Geraniums (or pelargoniums, as botanists correctly call them) are not hardy, but can be overwintered to save space. All you have to do is wrap the bare-root plants in newspaper and store them in a dark cellar (or in the attic) at temperatures between five and ten degrees Celsius. Furthermore, you only need to spray the plants with water occasionally over the winter so that they don't dry out.
How can I overwinter geraniums in newspaper?
To overwinter geraniums in newspaper, pot them up before the first frost, cut them back vigorously, remove leaves and flowers and shorten the roots. Wrap the bare-root geraniums in newspaper and store them at 5-10 °C in a dark cellar or attic. Spray occasionally.
Preparing and cutting back geraniums
But before you overwinter the geraniums, well wrapped in newspaper, you first have to prepare them. Plus
- pot them out of their planters before the first frost
- cut them back vigorously
- and remove all leaves as well as any remaining flowers and buds
- shake the soil from the rootstock (any residue can remain)
- and also shorten the roots
- Thin and weak roots in particular should be cut back.
Now you can roll the leafless and bare root geraniums in newspaper, where you can either wrap just the rootstock or the entire plant.
Properly store and care for packaged geraniums
Now place the plants next to each other in a box or stair. Then place them in the basement or attic, provided it is dark and cool there. Temperatures between five and ten degrees Celsius are optimal. Don't forget to spray the geraniums with a little water from a spray bottle (€8.00 on Amazon) from time to time - this way the shoots don't dry out. From February, but no later than March, you can finally take the geraniums out again and pot them properly. Don't expose the plants yet, but slowly get them used to rising temperatures and increasing brightness. At the beginning, temperatures between 10 and 15 °C are just right.
Tip
One of the most important rules when overwintering plants - not just geraniums - is this: the warmer the winter quarters, the brighter it has to be.
