Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Overwintering geraniums
In the last couple of years I’ve heard more and more people overwintering geraniums. So, today, after seeing the University of Minnesota Extension jump into it, I thought I would share their information.
Full disclosure, I have not attempted this but my sister did and had some success.
Geraniums can be overwintered indoors by taking cuttings, potting up individual plants or storing bare-root plants in a cool, dry location. Make sure to do one or all of these things before the first hard frost.
To treat them like bulbs you can overwinter them as bareroot plants. Again, before the first frost, dig them up, remove the soil from the roots, place 1 or 2 plants in a paper bag or hang them and place in a cool, dry location. In March, you remove the shriveled foliage and pot them up. Then place in a sunny window or artificial light and when it’s time to plant them outdoors, you should have nice looking plants already!
For cuttings, take 3 to 4 inch cuttings from the tip of the plants, remove the lower leaves and dip them in rooting hormone. Stick the cuttings into a pot or flat with drainage holes containing vermiculite or a 50/50 mix of perlite and sphagnum peat moss. Make sure the cuttings are in far enough so they can stand on their own. Water till it drains out the bottom then cover with plastic. Place in bright, indirect light and in about 6 weeks they’ll have a root system. Remove them and pot them up individually, place in sunny window till spring.