How to Overwinter Geraniums (Pelargoniums): Everyone Can Grow A Garden (2018) #35

[@vanessagodiin770]

What I do to the stems I trim off, is put them in water in a south facing window to start rooting. When they get a good rooting system growing I plant them in soil in a plant pot and let them grow into beautiful plants that can be put in the garden along with the original plants. I usually have quite a number of plants extra. Some I give away to family and friends. I have had good look in my transplants flowering. I use an all purpose Miracle Gro fertilizer and they seem to love it. You just can't have too many geraniums in your garden. They are such a healthy and vibrant flower that lasts into the frost season of Fall. Thank you for your video.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

That's awesome,. Vanessa! Thanks so much for sharing your method.

[@nancyfielden270]

The blooms make a beautiful longlasting indoor bouquet!

[@josweatt898]

Thanks! My friend here in MS told me to shake off the dirt and put in a paper bag, so evidently this works too. I am going to give it a go as I don't have room for the huge pots of them I have in my greenhouse any longer. I will make room for them in my storage shed which does not freeze but will keep them dry.

[@DjChelan]

2022 Growing season I wintered the geraniums I purchased from the Chelan High School VOG Class at our Chelan Farmers Market. I was so trilled for my 1st attempt to be a huge success and when the first flower bloomed I squealed with delight! Thank you Susan! 07.15.2023

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know.

[@dsmith9796]

Found this almost two years after the post - great timing.

[@paularobinson6722]

I have good results when I hang them upside down on a wire clothes hanger that I've pulled into a diamond shape. I hang them in a dark basement on the water pipes. There is never a problem with mold, and I don't have to keep checking them. In January they sprout leaves and blossoms! In the spring I put them into a larger pot than the previous year and prune them back. The bigger the pot, the bigger the plant. In a really large pot the plant is almost the size of a shrub!

[@SusansInTheGarden]

That sounds like a great method, Paula. Thanks so much for the suggestion!

[@helengren9349]

👍 We use same method in Northern Europe! 🌺 🙏💓💕🌍🌎🌏

[@cherypkr9874]

I hung my geraniums upside down in the basement for years. Just took them outside in the spring and planted them. I have plants that over 20 years old.

[@katdunn7934]

So you don't water it at all while it's hanging in the basement? I have one plant I received for mother's day from my neice. I want to overwinter it as well. Now I'm trying to decide the best route to go, hang it or box it. :)

[@joanchantler2498]

Thanks for this. I have a zonal geranium I have overwintered in my house in the pot for 30 years. It is in the same soil, which is obviously exhausted. I know it would be best to repot, and maybe I'll get around to it next spring. Despite the maltreatment it blooms year round. I do give it lots of sprinkle - on granular fertilizer, sometimes even in the winter if it looks peaky. I especially enjoy doing this as I read an article that said it couldn't be done. (take cuttings and discard the mother plant, they advised.) I also plant out bulbs that come in pots in the yard after they have bloomed, despite advise to the contrary, and most often they come back year after year in gratitude. It's fun to be a rebel, or a plant angel.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

I like being a plant rebel, too, Joan! Since this method works for you, then you should definitely use it. I'm impressed!

[@barbbq9963]

Those geraniums are gorgeous! Gorgeous color! And matched your jacket perfectly!!!! Thank you!

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Thank you so much, Barb!

[@kayturley4847]

I overwintered the same geraniums for about 15 years and then illness crept in and I couldn't do it. So I started over this year with a bunch of them. I had good luck overwintering ivy geraniums in the pot. thanks for the video.

[@Elizabeth-yg2mg]

I was wondering if this would work for ongoing years--hope you're well and thanks.

[@sheila1343]

Could keep them in shed over winter ?

[@lindawright4981]

I have also overwintered my late dad's geranium for 15 years. He had done the same so who knows the age! I have bumbled along, keeping in the pot on a sun porch and took cuttings last year. But I will try your method on the cuttings I raised.

[@kathyjames9250]

I am suffering a touch of zone envy, lol, as I live in zone 3 (Canadian) but I have had great success with zonal geraniums, overwintering them in pots on a sunny windowsill. In March I take lots of cuttings and root them in styrofoam coffee cups, then plant them outside once it warms up, in May? usually, perhaps earlier or later, depending on whether we are having an early spring.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hi, Kathy. Nice to meet you. I would do it that way, too, but I don't have the room or bright areas indoors to accommodate all of the pots. But like I say, do whatever method works best for you!

[@socalmingtowatchandsuchawe4281]

I find the styrofoam cups are brilliant for seeds and cuttings.

[@melodylamour6123]

I started my geraniums by seed. Ha! Being a new gardener, I had no idea how hard it is to get them to grow here in SW Florida zone 10a. I managed to get 4 seeds of about 12 seeds to germinate. Poor things just wilt so quick. I put them in a huge, clear ziplock type of bag with a pencil as a brace to keep it off the little seedlings and they love it. When I give them a breathe of fresh air for an hour or two they wilt. I hurry up and put them back into the bag a they perk right up. If I ever get these girls to thrive like yours do, I will definitely start propagating them from then on. They are about 4 inches tall now after 2 months.

[@carolevilleneuve7411]

My friend just brings them inside and waters them regularly and they stay healthy throughout the winter by a sunny window...they even reflower. She lives in the laurentian mountains in Canada, with a 5 month winter!

[@SusansInTheGarden]

As I've always said, do whatever method works best for you! I don't have enough room in my house for all of the containers of geraniums, and not enough bright areas for that matter. So this method works for me. Cheers.

[@chirrutimwe2547]

Loved this video! I could listen to you talk all day long--so calm and kind! I overwintered geraniums last year (I have no idea what kind) by leaving them in their pots and bringing them inside and putting them in the finished basement that is probably too warm. Still, all but 1 made it! I put them by the window and didn't cut them back and probably watered them too much, so I am looking forward to trying it again with some better information! Thank you!

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hello, Chirrut. It sounds like you did a great job overwintering your geraniums! I'm so glad this video was helpful. Take care.

[@johnrogers3325]

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[@veemcg3682]

I've been overwintering the same geraniums for more than ten years here in Ireland. I tidy them and bring them inside to a cool but frost free window sill and water very sparingly throughout winter. In spring I repot them adding a granular slow release plant food and water well. This works very well for me.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hello from Spokane, Washington, Vera! Your method sounds perfect. There are a few different ways to do this and I always encourage gardeners to choose whatever works best for them.

[@veemcg3682]

I've lost my Attar of Roses and other beautifully scented geraniums over the years. I hope to start again with one this year and try taking little cuttings to overwinter in the house maybe. Has anyone had success with these? Apart from their lovely scent you can use them in lots of ways and they are so uplifting. I want to make a little tea garden near the house...any suggestions would be very welcome. Thank you vera

[@melissagifford1459]

@@SusansInTheGarden Vera, we have done the same as you for at least 10 years. We do fertilize; we have repotted 1x. The issue we have is that the stems have become very fragile. I am curious what would you or Susan do to bring this sucker back, or is it time to pitch this bitch? Thanks, Melissa in Rhode Island

[@suzetteccc]

Thanks so much for the video! I have 3 zonal geraniums that I have had for 6 or 7 years and I leave them in a pot and cover them with a large bag because our garage has windows. I water a little bit once a month and they have flourished. I don't even add new soil. I started them out at the beginning of March after trimming them down. The ones in the hanging baskets don't seem to do as well, perhaps because the potting shed is colder. This year I want to do a lot more, so I thought I would try the dry method. This is a great help.🤞🏼

[@SusansInTheGarden]

I'm so glad that was helpful, Suzette.

[@cindeediana]

Thank you so much for this video! I just 'inherited' a bunch of geraniums from my friend who's mother passed and they were her passion. I want to keep her legacy growing :-) Thank you so much for the tips. Hopefully I will have good news to report in Feb!

[@sandrastreifel6452]

I’ve already set a big pot of cuttings of my white zonal geranium to root, and I want to save the main plant in Winter dormancy, this year. I have a vase full of geranium flowers in my living room. Thanks for this video; this method looks easy to do!

[@joycesmith8055]

L

[@m53goldsmith]

Came across this almost exactly 1 year after this was posted, perfect timing! Thank you for this information!

[@pottersjournal]

I think the key to this is as you say at 6:22. There is most likely much that could go wrong and much you need to get right. I and others I've talked to have had no luck with this method. I'm guessing humidity is important and that leaves dried is ok but the root and stem must be kept viable, that being key to success.

[@swizzleproxi4810]

Geranium, one of my favourite plants, I will try this method...thanks

[@Shake-the-Tree]

Thank you I watched your 1st video since it came up in the google images when I did a search for preserving geraniums over winter and your second video came up next in the que so glad! This is the first year I will try this. I love my geraniums and hate tossing them every year not to mention having to purchase again, so thank you so much this looks easy to do.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hi, Sharon. So happy it helped!

[@suepattison9797]

Hi .. iv just potted on my cuttings to over winter in a cold frame ...i only like selective colours haha ..i agree uv got to find away to keep these plants going ur way or my way .climate makes all the differace ...water is also deadly when the temp drops ..nice to share..our tips .thank u sue

[@localman12]

I wish I saw this earlier, I just tossed all my geraniums again this year. Next year I will try this, thank you.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Darn! Well, there's always next year.

[@greenthumbelina7331]

Susan, I have successfully overwintered seed geraniums as well as the zonal geraniums using this same method in brown paper bags. I've been doing this for the past 5 years now and it works like a charm! I've also saved seed from the seed geraniums and have grown them into nice sized plants by directly seeding them into planters in late March. The only reason I tried this was because I had little volunteer geraniums sprout and grow where I had the seed geraniums growing the previous year in a raised planter bed.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

That's awesome, Margie! Thanks for sharing this with me. I'd like to try that, too.

[@greenthumbelina7331]

To be perfectly honest Susan, the first time I had geraniums grow from seed was about 15 years ago. I was very sick that fall and didn't get any of my normal fall cleanup done. This may have had something to do with them growing, not only were the seeds protected but they also were cold stratified naturally. That's why I now plant them in very early spring which is typically late March here in my zone 5a, also I give them a light layer of straw mulch. We still get temps in the 20's and 30's during that time.

[@jackiecaprari6831]

Hello Susan from the UK. Last year, I over wintered my geraniums in a plastic dustbin (oops, garbage bin) I just removed all the earth and blooms, and put the lid on. I left the bin in the back yard in a sheltered place I took them out in March this year. We had quite a few evenings of frost and the temperature was 11 degrees Celsius, the lowest for 2019. They looked awful but everyone of them survived although they took their time to bloom. This year I will try your way as I have quite a lot. Thank you for your suggestions and excellent video.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Thank you, Jackie, and nice to meet you!

[@sharonjane4192]

I live in the UK & have left mine out (they re in large pots) & just expected them to die but they didn't & are doing better than ever! Usually I wrap the pot in old polystyrene packaging but last winter I didn't & I've got 5 different types & approximately 12 plants all happy & healthy

[@LarryCamilo]

​@@sharonjane4192hi 👋

[@Reflect-fj4qh]

Susan, one more week until February...would you consider doing another video to show us what your geraniums currently look like, and all of the steps you’ll be taking to re-pot your plants for the upcoming growing season? Thanks so much!

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Great idea!

[@dieterschulz3419]

Now I know, Susan thanks, I will try because I like love Geraniums. God bless.

[@lindacampbell320]

I have a red velvet colored geranium that I bought in upstate PA. I cannot find it in my area outside of Philadelphia. I have taken clippings and also trimmed back the potted plants ( and brought them inside) to have them for the next year. I have had wonderful results with both. Thank you for your video. Linda, PA

[@tommygiammanco5733]

Thanks for the update from the previous version, I can’t wait to try this out! Happy gardening!

[@marieradatsz4126]

I just brought mine in but didn’t know what to do so thanks for the vlog perfect timing xx

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Glad I could help, Marie!

[@frances6827]

very beautiful dark coral color! explanation was simple & easy to understand and I can do it!

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Glad it was helpful!

[@pamalverson6554]

Thanks for the video and information.

[@LarryCamilo]

Hello 👋

[@andrewjames6676]

Great video Susan! I have a very high success rate with cuttings using a mixture of vermiculite and perlite 50/50 kept moist (plastic window box in a tray and regular misting, a little bottom heat during winter if you take cuttings in fall). Works fine for pelargoniums, fuchsias, helianthemums and lilac - and probably a whole lot of others I haven't tried!

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Great tips, Andrew! Thank you.

[@yolandamarshall872]

Thanks for sharing your ideas. I love geraniums and will have to try this.

[@GB-hz1qy]

Thank you Susan, I will be saving my beautiful Geraniums this year! I will let you know results. 😇

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Please do!

[@handuong7429]

Hi Susan, thank you for the information about over winter Geranium. I brought the whole geranium pot into the garage and as you said I water them a bit once in a while, they survive. You give me idea for one more method to try. Thanks again.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

I'm glad I could help.

[@abrilmedrano3456]

Thank you Susan, I got a Zonal Geranium two a weeks ago and it is so beautiful I want to over winter it.

[@tuneaddicted]

Great video! I tried it last year and it worked great

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Great to hear!

[@lucyhollett6159]

This is the first year I put geraniums in and I was just wondering what to do with them when I stumbled onto your video, Thank you so much for putting it on.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

I'm so glad it helped, Lucy!

[@aletadetwiler9071]

I (illegally, but unabashedly) brought a small cutting from an ivy geranium fro the balcony of our Paris hotel. My son and I celebrated his 25th birthday there with a luncheon at the Jacques Cousteau Restaurant in the Effie Tour! Every autumn from my PA home, I bring in those ivy geraniums. I cut them back, remove any dead leaves and keep them as houseplants. Nick was 41 yesterday! I’ve made many cuttings over the years. PS. Don’t tell anyone!

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Wow! I'm sure it's very special. I have heard of folks getting HUGE fines for exporting seeds and plants from other countries, though. You were lucky.

[@joyceepperson5219]

It’s illegal as foreign bugs, molds, moths will destroy the crops in America. Food crops and ornamental.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

@@joyceepperson5219 Thank you for your comment. I was being too polite! It's true that this type of activity introduces invasive and damaging species, which has been a huge problem around the world.

[@Msibme]

My Grandmother had Geraniums that she had for years ... I never learned how to do it thank you for this video. If you notice ... many many plants begin to grow after the Solstice. Put the cuttings in a glass container in the sun to root and plant next year

[@AkeoGreen2059]

Thank you Susan ...Very informative

[@edmey]

Wonderful video!

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Thank you very much!

[@awatchwoman]

In the UK , I pot them up as they are and place on a windowsill in bedrooms, bathrooms, everywhere and water a little throughout, works fine if you are happy to live among them. :)

[@SusansInTheGarden]

And that is a perfectly fine method! In my case, I limited space for all of the pots so this works better for me.

[@iowalady1]

Ivy geraniums should be cut back, taken to the basement or darker room, water about once a month-in February introduce them to light and give them an all purpose plant food/fertilizer.

[@sofiawils3829]

I don't have any basement, I keep my flowers in the garage

[@MinhNguyen-iz1pj]

Nice.... Good methods... I think I am going to try it this coming winter... Thank you for sharing... 🍀

[@junemcavoy4835]

I will try this this year

[@michaelgregory8636]

Great advice. I will certainly try this method.

[@Smokies32]

This is interesting and I may try it, but I have had great luck just leaving them in their pots and putting them in my garage to overwinter - no watering, but they have some light in the garage. I trim off any blooms and let them be. I am going on my 5th years with several and so far they seem to do well all summer! I live in SW Michigan where it does get cold!

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hi, Debbie. My motto is, "whatever works best for you is the one to use!" And it sounds like you're having great success.

[@HAIRINAVAN-tp7tt]

I'm lucky in Australia that my Pelargoniums grow and flower all year

[@SusansInTheGarden]

I’m envious!

[@frasersgirl4383]

I live in zone 6b and always make sure I have red geraniums in pots in my kitchen window all winter! They bloom all winter!

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Wonderful! I wish I had more room for pots of plants that I want to overwinter.

[@noname-by3qz]

Wow. I'm in San Francisco and the place right next to me had a big geranium plant nobody watered or anything. It doesn't rain here for months! I finally started watering and taking lots of clippings. No more dead flowers and the clippings are doing great! I put a lot of dead leaves and gorilla hair in the pot and around the mother plant. It was there at least 2 years with zero attention. No "over wintering" ... This is zone 15!

[@SusansInTheGarden]

That is awesome, Sherry! I have to admit this is the first time I've heard of using gorilla hair!

[@noname-by3qz]

@@SusansInTheGarden I didn't think of it, or even know of it. Luckily I have an awesome neighbor who is a landscaper and he brings me leftovers from work.

[@NiaLin]

I’m lucky that I don’t have to do this to my pelargoniums/geraniums. They’re perennial in central CA zone 9b. I‘ve gotta 6 yr old one about 4’ tall & wide planted in ground, several others in pots ranging in age & the queen is one in a giant pot that’s about 20 yrs old. It’s 1 of the 1st plants I ever bought as a young wife & mother. It was labeled as an annual 😆. I named it Big Momma. She’s about 6’ tall including pot & soil, 4’ wide. She’s a pinkish, coral variety. Always covered in blooms despite suffering chronic bud worms every spring thru summer. (We’ve an invasive brown moth here that uses pelargoniums & petunias as host plants for thousands of eggs/larvae-it’s quite a battle every year). She’s still so gorgeous & resilient. Love that plant. She’s been w/me almost 1/2 my life, happily moving around w/us, not caring if she was on a shady apartment deck or in a bright back yard. At this point I ‘d say we’re close friends 😁. I’d pbly cry if it died! I really do love the “annual/zonal geraniums”. So pretty & so easy to grow. But I don’t buy them anymore due to the brown moth ☹️. It’s hard enough & expensive keeping the 6 I’ve got from being eaten down to nothing. If it wasn’t for our yellow jacket wasps eating so many of the moth caterpillars for me, Big Momma woulda had a much tougher battle this year! It’s great that you’re teaching colder climate folks how to keep them cuz I think they’re one of the unsung heroes of the garden. They deserve more accolades & attention! Thanks for always sharing beneficial info!

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hi, Nia. I am envious that you don't need to overwinter your geraniums! Sure am sorry to hear about the brown moths, though.

[@frankennedy5225]

Nia Lin I 55((

[@joyceepperson5219]

I use rose systemic and that kills the bud bugs. Use according to directions but maybe a little bit more often as the vitamins are leached out by frequent watering.

[@mollysmith6055]

Can't wait to try your technique on my mom's geraniums...it would be wonderful to save her money. When my father-in-law was alive, he'd take his ivy geraniums inside his 'shop' where they were near a window and had a heated environment as well as his shop lights which were fluorescent. He'd prune back a bit but not much and kept those alive year after year and always had a stunning display of them every summer.

[@shirynbaldaccini3385]

Thanks a lot for this helpful video!

[@carmelaaustin3594]

I bring my plants in, I have a room that has a lot of sunlight and I had one lasted me 5 years. I didn't do anything to it I just brought it in and I would feed it every so often and of course water it

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Always go with the method that works best for you!

[@roscoemaness7210]

Thank you Susan

[@carmengarceau2943]

Hi Susan, I watched your video last summer and I overwintered my Geraniums. It really worked. I couldn't believe how they started growing in February. My question, when do you start preparing them for the carton. I am in zone 6. I don't want to wait too long by keeping them outside in the cold. Thank you, I am so glad I found your video.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hi, Carmen. I'm so glad to hear it worked well for you. You want to pull up the plants and prepare them for storage before you get any frosts. I usually take care of it in mid-September, although I'm in zone 5b.

[@annamweirich6883]

My father n law use knock the soil off the roots of his geraniums, hang them upside down, didn't do anything else to them over the winter and hung them in his basement and then about Feb Mar he replanted them in pots when it was warm enough he took them out and replanted them outside, they were some of the prettiest geraniums every year!

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Whatever method works best is the one to use! Take care, Anna.

[@spenserhardin8790]

What a fun and personable video! This is the first year that I took my geraniums indoors. I just potted mine and am hoping to make cuttings, but I’d really like to try this method next year! (I’ve got too many plants to over winter! Haha)

[@SusansInTheGarden]

I know how you feel!

[@spenserhardin8790]

Susan's In The Garden curious, what time of year do you store your geraniums in the box? I’m in zone 5. Should I do it just prior to the first frost? Thanks!

[@SusansInTheGarden]

@@spenserhardin8790 Yes. You do not want the geraniums to get frosted.

[@spenserhardin8790]

Susan's In The Garden good to know! Thanks!!

[@wendymills8592]

Thank you! Who knew you could do this? Certainly not me. Will try. Great video!

[@bazza7890]

Great info Susan, thanks

[@briancaleb6503]

Cool, something we have done here is store them in a plastic bag upright covered in pine shavings not seal the top but tape the center of the bag shut store in a dark closet, most of the plant though dies but some of it survives sometimes just a branch here and there, but im not taking them out til may due to not room for potting, and putting them out side directly they look ratty a while but start growing very soon even the tiniest of branch that has thickness, if its dry under it just cute the dead part of put that in the ground leaving some stick out, and has worked great. Your method would be preferred but we have no basement or cellar, just an idea for others in the same situation.

[@briancaleb6503]

PS I have some red ones I have done this with since 2005 still have some of it growing! Another one I have had about the same length of time does not bounch back as well and if the plant is not very large I do pot some of it up and keep in the house as a house plant til spring.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hi, Brian. Great tips for those without cool-ish places to store them over the winter.

[@LiliansGardens]

I would bring my geraniums into the shed this winter. Thanks

[@tannenbaumgirl3100]

Our shed (polebarn) gets -40F /-40C in winter... its impossible to store anything unheated.

[@marilynhall3434]

I left my Ivy Geranium in the pot near a window over winter last year, giving it a little water occasionally. It did great!

[@SusansInTheGarden]

I did the same this past winter, and it did so much better.

[@sisterinchrist8312]

We’ve had such mild winters the last two winters... l left my geraniums outside in their original pots... fertilized in the spring and they have grown wonderfully... however, I did purchase some that I planted in the ground this year... going try your method... thank you for the video!

[@tootsiebella8766]

My son died3 yrs ago. They were his plants so just brought them in in basement by the windows. Along January after Christmas stuff put away brought them up put in the window sill after month of light gave them some fertilizer just a little . There growing well. Outside on patio will do this again. Easy.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

I'm so sorry to hear about your son. His geraniums will be a lovely reminder of him.

[@stompthedragon4010]

This is so.easy compared to articles I' ve read!

[@johnboyle2747]

Favourite flowers

[@smokynmonkee5054]

Thank you my grandfather had a greenhouse were he grew geraniums and shrubs

[@robertkalclus9892]

I'm from north of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and I remember my mother keeping geraniums alive all winter long. They did quite well and she would move some of them outdoors in the spring. I don't think she did anything special other than water them. They always looked healthy. I've got one geranium to survive over winter but feel I could have done a lot better. I'll try to change what I did for it this time. The year before I had a few more in the house over winter but they got caught when we had a sudden dump of snow and everything froze.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hi, Robert. What your mother used to do is another method and it works well if you can provide them with a fair amount of light. My problem is that I don't have enough space to keep them in pots indoors all winter long.

[@robertkalclus9892]

@@SusansInTheGarden I can understand that. I wish I had more room myself. I've added grow lights because my house faces west so I don't get a lot of sunlight in the room till later in the day. Thanks for the video as I do have room to store plants the way you describe. I enjoy having them that I don't want to lose them.

[@MrMonet111]

I bring the cut off blossoms and enjoy them in the house for about 10 days!

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Great idea!

[@TestimoniesofGodinAction-xf8yw]

When repotting, do I have to put them in a window or keep them in the basement? Our frost-free date isn't until May so February seems too early to repot.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Our frost free date is in late May, too, so you still want to go with the schedule I laid out in the video. When you repot them in February, move them to a bright room so they can start growing and developing new leaves. The period between February and your frost free date is solely for giving them the time to grow new roots and leaves indoors, where they’re safe from the weather.

[@donnamullins2089]

That looks interesting. No basements here. I will try the prune back and over winter in the garage. They are in a hanging basket and I do nave a window in my garage. Texas never has consistent temperature in the winter. Summer however Hot is our only setting. Today is October 20, 2024 at 10pm it is 66 degrees. Go figure.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

I hope they do well in your garage! Let me know.

[@donnamullins2089]

@@SusansInTheGarden will do.

[@송하와제라늄]

외국에선 그렇게 겨울동안 보관 햐는 군요 생명력이 대단하네요

[@kathyjames9250]

Hi Susan! I don’t have lots of room either, but I (used to) pull rank and elbow other things out of the way. Now, my daughter’s cat eats the leaves so I stopped when they moved in!

[@lisaalexander1102]

Extremely helpful video! Thank you so much for doing it! 😊🌺🌿🍄

[@nashwaran473]

BTW thank you for your lovely videos

[@missymunro7691]

I don't have a basement, could I store them in my loft thats boarded? I'm in England UK, I do have a large shed but I don't think that will protect from frost, my pressure washer didn't survive it in there.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hello! I would think so. If the area is dark and on the cool side, that should work.

[@mikec3820]

i bonsai'ed a pink geranium this year for my daughter. kept the root base small and keeping the flowers and leafs pruned back. will see how well it does over winter under my lights

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hi, Mike. I look forward to hearing back from you at the end of next winter!

[@rayansir7091]

Thank you so much for nice information, what about roses and hydrangea? Please advise

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hi there. I'm not sure what you're referring to about roses and hydrangeas since they should make it through the winter outdoors just fine. Can you please clarify your question? Thank you!

[@rayansir7091]

Thank you for quick response. Yes, I was asking, Can we leave hydrangeas and any types of roses outside as it is? What others flowers can we keep same like Geraniums? Can I keep in my cold room in basement without heating. Please advise all

[@Linda-9037]

All of those trimmings of the Vining geranium can be just stuck into the ground in another pot and they will root giving you more plants. NEVER just throw away geranium trimmings...they root very well by just sticking them into the ground. and they make cute extra plants for you.

[@stompthedragon4010]

Awesome! They are all so beautiful and I can never afford the big, fancy baskets. If they are that essy to propagate buying one would be worth it.

[@veemcg3682]

I'm going to try building up my collection this way too. Thanks for the tip....I'm growing on a tight budget too and love it when others share their good ideas. I'm trying more edibles as well cause I'm a bit isolated and it's not easy getting to shops as I'm shielding at home still.

[@easydutchflemish]

Thank you. Very usefull !

[@nataliaturkestanskaya6736]

Thank you for geranium video. it is very detailed and helps me with ideas for next winter.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

My pleasure, Natalia.

[@wanevacook5675]

Is fish fertilizer readily available in most Garden Center? I tried leaving my in the pot over the winter. I left them on my patio setting back close to the wall from the open air. I brought them inside during the ice storm until the hard cold days past and check on them regularly.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Yes, the most common brand is Alaska Fish Fertilizer. You can definitely leave your geraniums in their pots indoors during the winter months. I do it this way because I don't have room for all of the pots.

[@marysmith9934]

When I lived in New England I would clean them and hang them from the beams in the basement. Now, I'm in the South, so they overwinter in the garden shed.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

I wish I could do that! Our wintertime temps can get down to -20 degrees F. so that's not an option.

[@sarapulford5957]

@@SusansInTheGarden 🇬🇧 crikey that's COLD.

[@elainefleischmann4175]

@@SusansInTheGarden Empathy here. Same here where we live, in Northwest BC, Canada, just below Alaska.

[@chrisdefilipps327]

This is my method also, trimming them way back.

[@pratibhadodamani2317]

Thank you Susan for the information. I wanted to know do we have to give any food for them while they are inside.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hello. If you use the method that I outline in the video, no, they don't need any fertilizer. And actually, if you just move pots of the geraniums indoors for the winter (rather than storing them in a box), you shouldn't fertilize them either.

[@joebloggs619]

I just finished cutting down and fill g three large wheelie trash bins full of geraniums and pelargoniums that have basically grown wild here and become a pest, but squeezing out all the other flowers. But, I elsewhere in my state, and I I couldn't even get one pathetic common red geranium to grow. They seem to love hot sun and can also tolerate shade but hate the cold, but though they might grow in doors over winter, in a sunnier spot eg a porch or sun room.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

That's frustrating. I grow mine on our north-facing front porch, where they get some morning and afternoon sun.

[@RigbythePuppy]

Might I ask what zone you live in? I live in 5 a and we can get frost right up until mid May.knowing that, when would you recommend that I pot up the geraniums?

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hi there. I'm in zone 5b. It's important to pot up the geraniums in Feb. but keep them INSIDE! You want to give them a chance to grow leaves and a good root system. You won't move them outdoors until after the danger of frost has passed. Where I live, that's usually around mid-May as well.

[@RigbythePuppy]

@@SusansInTheGarden Thankyou. I’ll be sure to keep potting soil and pots close by then, otherwise I won’t find them under all the snow!

[@ricklee437]

I live in Zone 3 and have a heated garage which I keep at 45 degrees. Would that be too cold to store over the winter?

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hi, Rick. Boy, that's hard to say. It might be a bit on the cool side for them.

[@NancyRogers1]

This was SO very clearly explained. Thank you. QUESTION: In early February, when you pot up the geraniums and feed with fish emulsion fertilizer, do the pots stay in the basement or do you take them up to the house? If you take them upstairs, do you put them in bright light? Many thanks.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hi, Nancy. I'm sorry I wasn't more clear in the video. Once they're potted up, they need to go to an area (indoors) that gets a lot of light. I put mine on the inside of our south-facing sliding glass door. They need to grow for a while and essentially recover from the winter before they can go outside once the danger of frost has passed.

[@davidhunter5062]

Thanks for asking I had the same question.

[@MrRatherino]

Wouldn't DARE DREAM consign my beloved/and some decade old gerries to the basement. Have overwintered them in winter sun window for years..3rd time charm indeed! PS no fertilizer til time change...

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Whatever works best for you is the way to go!

[@mh605]

What zone are you in? I'm in Minnesota, in zone 4. In early February, it's still winter. We don't get spring until April or May. We pass the last frost possibility in mid-May. When you take the geraniums from the box and pot them, do you still leave them in the dark basement then? And is the time you do that dependent on when you will have spring outside?

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hi there. I'm in Spokane, Wash., zone 5b, so in February, it is most definitely still winter here! Our frost-free growing season begins in mid-May, but it's important to let the plants start growing indoors so they are ready to be moved outdoors when it's warm enough. When I pot mine up in Feb., I move them to a bright location (usually on the inside of our south-facing sliding glass door) and let them put on some new growth for about 3 weeks. I also give them some nitrogen fertilizer to encourage that green growth. After a few weeks, I prune them back a bit to remove leggy branches so the plants are more compact. About a week before it should be safe to move them outdoors, I begin hardening them off by slowly exposing them to more light and the outdoor temperatures (1 hour the first day, 2 hours the next, and so on). I hope this helps.

[@mh605]

@@SusansInTheGarden Thanks! :-)

[@anasimpson3181]

Did you trimmed the roots ? I notice when you put them in the box, that the roots look short? But we did not see, if you did ?

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hi, Ana. No, I didn't trim the roots. The container-grown geraniums seem to have smaller root systems and I'm really not sure why because I give them plenty of water and fertilizer. Perhaps they would have larger roots if their pots were in a sunnier location.

[@TinaWells143]

My geraniums overwinter outside in their pots or the ground but I live in CA, not sure where you are but my mom told me how her grandmother would hang them in her basement during the winter in the midwest

[@sixkeets]

I hung the geraniums upside down in my basement. I've never seen such beautiful plants/flowers the next year. Unfortunately, not all homes have a basement.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

That is so true!

[@carolinemontes5864]

Thank you for this informative video. When is the best time to plant geraniums in the garden?

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hi, Caroline. Any time after the danger of frost has passed.

[@carmengarceau2943]

Hi Susan, I potted my Geraniums a few weeks ago after overwintering them. I had to cut them back as they were very leggy. They are doing great. Have alot of buds already. I have them in a sunny window until it is time to plant them outside. I have been watering them when the top of the soil gets dry. I don't let the water run out of the bottom of the pots. Should I ?

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hi, Carmen. Either way will work but I think you're doing a great job. If you do water them until water runs out of the bottom of the pots, though, make sure you empty any type of tray or other container that the pots are sitting on, so they won't be sitting in water. Roots don't like that one bit!

[@carmengarceau2943]

@@SusansInTheGarden Thank you so much. I will definitely do this. I am so glad I found you a while ago. I never knew I could overwinter my Geraniums. It's so exciting to take them out of the box after some months and see the beginnings of new growth. It's so amazing and I owe it all to you. Thank you again for your advice. 🌱

[@SusansInTheGarden]

@@carmengarceau2943 Thank you, Carmen! It's an amazing process!

[@davedesmond1713]

Hi Susan...in z6b...Thanks for all your information! I really like Ivy Geraniums and will try your suggestions on overwintering them. In fact I try to add different colors each year. So I will cut the back and place them in a south window. I guess I will keep them slightly moist throughout the overwintering process. Right? Thanks again!

[@Animalkisser]

Interesting method! However, I overwinter them in a non-heated room and they have been doing great for eight years.

[@SusansInTheGarden]

And that is great. Always go with what works best for you. In my case, I don't have room for all of the pots of geraniums, or enough sunny spots to put them indoors.

[@Animalkisser]

@@SusansInTheGarden I enjoy them all year round.

[@francescamocerithibert2937]

Thankyou so much i will try that too 👌

[@gretchenpatrick5585]

I'm in zone 6b-7 and don't have a basement. I've been able to overwinter amaryllis bulbs in the garage by either keeping them in the pots or putting individual bulbs in burlap. If the temps in the garage get in the 30's is that too cold to do this method for geraniums? How about putting a blanket over the box just in case? Great video!

[@SusansInTheGarden]

Hi, Gretchen. I'm afraid temps below 40 degrees are just too cold for geraniums. You could certainly try the thick blanket method when it gets colder but the plants also need to get some oxygen. Do you have a cool, dark closet you could use?