieties of geraniums which decorate balconies, planters, suspensions or flower beds. But even though they are easy to grow, geraniums struggle to withstand winter frosts. In this article, we give you our tips for overwintering geraniums and protecting them from the first white frosts.
Geranium – Source: spm
How to store geraniums over winter?
To preserve your geraniums before winter, consider pruning your plants first. With pruning shears or scissors, cut off faded flowers and damaged stems. It is necessary to do this before the first frosts appear to protect your plants .
Soil Grown Geraniums – Source: spm
If your geraniums were grown in the ground, do this
Pull the plants out of the ground carefully so as not to damage the roots, then cut the branches above the collar. Then, remove faded flowers and dead leaves before cutting back the roots. Then prune the stems back to 10-15 centimeters. Thereafter, two options are possible:
- You can plant geraniums in window boxes to keep them sheltered from the winter cold.
- You can hang geraniums on a tight rope, making sure to provide the plants with optimal conditions to grow.
Potted geranium – Source: spm
If your geraniums were grown in a window box or a pot, here’s how to protect them
Remove wilted, yellow or dead stems and cut them back to 10-15 centimeters. This will both protect them from frosts, but also eliminate pests and diseased parts of your plants. To avoid any risk of contamination, do not throw these damaged parts into your compost. However, you can take geranium cuttings using healthy stems. This would allow you to grow geraniums during the summer months. When the weather is nice, you can place the containers in a frost-free place and expose them to light and at a temperature between 8 and 15°C. Opt for a veranda, a garden shed or a garage with a window. Be sure to remove cups that retain moisture and make sure the area is well ventilated.
How to maintain geraniums during the winter?
During the winter, you do not need to water your plants. Indeed, watering geraniums should be avoided, especially during periods of frost. However, be careful to prevent the leaves from withering. From the end of February, you can resume watering little by little.
How to care for geraniums after winter?
From the end of the winter period, when you notice that the vegetation of your geraniums begins to resume, you will need to provide them with water and light. You can repot the geraniums in a planter and offer them new soil. At the beginning of spring, you can place your plants in the shade for a few days, then in partial shade and finally in the sun to gradually help it adapt to the outside temperatures. Then, your plants can be planted outside with a suitable potting soil to prepare to bloom when the good weather arrives .
