The pelargoniums, often commonly referred to as geraniums, are not hardy and are best overwintered when cut back and bare-rooted in the cellar at temperatures between five and ten degrees Celsius. You can get the sensitive balcony flowers through the winter even without a cellar. How this works is explained to you in the following article.
How do you overwinter geraniums in the basement?
Geraniums should be cut back heavily and kept bare-rooted for overwintering in the cellar. The ideal temperatures are between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius. To avoid pests and fungi, geraniums should be leafless and can be wrapped in newspaper.
Overwinter geraniums dark or light
For dark overwintering, geraniums must be pruned so that they no longer have any leaves, otherwise the evaporation rate is too high and there is also the risk that pests and fungi will settle on the weakened plant. In addition, the darker the winter quarters, the lower the room temperature should be. Of course, this rule also applies the other way around. If the geraniums are not intended to remain in the cellar, they are best overwintered in a bright location at temperatures between 10 and 15 °C. To do this, pack the potted geraniums three or four into a clay pot, cover them with a sand-soil mixture and keep it moist over the winter.
Tip
If you decide to overwinter in the cellar, the bare-root geraniums can also be wrapped in newspaper.
