Gladioli And Geraniums, Can I Leave Them In Their Pots And Put Them In The Garage.

[RATTER15]

Winter is coming and I would like to preserve my glads and geraniums, i once dug up my geraniums knocked the soil off and wrapped them in newspaper for the winter indoors. In the spring they were all well and truly dead.

I want to avoid the same this year, im just thinking of pruning them back hard and keeping them in the garage and left in their pots.
What do you think?

[woofgang]

that wrapping in newspaper thing is really oldfashioned and I don't think it ever worked! If you want to keep them going they will need a cool bright spot because geraniums don't go completely dormant like shrubs do. If you garage is dark then I am afraid it won't work but if it has windows then worth trying. They will need a little water now and then.

[Tilly2]

I never bring mine in, I just leave them in the ground but then again, I have a south-facing garden. Unless it's a really cold winter , things seem to survive.

My pelargoniums/geraniums are still flowering beautifully.

I think flowers in flower pots are a bit more vulnerable. Put them in the garage, by all means, but don't forget to water them sparingly, occasionally.

[woofgang]

oops forgot the glads. Lift the corms and dry them off then store in the cool in something like dry peat only not peat of course....shreeded newspaper perhaps? They are unlikely to flower next year but you can replant to build up the corm and hopefully they will flower the year after.

[RATTER15]

Thanks Woof, dont glads flower every year then? Shows how much I know about this gardening lark.

[RATTER15]

I could maybe build a little cold frame for the potted geraniums so they can get some protection but light as well?

[SlackAlice]

As long as the interior of the coldframe remains frostfree you should be ok. I've got one that survives quite well outside in all weathers, but many others that definately need over wintering in frostfree conditions.
I do live down south in Essex, slightly warmer than other parts of the UK

[TonyV]

follow this advice

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=337

[woofgang]

ratter if you want glad that flower every year, then choose byzantinus. I love them. Thet may need some frost protection (straw dead barcken or dead leaves) and don't like a wet soil but thet are stunners. https://www.jparkers.co.uk/25-gladioli-byzantinus-1000674c?gclid=Cj0KCQjwivbsBRDsARIsADyISJ83g4Tt8iwfV9_xAg7rHo7iLPgaoi8sas2ns4MP03QWglQisxZxHokaAkDrEALw_wcB

[rowanwitch]

I bring my geraniums in, cut off all the decent shoots, root them in pots on the window sills, grow them on through the winter. The old plants I put outside in a sheltered spot. If they survive I will get another batch of cutting material. I have away about 50 plants last year and still had plenty left.

Gladiolus in lots I would just bring in keep the pot slightly moist and feed well once the new growth appears. Put back out when the last frost has gone and you might get a few flowers. I just plant fresh every yea r.