Overwintering geraniums ( pelargoniums)

[Nicos]

We have about 40 decent sized plants and every year I manage to kill off all but a couple.
Tis blinking expensive to keep replacing them each year

Thing is....We have no greenhouse and no windowsills.
In the past I've tried cutting them back and lightly watering them in a cool cellar ( no light)
and also doing the same thing in a cold barn with a very small amount of light.
Also tried wrapping them bare rooted in damp newspaper...
They always die.

seeing as bringing them indoors isn't an option are there any other things I could try doing?????

Any tips would be welcome!!!!!!

[Jungle Jane]

I don't have a greenhouse,Ive kept one pink geranium plant going for a few years by putting it next to the house wall facing southwest & surrounding it with other pots. Last year I bought twenty plug plants for about £3.99 it was cheaper than buying a packet of seed,which had less seeds than twenty but I'm wondering will these overwinter as well as the geraniums I grew from seed,I will try. Forty plants is a lot more than Ive tried,maybe add fleece for frost protection too to make a material like greenhouse?

[Nicos]

Good idea

How much should they be watered? I've read to keep them very dry so they don't rot, but just how dry does that mean????

[Jungle Jane]

I don't water the plant although rain can get in,I don't cut them down,the top bit rots in the frost but that can be cut off along with brownish leaves,just leave green leaves so it's all healthy growth on the plant. I don't have much experience with it it's just luck so far

[roitelet]

My daughter cuts them down and puts them in a dark frost free shed and doesn't water them until they show signs of life in the spring.

I can't be bothered!!!!!!

[Paulie]

One option is to take stem cuttings, about eight to a five inch pot of sandy compost. A little bit of water once a month. You'd still need to find a bit of space, but this works for me. Young pelargoniums seem to flower well, too.

[rary]

Whats the lowest temperature you get over the winter Nicos? you could always plant some of them in the garden about three inches below soil level then cut the stems one inch above the ground cover them with four or five inches of straw then cover that with soil, in the spring dig them out and if they have survived you will have lots of plants as all the stems will have put out roots, on the other hand if they dont come through the winter what have you lost, the remainder plant them into a big tub covering them with compost, again an inch above their pot soil level trim about three inches above the planted level and keep in your cool cellar, do not water till spring, remember if you dont try you will never know

[mothhawk]

Pelargoniums are South Africans, so they like heat, light and drought. I find they won't tolerate the tiniest bit of frost, but will go all winter without a drop of water, the leaves shrivel and drop off, but cheerfully start to sprout again in spring.

If you've no windowsills can you line them up on the floor against an inside wall in a spare bedroom? If you have no space can you save the best two or three for cuttings next spring? Easier than trying to save 40.

If the only place is the cellar, wait until the compost is absolutely bone dry so there is no chance the roots can rot, and don't be tempted to water at all.

[roitelet]

My daughter cuts them down and puts them in a dark frost free shed and doesn't water them until they show signs of life in the spring.

I can't be bothered!!!!!!

Forgot to mention she lives in Holland and it gets cold there.

[Nicos]

Winter night temperatures can be as low as -18C.....but more often only as low as -11C

I think they will deffo need to be indoors during the coldest part of winter.
The cellar temperature is generally as low as 8C, but there is no light in there.

So....back to the idea of the cellar....should they be bare rooted and wrapped in paper-and spray the roots from time to time?( I've never succeeded with this) or left in their dry soil filled pots?

If the latter, how would I know when to water a teeny amount in the Spring?

Our last frost date has been as late as the 9th June!!!!!!...so this really is storing them frost free for 7 months!!!!...Tis no wonder I've not made a huuuge effort in the past is it?

[SelkirkAlex]

and I thought growing in scotland was tough

[veggiechicken]

You could try Method 3 - hanging upside down from your cellar roof. (That's the plants not you, Nicos ) https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=338
My granddad used to do this with his geraniums.

I'm a Methods 1 & 2 kind of chook - cutting them back now and storing in their pots under the bench in the GH. Very little water overwinter.
The best of the cutback bits are poked into the pots and called "cuttings".

[Nicos]

and I thought growing in scotland was tough

Just goes to show doesn't it?....we have to contend with temps up to 35C in the summer too!
Not many plants enjoy both extremes of climate.

[Nicos]

Nice one VC...not heard of the hanging method ...

So-I'll have a bash at all of those methods suggested.
Thanks peeps!

[veggiechicken]

Don't forget to report back on which is the most successful.
We're forecast down to 4C tonight so I've just moved a few more geraniums into the GH. Still some in hanging baskets, hopefully they're a bit protected by the house wall.