I have overwintered my geraniums for the last 5 years. I live in the Buffalo,NY area so I pull them in before the first frost. They will last if you water them about 2 times a month. I have them near a window for light. They do get "leggy" and I let them. In the spring I cut them back, repot them and add liquid fertilizer for house plants and put them out after fear of more snow or frost. Good luck.
The place where my daughter worked had some in a pot. Near spring they were almost dead from poor moisture in the air. However they survived a light frost when left out side. I trimmed it down and put some of the clippings in good quality potting soil. They started rooting and making new plants.
High humidity is a key part of them not drying up.
I tried it once in our basement, but then grew tired of going down there to water. One word of caution if you have cats. Geraniums and many other outdoor plants are poisonous. That's why I can't keep ours inside except in the basement, where we lock them out. If you don't have cats, go for it. Here's a list of other poisonous plants as well--
I have done that quite a few times and it works. Trim the plant to the size you want, then rinse it and make sure you rinse all the garden soil away from the roots (you don't want any bugs from the garden in your home), plant the geranium in your planter with potting soil and you'll have a geranium for indoors, it will even flower! Next year you just put it back in your garden or in a pot on the patio. Good luck!
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Request: Overwintering Geraniums
Archived on 08/13/2009
What's the best way to 'winter' all of my lovely geraniums? I have too many to let them die. Is it best to put them in the dark and let them go dormant, or can I just keep watering and trimming them all winter indoors?
Hardiness Zone: 4b
Thanks, Kim from Crawford, CO
Feedback:
RE: Wintering Geraniums
I have geraniums I keep all winter in my kitchen and I have some I keep in closet. I water them good before putting in closet and never touch them again. Get them out in Spring. The one from my kitchen gets spindly, but in Spring outdoors it does very well. (09/13/2007)
By Mary Ann
RE: Wintering Geraniums
Hi, I left mine outside for the winter and they froze and turned to mush. I lost them all. (09/13/2007)
By LorettaB.
RE: Wintering Geraniums
I have had a geranium for 3 years. I keep it on my carport all winter, and water it when it gets dry. (09/13/2007)
By Nancy
RE: Wintering Geraniums
Before freezing, trim them all down to about 2 or 3 inches, pull them up and shake off the soil. Store them in a paper bag in your basement, cool and dry. Replant in the spring (early spring), this has worked for me. Although not all of the time, I would say about 50-50. What have you got to lose? (09/13/2007)
RE: Wintering Geraniums
My Grandma always dug them up, shook all of the dirt off of the roots, and hung them upside down in the basement. Then in the spring she would replant them. (09/14/2007)
I have kept geraniums for over 5 years, I live in S.D. In the fall, I bring them in either in the container or re-pot them in something more suitable for my inside decor. If they get spindly during the winter cut them off, root them, pot them, and have some new geraniums. (09/14/2007)
By Monita Paulson
RE: Wintering Geraniums
My daughter overwinters her geraniums inside the house like an indoor plant. I had good luck just putting mine inside the garage and not watering. I have no lights or windows in there. Mine weren't as "leggy" the next summer as her's were. (09/14/2007)
