Overwintering geraniums

angie4 · November 2022

I don’t have room in my house to overwinter my many geraniums in pots. Has anyone tried the Victorian method of wrapping them in newspaper and sticking them under the bed?! Surely the lack of light can’t be good for them? And do you cut them back now or in spring? Thanks all.

Fairygirl · November 2022

I'm guessing you mean pelargoniums @angie4.

My mum used to keep hers in the porch, and they grew over winter due to the boiler being in there!
Most people tend to keep them on a windowsill or similar, cool - but with light, so I don't know how well having them under the bed would work! A bit like storing dahlias though. Perhaps better with some light - I'd be worried about them getting a bit mouldy etc, but maybe most folk's bedrooms are warmer than mine

You can cut them back and use the material for cuttings to make new plants.

Plantminded · November 2022

Pelargoniums are tender and often treated as annuals although they can survive for longer. They originate from warmer climates and don't have a dormancy period in the UK so depriving them of light, air and water is likely to be problematic! The video in this link is helpful:

How to Overwinter Geraniums | Blog at Thompson & Morgan (thompson-morgan.com)

angie4 · November 2022

Hi Plantminded, yes I normally stick them on windowsills in the house and keep them fairly dry over the winter, but I’ve got too many of them now and they’ve grown bigger, hence I wondered about the possibility of unpotting them and storing them, maybe in a box, covered with a bit of slightly damp compost?

Plantminded · November 2022

You could try that, but without light I don't think they'll be very happy, they are not like bulbs and tubers. If you have a sheltered spot close to your house wall, under the eaves, it would be worth trying that and maybe surround them with pots of any hardy plants you may have for added protection (eg Phormium, Buxus, Euonymus). Have some horticultural fleece on hand to cover then overnight if a frost is forecast. You could try both methods and report back here in the Spring! (My neighbour keeps his outdoors over winter on some steps in a corner of his garden and they come back each year, it really depends on your winter temperatures and rainfall.)

angie4 · November 2022

Speaking of rainfall, I’ve had to bring the geraniums indoors already as it’s been so wet, and I don’t think they like it. Not sure I’d risk leaving them outside here in North Yorkshire, even in a mild winter! I think I’ll just kind of squish them together in a few large pots, upright, on any available windowsill, and hope for the best. And just as an experiment, I’ll wrap one in newspaper and see what happens next spring! Then I’ll give them nice fresh compost in the spring. Thanks for your input, I really appreciate it.

Fairygirl · November 2022

No - they'd be unlikely to survive outside where you are

Experiment if you have plenty, but I can't see that they'd do well with no light. Keep them on the dry side too. As with many plants which aren't 100% hardy, it's wet cold that does for them far more readily than frost, although that's also dependant on your location. Once you get below minus 5, that's a different ball game altogether.
I've often lost them in late October/early November because we can get those temps at that time of year. I don't grow them very often, so I tend to forget I have them and need to bring them inside!

Plantminded · November 2022

Yes, I agree, your location and winter conditions won’t suit them. Good luck with your endeavours!

Overwintering geraniums

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