over-wintering geraniums

[cmb]

Please can anyone tell me how to keep my geraniums in an un-heated greenhouse during the winter.Last year they just went mouldy and I had to throw them away.

[Flummery]

Keping them dry is the secret. I kept a couple of plant over last winter and took cuttings in the spring. They flowered well but I'm not going to bother this year. The new 'stcok plants' are smaller and rattier than last years. They seem to deteriorate in quality - or maybe my goriwng methods don't suit them!

[Terryr]

Hi there

I have had great success with digging up the plants, cutting them back and sticking them in pots. Kept quite dry in the spare room where it gets cold but not freezing. Plants grow away quickly in spring in cold greenhouse giving me large ones to plant out. I take some spring cuttings as well.

Terry

[Two_Sheds]

I cut off most of the foliage (don't worry, more will grow in the spring). Just leave about a pair of leaves per stem.
Keep the plant on the dry side, as others have said.

[andrewo]

Are you talking pelargoniums? Geraniums are naturally hardy. Pelargoniums can be got through winter in two ways, keep them dry and under a cloche within the greenhouse and leave a few leaves on, water but as stated keep them on the dry side. You could have also taken cuttings, and may still be able too, and that way you won't lose anything. Most pelargoniums do well in the first year and in successive years can flower less depending on the type, so best to treat them as annuals and take cuttings.

[nick the grief]

A lot depends on what they are. If they are F1 or F2 hybrids don't bother it's better to grow new ones from seed as they loose hybrid vigour in subsequent years. if they are named varieties then I used to do 1 of two things,

1. Knock them out of the pots and go over them and remove and dead or dying bit's - they are a source of your fungal problems. Then give them a spray over with a fungicide or a 10% solution of fresh tap water and household bleach and leave to dry on the staging. Pot up in fresh compost (3 parts compost to 1 part grit or perlite) in a clean pot (save bringing in potential source of fungus on the pots)
2. Take a load of cuttings in a about 6-8 in a 5" half pot and keep them on the dry side. if you have frost cover with fleece. but remove it on warm days to allow air to flow thru them. Polystyrene fish boxes from the local chippy are excellent as they have drainage holes to allow excess water to drain away, they are warm and so help keep the pots warm and being white reflect light! - only problem is they pong of fish at first
   

I used to use a combination of the two ( belt and braces as they say) and it was always successful for me, but best of all on a really warm sunny day, open the greenhouse up and let the air change - it helps no end as I would bet that it was botrytis that saw your plants off

[vicky]

I too have had better luck by taking cuttings now, the older plants (if they don't mould) don't seem to get through the winter so well. As other have said, keep them on the dry side

[Hazel at the Hill]

Easy - stick the plants on the bright windowsill of in the very cool bedroom - no central heating at all is best - don't water them at all during the winter. Don't worry if the inhabitant of the spare room catches a severe chill, or catches the leaves when opening and closing the curtains, thus releasing a unique geranium aroma which they may or not appreciate.

The plants will be quite happy to be taken out next spring for a fantistic show.

The spare room inhabitant who can't stand the niff and has had to endure this all winter in an unheated bedroom may never forgive you, of course, however if this is your daughter home from university it may encourage her to move on in the natural course of things.

Worked for me - can't stand bloody geraniums!