Garden

[Annie107]

What do you do with geraniums that are still going strong?  I usually pitch them after they succumb to the frost.  This year, I'm thinking about trying to save them.  I'm not sure what variety they are - I got them at the Farmer's Market for Mother's Day.  They are in a large container with a spike plant in the middle of the pot.  Thanks so much.

[jackthebear]

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@annie7 wrote:

What do you do with geraniums that are still going strong?  I usually pitch them after they succumb to the frost.  This year, I'm thinking about trying to save them.  I'm not sure what variety they are - I got them at the Farmer's Market for Mother's Day.  They are in a large container with a spike plant in the middle of the pot.  Thanks so much.

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sometimes you can let them sit in the basement over the winter and let them go dormant.  In the spring they will come back, we have done it, not sure it is worth it though.  They don't really last in the house as it is too dry.

[GCR18]

My geraniums are going strong too.  My father always put his in the cellar and they were good the following spring.  I am giving it a try this year.  If it doesn't work, I'll pull them out next spring.

[RedTop]

My geranium is spending its second fall and winter in my daughters classroom at school.  Since my basement receives only late afternoon light for a few short hours each day, a geranium does not winter well down there.  At school, my flower becomes a special science project.  The geranium is still in bloom; the students love having the plant in their classroom, and getting their turn to water it.  

[Carmie]

I once owned a home with 14 inch window sills.  One fall day I brought my geraniums in and put them on the window sills on the south side of the house.  They were there for years.  The plants filled a 72 inch high window from sill to the top of the window.  They bloomed all year around.

Early each spring, I would snip a small section of the plant off and place the cutting in water.  The cuttings always rooted and I would plant them in potting soil and take them outdoors each summer.

I never purchased any more geraniums while I lived there.  The mother plants provided baby plants for me.

The house where I live now does not have any really sunny windows and I have no window sills to speak of.

I have never tried to winter them over in the basement or garage, but I know they will do well inside in a very sunny window,

[DiAnne]

When I lived Southern California they just grew all year.  I now live in the Pacific Northwest.  The first couple of years I tried to over winter them but was unsuccessful - they either died or were straggly looking.  Now I just replace them every year with geraniums that Costco brings in from Canada.  They are beautiful. 

[kitty60]

I bring mine into the garage and put back out in the spring. 

[pattypeep]

Here in the PNW, our master gardener always suggests putting plants in a garage or other outdoor bldg. placing them near a window. Then, he says, water them on holidays. I've done so with some success; however, it takes so long for them to bloom that I just buy new each year. We've had two very mild winters and my geraniums have actually survived outside. Score !

[151949]

We have geraniums in a large pot that are 5 years old now. They are also huge. We take them with us to pittsburgh for the summer and back to Fl for the winter every year. They look like a bush now instead of a flower but the leaves are full and beautiful and they flower constantly. Right now they are in a pot that is 3ft across but I fear they will need repotted soon, as they come out around that pot about 6 to 10 inches all the way around.I think the OP should try bringing her's inside and put them in a sunny window. 

[lulu2]

I brought 2 large pots of geraniums inside this morning. (left 4 pots outside as I do not have room or the patience for all of them)

One year I tried hanging individual plants upside down in the cellar over the winter.  They did come alive in the spring but they were not particularly full.