Foolproof, step-by-step tips on how to winterize geraniums to preserve geraniums through the winter season to bring out again in Spring to bloom again all Summer. Winterizing takes 10 minutes or maybe 15 minutes at the most. Enjoy!
Don’t believe the garden center that geraniums are annuals. They are exceptionally hardy perennials. They just don’t like to freeze. If your area does freeze or snow, its no problem; you can simply either bring them indoors during the cold months OR overwinter them easily. It is worth a few minutes to overwinter them to reap so many rewards.
Why Overwinter Geraniums?
Reasons to overwinter your geraniums:
- More abundant flowers
- Healthier, hardier plants
- Sustainable
- Save money
- Save time
- Its easier than buying new
- Keep your favorite colors
More abundant flowers grow year after year as your plants get larger each year. They grow all Summer long, why start again? Keep that growth and grow even bigger the following year. You can buy the smallest of geraniums in year one and have the largest in just a couple years.
Healthier, hardier plants grow and strengthen each year. You will keep not only the growth of stems, but importantly of the roots. The core root ball will grow in diameter and in length. More nutrients the following year reach the plant, and they will grow even larger and more beautiful.
Sustainable gardening is more important than ever. Overwintering your geraniums mean that they only had to be germinated once under intensive conditions, and they can live and be enjoyed for decades. You can also start with a smaller plant initially to grow the larger size over time in your garden or pots.
Save money, in fact it is free! Avoid buying geraniums again and again. Buy them once, overwinter them in a paper bag or box you already have on-hand, plant them each year for decades to come.
Save time. It takes 10 minutes to winterize and 10 to 15 minutes to bring them out in Spring. It would take you longer to go to the garden center and buy new. The easier planting of a winterized geranium will also save you loads of time.
It’s easier than buying new. Winterized the geraniums are bare root, so they need only to be poked into the ground. No planting process like with new plants. No digging larger holes to include their germination soil. No worries about their ability to live in your soil. Just poke them in, a bit of water. Voila! Bob’s Your Uncle! You are done. And you didn’t even have to go to the garden center, find the right plants, transport them home and still have the will and energy to plant them.
Your favorite colors will be ready when you are. Don’t rely on the garden center to have your favorites in stock.
Which geraniums can you overwinter?
Basically any geranium that you would buy at a large garden center, you can over winter. You do not need to overwinter wild geraniums, but all the cultivated varieties need to be kept away from frost and snow.
Specifically, you can easily winterize seed geraniums and zonal geraniums. Ivy geraniums are a little tricker, but the process is the same.
The complete “how to” video
This video details how to winterize your geraniums. You will see just how easy it is. Or read on for detailed instructions.
The detailed instructions to winterize and replant geraniums
How to Overwinter Geraniums:
- Prepare by bringing a paper bag or paper box with you. Could be cloth also; just make sure it is a breathable material. Nothing fancy; whatever you have available will do.
- Go out to your geraniums. If the soil is hard or compacted, water around it to soften it.
- Gently grab the base of the geranium and pull it out of the ground. You want to get most of the roots, so have a garden spade handy if you need to loosen the soil to get them out.
- Shake off any excess soil. Don’t need to be fastidious about this, but clear off enough so the plant realizes it is no longer in soil and should go into dormancy.
- Examine the plant. Make sure it is healthy. Pull off any dead or yellow leaves. Pull off any flowers and buds. Snap the leaves and flowers/buds off at base of the stem. This will ensure the plant saves its energy for staying healthy while it “sleeps”.
- Place the plant in the paper bag/box. Repeat for all your geraniums. Pack them gently on top of one another as to not crush them. Use additional paper bags/boxes, if necessary.
- Close the paper bag/box. Roll the top down of a paper bag and secure it. The main thing is that the geraniums are kept in the dark, again so they will know it is time to “sleep.” Label the paper bag/box, so you remember what is in there – you’ll be leaving them alone until the next growing season.
- Keep the bagged/boxed geraniums in a cool place, such as a garage, basement, shed, or wine or root cellar. It is fine to use a closet, but they should be kept cool. The area should not freeze.
- If you like, check on them each month. If they are super dry, then spritz them. If mold is forming, remove mold and move them to a drier place. Honestly, I have never had to do anything to them.
Once your area has had the last frost of the season, its time to replant them!
This is how you replant your geraniums for the next year:
- Take the paper bag/box out to where you want to plant the geraniums. Take out the geraniums. Don’t panic! They are supposed to look like shriveled sticks with tiny leaves on them.
- Loosen the soil and fertilize.
- Nudge a small hole in the soil and loosely spread the roots around in the soil. Poke the base of the plant stem into the ground deep enough to ensure it is covered and can be kept upright by compressing the soil around it. (Probably about as deep as it was planted last year).
- Water. Keep it watered well for the first two weeks, then as normal.
- Take heart. They will continue to looks like sticks for a week or so, then you will see the stems plump up and the leaves grow. Before you know it, they will be big, bushy and producing flowers. Success!
What’s next?
It is perfect to winterize your geraniums at the same time you plant Fall bulbs for Spring blooming. Daffodils are early blooming bulbs and will provide an early bouquet in your container garden. As daffodils die back, Tulips bloom in your pots. As the tulips fade, replant geraniums in pots in Spring for flowers all Summer long. Also see my blog and video on Plant Bulbs in Pots: Create a Bouquet of Flowers.
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