Scented geraniums exude an intense aroma of mint, apple, lemon or rose - a wonderful treat on the summer balcony. But summer is inevitably followed by winter - a time when plants that are not hardy should definitely be moved to their winter quarters. Before that, however, the scented geraniums are cut back heavily.
How should you cut scented geraniums correctly?
Scented geraniums should be cut back to 10-20 cm before winter quarters. Remove shoot tips, flowers, buds and almost all leaves. Alternatively, mild autumn pruning and heavy pruning in spring before the first shoots can be carried out to encourage new flower shoots.
Pruning scented geraniums before the winter break
The scented geraniums should be placed in their winter quarters before the first frost. For space-saving and low-maintenance wintering, you can cut the plants back as follows:
- Remove shoot tips, flowers and buds
- and almost all leaves.
- Now shorten the bare stems back to about 10 to 20 centimeters.
- This depends on the size of your plant.
- Now take the plants out of their planters
- and remove excess soil.
- Pack the root ball in a plastic bag.
- Store the bare geranium hanging upside down in a cool and dark place.
- The ideal temperatures are between eight and ten degrees Celsius.
This overwintering method has the advantage that you do not have to water the scented geranium in winter - the plastic film ensures that the plant does not dry out.
Alternative spring pruning possible
Instead, you can of course also decide to leave your scented geranium in its planter and also to overwinter it in a bright place. In this case, the plant is cut back as follows:
- Only cut back long and weak shoots in autumn.
- Buds and flowers should also be removed.
- Overwinter the plant as usual
- and finally cut it back to 10 to 20 centimeters in spring.
- This cut should be done before the first shoots appear
- and is necessary because scented geraniums only bloom on new shoots.
Severe pruning is of course also possible in autumn, but if the plant overwinteres in a bright light, it often grows rotten shoots, which then have to be cut back.
Tip
Scented geraniums that have been cut back very heavily should be slowly awakened from hibernation from February onwards. To do this, plant the flowers in fresh substrate and place them in a bright but not too warm place. Slowly increase the amount of watering and start fertilizing from around April.