Although geraniums (which, by the way, are actually called pelargoniums) are very common on German balconies, they actually come from the rather dry and hot desert areas of southeastern Africa - so it's no wonder that the popular flowers aren't here are hardy. Many balcony gardeners forego overwintering, but you can save geraniums over the winter in a very space-saving manner and in the dark.
How can you overwinter and hang geraniums to save space?
To save space and hang geraniums over the winter, you should prune them before the first frost, shorten the roots and hang the plants upside down in plastic bags in the dark, cool cellar.
Overwinter and hang geraniums to save space
Before overwintering, drastic pruning is necessary before the first frost, in which you remove all leaves, flowers and buds and also shorten the half-ripe shoots. The naked geraniums are now removed from the planter and carefully separated. Now remove excess soil from the rootstock and then cut back or thin out the roots. Finally, the rootstock can be easily packed and sealed in a transparent plastic bag (€8.00 on Amazon) (e.g. a freezer bag). Now hang the geranium upside down in a suitable place - for example in a dark, cool basement - so that the roots point upwards.
Tip
If you hang the geraniums, you should definitely do so upside down. This allows the remaining moisture from the roots to flow more easily into the plant, so that it is supplied with moisture throughout the winter and does not need to be watered.
