FRIDAY FLOWERS: OVERWINTERING GERANIUMS

One of the (many) treats of springtime is buying geraniums. Red, pink, white, multi-colored: they all herald the arrival of warm weather.
While this is still true for me I now also await spring when I can go into my garage and release my potted geraniums from their plastic coverings (aka garbage bags!)

So, let’s step back a bit. After all, it IS still winter time.

Last April I showed you how I had overwintered some geraniums in the post
“(It’s Almost) My Summer Garden”

Take a look at the post, then come back here and look at this pot. Unfortunately, I forgot to take some pictures mid-summer when this pot was absolutely overflowing with healthy, gorgeous geraniums.  This was taken just two weeks ago:  there are five plants in here.

This is what to do:
1. Separate your plants, gently (if you have more than one in a pot.)
2. Put a plant, or maybe two, in a smaller pot. They really don’t need much soil. The point is to let them dry out…totally and completely…and not let them freeze.
3. Cut them way back. I try to leave a small bit of green on each main stem, but it doesn’t seem to matter. I know, it kills me to cut them back when they are still flowering! But after all, it’s December 17th and time for them to go to sleep!

Here I’ve separated two of them from the larger pot.

Here’s another one. After separating I cut it way…back.

4. Wrap each pot in a white garbage bag. I tie it but leave it open for a little air circulation. Some people seal it completely, but I was afraid of mildew or mold growing during the winter.  This worked for me last year, so I’m hoping for success again.

I keep them in our garage, off the floor. Last winter, of course, was very cold and the garage is not insulated. I’m not sure how cold it got for them: maybe freezing, but barely and not for long.

This was about two weeks after bringing them out of storage. There is even a bud!

They survived beautifully last spring!
I hope you will try this and let us know what happens for you.