Storing Geraniums/Pelargoniums

[horseshoes]

I have grown some really beautiful geraniums this year - all from those tiny plugs plants. 'm digging them up today as I have bulbs to plant. I never have any luck keeping them from one year to the next so I'd be very grateful for some advice. I don't have a greenhouse. I have a garage and I have an old stone shed (probably an old outside loo many years ago) but that is very damp. Garage is dry but extremely cold in winter. Thank you.

[jeannamacs]

I am not an expert gardener, but geraniums that are grown from plug plants are usually of the annual variety and only last one summer. I tried to keep them one year with no luck. I now buy the herbaceous ones , which can be left out all year. I have another woody type one which i have had for years, put outdoors in summer and bring into conservatory in winter and it has truly thrived. Hope a more experienced gardener can help you with advice about different varieties.

[carlton23]

Shake off all the compost and give them a good sprinkle with yellow sulphur, put in a brown paper bag and keep them in a dry place like a wood shed until about April and plant in moist compost, not wet, in the greenhouse or conservatory. Don`t forget frosts may pop up anytime until end of May. Best of luck.

[ladybirder]

Are you going to take some cuttings and keep them on your windowsill?

[horseshoes]

Thanks for your answers. I thought all geraniums were the same whether from plugs or seeds, so it shows how much I know! I'm going to have a stab at the paper bag method as it's one I haven't tried. In fact I've ordered some brown paper bags today from eBay. I'd like to try some cuttings too, but I really don't have the room. Thank you all again.

[muff13]

All geraniums are perennials whether they are hardy ones (cranesbills) or the bedding type. If you cannot keep the latter frost free they are not easy to overwinter but worth trying the brown paper bag method. The only success I have had is by either lifting the plant and potting in a pot and keeping the plant on the dry side in a totally frost free place overwinter or by taking cuttings. Good luck with whatever method you try.

[Maydup]

I have no greenhouse either and one year i tried over wintering them in a polythene greenhouse but they rotted.

I bring mine indoors now as I've had no luck with any other method.

[glenbar]

Mine are from the ones I kept from last year. All I did was cut them right back and cram them in a pot of compost until after the frosts. They must be kept dry or they will rot. I lost about two. I used to grow them from seed but no longer have a greenhouse so my propagator is redundant. Some friends I know dig them up wrap them in newspaper and keep in the loft. Works for them!! Good luck

[keenonhist]

I find the best way to keep pelargoniums is to take cuttings of them. I put them,say 5 cuttings to a largish pot in peat based compost,with lables of the colour each pot of pelargonium cuttings. So long as the garage is frost free its o.k. One thing though... don`t drive over them!
keenonhist