mmm not sure about poly tunnels, i'm sure someone will know, do they stay frost free? i put mine in a north facing lean too which gets really cold at night & i didn't bring them in to the house till probably feb, like i said before they were totally neglected from probably nov - feb when i actually watered them and repotted, they do root pretty quickly, so i'm guessing once they have roots they go into hibernation, i would think they would need some light but tbh i don't know.
btw i wouldn't recommend my method of neglect, i'm just telling you how it happened to work out for me and that if you do neglect them lol try repotting and watering as i did, this yr i shall try and not be neglectful, hence why i can grow things in the garden but have no houseplants
What about if you take them indoors, into your house, but put them somewhere where there is light, but not much? At least it will be warm. No window sill space left so would a table a little away from a window work? Do you have to trim the pelagornium down, or let the flowers finish naturally? I have been deadheading but just wondered what you do when bringing in for winter.
Hi Wakeshine. They do need light otherwise they grow very spindly. You can cut off some of the top growth so that the plants take up as little space as possible while they overwinter. Reduce watering to a minimum. Sheds are too dark for them.
Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
Thanks Ladybird. And does anyone know what's the lowest temperature they can tolerate outside before bringing in? Getting cold where I am. I don't really know when I'm supposed to bring them and other plants in.
They can usually survive the first frost but too much cold and they'll die off pretty quickly. I usually bring mine inside about the time of the first frost when also digging up the dahlia tubers.
Thank you for this guidance. I have no idea when the first frost is going to be. Also without a greenhouse I find it hard to find the right balance of heat and light. I never know which is more important for plants - the right temperature or the right light requirements.
No, of course but once it comes your geraniums should survive it, so if you've not already brought them in (because the forecast said it was coming the day before) then that's the time to do it.
My geraniums flowered all through last autumn and winter keeping them in my conservatory. I don't know that you need to keep them in conditions where they're still growing or even flowering, often surviving is good enough. So, you really only need enough heat to keep them from dying and likewise with light.
Hello. I have only ever done geraniums in water (small jar on a windowsill in the kitchen), and they seem to take happily that way from a growing shoot. I have also done heucheras in water when my original plants were (nearly) destroyed by vine weevil - I dissected anything that was still intact and am now overrun by heucheras instead!
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I have tried them in a shed and it was simply too dark, like you said. Would they be OK outside in a polytunnel?
mmm not sure about poly tunnels, i'm sure someone will know, do they stay frost free? i put mine in a north facing lean too which gets really cold at night & i didn't bring them in to the house till probably feb, like i said before they were totally neglected from probably nov - feb when i actually watered them and repotted, they do root pretty quickly, so i'm guessing once they have roots they go into hibernation, i would think they would need some light but tbh i don't know.
btw i wouldn't recommend my method of neglect, i'm just telling you how it happened to work out for me and that if you do neglect them lol try repotting and watering as i did, this yr i shall try and not be neglectful, hence why i can grow things in the garden but have no houseplants
What about if you take them indoors, into your house, but put them somewhere where there is light, but not much? At least it will be warm. No window sill space left so would a table a little away from a window work? Do you have to trim the pelagornium down, or let the flowers finish naturally? I have been deadheading but just wondered what you do when bringing in for winter.
Hi Wakeshine. They do need light otherwise they grow very spindly. You can cut off some of the top growth so that the plants take up as little space as possible while they overwinter. Reduce watering to a minimum. Sheds are too dark for them.
Thanks Ladybird. And does anyone know what's the lowest temperature they can tolerate outside before bringing in? Getting cold where I am. I don't really know when I'm supposed to bring them and other plants in.
They can usually survive the first frost but too much cold and they'll die off pretty quickly. I usually bring mine inside about the time of the first frost when also digging up the dahlia tubers.
Thank you for this guidance. I have no idea when the first frost is going to be. Also without a greenhouse I find it hard to find the right balance of heat and light. I never know which is more important for plants - the right temperature or the right light requirements.
No, of course but once it comes your geraniums should survive it, so if you've not already brought them in (because the forecast said it was coming the day before) then that's the time to do it.
My geraniums flowered all through last autumn and winter keeping them in my conservatory. I don't know that you need to keep them in conditions where they're still growing or even flowering, often surviving is good enough. So, you really only need enough heat to keep them from dying and likewise with light.
Hello. I have only ever done geraniums in water (small jar on a windowsill in the kitchen), and they seem to take happily that way from a growing shoot. I have also done heucheras in water when my original plants were (nearly) destroyed by vine weevil - I dissected anything that was still intact and am now overrun by heucheras instead!
Good luck!