Don’t Throw Your Geraniums Away (Save Them Before First Frost), by NatureBuz on YouTube. 10 min 17 s.
- Video length
- 10 min 17 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Lift your geraniums a day or two before the first frost is due. Pot them up or dig them with a root ball, then check the leaves for pests.
Method 1: stand the whole plant on a cool, bright windowsill indoors. Keep it away from radiators and hot rooms, which push out weak, leggy growth.
Water only when the compost feels dry, and then just a little. In winter, too much kindness, warm air and wet soil cause most losses.
Method 2: take 8 to 10 cm cuttings from healthy shoots that are not flowering. Strip the lower leaves, push each cutting into free-draining compost and keep it barely moist.
Method 3: if you have sturdy plants and no windowsill space, dig them up, shake off the soil and hang them upside down or lay them in a cardboard box.
Store the box in a cool, frost-free, dark place such as a shed or garage. Check every two weeks and remove any soft or mouldy stems.
In early spring, cut the plants back to healthy growth, repot them in fresh compost and start watering. Move them into brighter light gradually.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep winter plants cool, around 5 to 10 degrees C, bright and airy rather than warm and dark.
Use a clean, sharp knife for cuttings and always cut away from your fingers.
Never let pots sit in water; empty the saucer after each watering.
Label cuttings with the variety and date so you know what you have in spring.
Questions
Can I overwinter geraniums in a dark garage?
Yes, use the dormant method. Dig the plants up, shake off the soil and store them in a cool, frost-free, dark place, checking them every few weeks.
When should I take geranium cuttings?
Take them in late summer or early autumn, before the first frost, from healthy shoots that are not flowering.
Will my geraniums flower again next year?
Yes, if they get a cool, bright rest over winter and a spring cutback with fresh compost and water.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
