Pelargoniums indeed Fire. Good to know that they just need a tidy up nothing to drastic then at this time of the year. Looking forward to them being out in the garden where they belong soon. My plastic greenhouse is nailed to a board nailed to the decking! Way too cold overnight in there for any non hardy plants in Scotland still!
I live in the SE UK 10 minutes from the sea, I have had scented pelargoniums outside right nexfront garden,t to my bungalow (south facing) for about 8 years. After the "Beast from the East", when we had night temps of -12, completely unheard of here, the tops went black and mushy. I thought it was time for a change anyway, but couldn't get them out of the pots, (they are in concrete planters) They came back the following spring no problem. They were very woody and rather messy.Hubby has got them up, they have had a total re-style hair cut, and re-planted. I always leave them till spring to cut back most are in a frost free greenhouse over winter. The day we moved here 16.12.2011, it was snowing hard, and a house (A REALLY NICE ONE) in the next road, had the standard reds, in tall terracota pots in their front garden all flowering!!
Lovely. I think having brought 5 indoors this year I might experiment a bit next year, dry them out or so. Good to know they don't mind a bit of a tidy up in the spring, thanks.
I have a cold greenhouse against a garage wall in wet Wales. I have for many years taken cuttings just in case. I mostly leave them in their pots and reduce watering to nothing in the winter early spring months. They are in the garden pots now even though frost about they are a lot hardier than you imagine. Just keep checking for any damaged leaves etc during the winter and let them sleep. Good luck.
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