Is it too late Geraniums? 7 January 2022 at 9:23AM in Greenfingered MoneySaving 4 replies 232 views

Frank99

I recently heard as person online say they save money by bringing in their bedding Geraniums during autumn and put them back towards summer.
I have never heard of this and just purchase new ones each year, is it too late to do it this year now the cold weather has set in?
If is was possible how would it be done?

KajiKita

Good morning Frank,

It probably depends where they are (ground or pots) and how badly beaten up by the weather they are so far and where you have to store them?

They will need some light but just a little water - a cool and dry conservatory / porch would be good. Dig up and pot up in any left over old compost you might have (they won't need fertile compost as they won't do much growing at this stage). Cut off any obviously manky bits and cross your fingers. If they are in a porch, fleece or cover them with newspapers on frosty nights.  

Then, come spring, and they hopefully start showing signs of life, repot them into clean, new compost and prune them back low down so you get thick strong growth. (this last is a do as I say not as I do and I will have to do the cutting back myself next spring!  can't make myself do it if they are flowering though #softtouch 

You've nothing to lose if they are aren't too clobbered by the winter so far and I've kept some really pretty ones going this way for c. 4 years so far 

HTH,

KK 

twopenny

I live in the West Country and leave them out somewhere sheltered and dry. They are a bit scraggy but come on again with some sun and feed.

Most cuttings I take and grow roots in water on the window sill then pot up as the weather warms.

I don't think you have anything to loose by taking cuttings now and seeing how it goes. Mine are still in flower!!!

Personally I've never got very good results either way yet my neighbour has a big tub of them left out in a sheltered spot and they are glorious every year. Never been repotted. Really annoying.

But I know come the spring I'll want instant big bright plants and they are cheap at around £2 each from the supermarkets.

Frank99

Thanks for the advice folks!

Falafels

I have a geranium which was originally bought as a bedding plant in 2019 and grown in a container. It was left outside that winter with no protection, but to my surprise it started growing again quite cheerfully in the spring. It was in a sheltered spot in the garden, which I guess must have saved it; those planted in the border didn't survive.

Since then I've moved north and the garden's a lot colder in the winter. However, the geranium was quite happy in an unheated mini greenhouse last year, and I've moved it into an unheated storage room this year. It's still flowering.

So - if there are any signs of life at all from your geraniums, move them out of the cold and see how they do! I guess moving them into a centrally heated house might be a bit of a shock to the system, but anywhere they'll be protected from frost should do the trick.