Geraniums (or pelargoniums, as the plants are called botanically) beautify many balconies in summer. But what to do with the extremely temperature-sensitive plants as soon as frost threatens? We present you a way to overwinter your geraniums in a hole in the ground instead of throwing them away.
How to overwinter geraniums outside?
To overwinter geraniums outside, you should bury them in a hole in the ground that is at least 80 cm deep and lined with leaves or straw. However, this method only works in regions with mild winters and temperatures above 5 degrees Celsius.
Geraniums do not tolerate frost
First of all: Geraniums come from the always hot and dry desert regions of Southeast Africa and are therefore absolutely not hardy in our latitudes. It is often said that plants should not be exposed to temperatures below 10 °C, but this is not true. Quite the opposite: Geraniums should even overwinter at temperatures between five and a maximum of ten degrees so that they do not sprout prematurely. It just can't get any colder, because frost is deadly for the sensitive plants.
Will geraniums overwinter in a hole in the ground?
But what do you do if you don't have the opportunity to overwinter geraniums in the house? If you live in a region where it doesn't get colder than a few degrees below zero, you can bury your specimens in a hole in the ground over the winter. This should be at least 80 centimeters deep and padded with leaves, straw, etc. The geraniums are cut back heavily before burying.
Tip
However, this type of wintering is not recommended because it only works in really mild winters. You can also overwinter the geraniums in the basement, stairwell or similar.
