On Geranium: Here’s How to Help This Plant Survive the Winter
Geraniums are plants that can produce pink, blue, white, or even red flowers. Geraniums that can be grown as annuals belong to the Pelargonium species, while perennial geraniums, grown in the garden, are hardy and resistant to extreme cold. If you’ve decided to grow geraniums on your balconies or terraces, keep in mind that these indoor plants have a hardy winter. Here are our tips for maintaining and overwintering them.
A favorite with gardeners, geraniums boast beautiful blooms that last from May to October and evergreen, decorative foliage. There are many varieties of geraniums that decorate balconies, flower boxes, hanging baskets, and flowerbeds. But even though they’re easy to grow, geraniums don’t withstand winter frosts very well. In this article, we’ll give you our tips for overwintering geraniums and protecting them from the first frosts.
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How to preserve geraniums during the winter?
To preserve your geraniums before winter, first consider pruning your plants. Using scissors or pruning shears, cut off faded flowers and damaged stems. This should be done before the first frost to protect your plants.
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If your geraniums are grown in the ground, do so
Carefully remove the plants from the ground to avoid damaging the roots, then cut the branches above the root collar. Next, remove faded flowers and dead leaves before cutting the roots. Then, prune the stems to 10-15 centimeters. After that, two options are possible:
You can plant geraniums in planters to protect them from the winter cold.
You can hang geraniums from a tightrope, making sure to provide the plants with optimal growing conditions.
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If your geraniums were grown in a planter or pot, here’s how to protect them
Remove any wilted, yellowed, or dead stems and cut them back to 10 to 15 centimeters. This will protect them from frost, but it will also eliminate pests and diseased parts of your plants. To avoid any risk of contamination, do not compost these damaged parts. However, you can take geranium cuttings using healthy stems. This will allow you to grow geraniums during the summer months. In good weather, you can place the containers in a frost-free location and expose them to light and a temperature between 8 and 15°C. Choose a conservatory, garden shed, or garage with a window. Be sure to remove any cups that retain moisture and ensure the area is well ventilated.
Also read: Pour some on your geraniums to make them bloom quickly: they have never been so lush
How to care for geraniums during winter?
During the winter, it is not necessary to water the plants. In fact, it is recommended to avoid watering geraniums, especially during periods of frost. However, be careful not to let the leaves wilt. From the end of February, you can gradually resume watering.
How to care for geraniums after winter?
As soon as the winter period ends, when you notice that your geraniums’ vegetation is beginning to recover, you will need to provide them with water and light. You can repot the geraniums in a planter and offer them new soil. At the beginning of spring, you can place your plants in the shade for a few days, then in partial shade, and finally in the sun to gradually help them adapt to outdoor temperatures. Then, your plants can be planted outdoors with suitable potting soil to prepare for flowering when the warmer weather arrives.
Also read: Pour some on your geraniums and they will bloom immediately: they will always be as luxuriant