In paper, in the basement, dark & ​​other options

• "Real" Geraniums are not hardy, the native one Cranesbill (Geranium) on the other hand
• Geraniums should be light and dry in winter
• Geraniums can also be dark without soil, e.g. B. in the basement to be overwintered

Are geraniums hardy?

Many a hobby gardener is confused when the garden center advertises "hardy geraniums". Is there suddenly a new variety of the popular balcony flowers that can actually stay in the garden?

Unfortunately, the answer to this question always has to be “no”, because the hardy geraniums are those native to us Cranesbills, which are botanically called Geranium. The balcony plant is instead a pelargonium, the term "geranium" is only associated with the vernacular.

Nonetheless, we will stick to the familiar name in this article, after all, this has become common over the decades. the geranium originally from South Africa, where they are used to a warm and dry climate. So it's no wonder that the plants cannot survive a typical German winter - wet and cold.

Geraniums didn't come all the way from South Africa to end up on the compost after just one season.

Overview of geranium species

However, geraniums are not always the same, because there are a number of different species and a much wider variety of varieties. The different shapes differ in terms of their use, and some require more light and higher temperatures during the cold season.

Hibernating geraniums - useful or not?

Geraniums are available every year for little money and in a huge selection in every garden center and even in discount stores. This naturally raises the question of whether it makes sense to hibernate, after all, this involves a bit of effort. In fact, there are some very good reasons for this, as the following video clearly shows:

Those who overwinter the flowers and don't buy new plants for the balcony or garden every year are actively contributing to environmental protection - After all, geraniums that have traveled widely do not have to be bought and planted again in spring, only to be put back on the compost in autumn to land. Furthermore, the plants can be stored quite easily even in the dark cellar and can thus beautify the balcony or the garden bed over and over again for many years. If you also overwinter the geraniums without pruning, the once small plants will turn into large, lush bushes over the years.

Hibernate geraniums properly

Geraniums show their blooming splendor well into autumn, but should be done before the first one frost be prepared for winter quarters. The wintering of the robust plants is uncomplicated, because

• Geraniums only need a little water: Moisture is stored in the fleshy stems and leaves
• can be overwintered without soil: after a vigorous pruning, the plants even overwinter without soil in the dark, cool cellar
• can also be used in Flower box(€ 35.85 at Amazon *) overwinter: as long as there are no other types of flowers in the planter and the geraniums stay below them

In the following sections we have put together for you what options you have for wintering the popular flowers and how they work best.

Do you have to prune geraniums before overwintering?

Basically, you can use geraniums Cut back before wintering - or just let it stay. A pruning is not necessary before putting it into the winter quarters, only existing flowers and flower buds should be better cut off. These cost the plant too much strength during the winter. However, plants that have not been cut back must never be placed in a dark place: Due to their leaf mass, they need light and more moisture. So put these geraniums next to you

• cool location with a temperature of five to ten degrees Celsius
• bright place, for example directly behind a window in an unheated room
• not directly sunny location, as this affects the growth

A pruning is only necessary if the plants should or have to overwinter in the dark. In addition, the method has proven itself when there is a lack of space - for example in a rented apartment in which the basement often does not offer much space for accommodation.

Best method: explained step by step

However, the simplest method is explained in the following section, which has already proven itself many times:

1. Pot the geraniums out of the planter
2. Avoid damaging the roots
3. and preserve many fine roots - these are important for the water and nutrient supply
4. Remove adhering earth
5. Geranium with a sharp Secateurs cut back
6. Shorten all shoots to a length of about ten centimeters
7. There should be two to three buds per side shoot
8. these are recognizable as thickened knots
9. remove most of the leaves as they are susceptible to disease and pests
10. Pack several geraniums in a large flower pot at a time
11. and cover the roots loosely with a mixture of sand and earth
12. Place the bucket in a dark and cool location
13. optimal are five to ten degrees Celsius

With regard to the brightness at the wintering location, the rule of thumb is that the warmer it is, the brighter it has to be. Otherwise, the plants will sprout quickly with long, thin and weak shoots that you should always remove if the worst comes to the worst.

Proper care for geraniums in winter

Otherwise there is not too much to consider when it comes to winter maintenance. You can safely do without fertilization - after all, the plant is practically asleep - but occasional watering is essential. Geraniums that have been cut back and wintered in the dark only need a little water every three to four weeks, whereby the substrate may only be made slightly damp. If in doubt, keep the plants too dry rather than too wet, as waterlogging is a much greater danger than dryness.

Cut cuttings and overwinter - that's how it works

You do not necessarily need to dispose of the plant material that occurs when pruning on the compost or with household waste. Instead, you can target about four to six inches tall Cuttings cut and so your plants multiply on the windowsill. The propagation of cuttings is also very easy with geraniums:

• Preferably use still young shoots.
• These should have around two to three young, not yet fully developed leaves.
• Carefully pluck this from the plant.
• Or cut them off with a sharp and clean knife.
• Fill in small Growing pots(€ 16.68 at Amazon *) with a low nutrient Growing substrate.(€ 12.99 at Amazon *)
• You first made this germ-free in the oven or in the microwave.
• A few minutes at high wattage are sufficient in the microwave.
• Insert the geranium cuttings one by one into the substrate.
• Moisten the earth.
• Put the potty in a bright and warm place.
• Keep the substrate evenly moist.
• Avoid drafts or other sudden temperature fluctuations.
• Fertilize Don't take the cuttings.

The young plants will have taken root by spring and can be potted and cared for in regular potting soil.

When should geraniums be placed in winter quarters?

Finding the right time to move into winter quarters is not that easy. After all, the wintering phase should only last as long as necessary and as short as possible so that the plants do not get unnecessarily stressed. When the right time has come depends on a number of specific factors: On the one hand, are for an assessment of the region and the climate in which you live is of great importance, on the other hand the current one Weather condition. In areas where winters come early in the year and also get cold quickly, the flowers should be cleared in September. In milder regions, on the other hand - for example on the coast or in the wine-growing areas - you can take your time until October or even November, depending on the weather. Above all, it is important that the geraniums come into the house before the first frost so that serious damage from the cold can be avoided.

How can I still overwinter geraniums?

In addition to the two options described, there are other ways to get geraniums through the cold season. Each of the variants presented here has its specific advantages and disadvantages, so you can find out the most suitable one for you. But be careful: Not every wintering method is equally suitable or has the same success rates.

In a flower box or tub

It is now difficult to cut back a geranium trunk before winter and then sprout again in spring: in that case you would not have one High trunk more, but a normal geranium bush. So leave the plant in its planter and overwinter it as follows:

• bright location (e.g. B. in the unheated stairwell)
• cool temperatures
• optimally between five and ten degrees Celsius
• Avoid sudden drops in temperature and drafts
• pour little
• do not fertilize

In the hole in the ground

If you don't have a cellar and live in a region with mild winter, you can also let the geraniums overwinter in a hole in the ground. However, this only works if it doesn't get colder than about minus two degrees Celsius - otherwise the sensitive plants will freeze to death. And this is how the method works:

1. Dig an approx. 80 centimeters deep hole in the ground.
2. This should be in a rarely used and above all dry place in the garden.
3. Avoid a permanently damp location!
4. Line the hole in the ground with branches, brushwood and / or straw.
5. Drain the geraniums and remove the soil.
6. Cut the plants to approx. back ten centimeters.
7. Remove all the leaves.
8. Put the geraniums prepared in this way into the hole in the ground.
9. Cover the plants with a coconut or straw mat.
10. Refill the hole with the excavated earth.

In the bag

With this method, the roots of the geranium are packed in a plastic bag so that the plants do not dry out if they overwinter with bare roots. So you can do without soil and flower pots at all, and you should hang them upside down. A dark, cool room is best for this - in addition to the basement, this can also be the attic or the garden shed. The main thing is that the hanging geranium is protected from frost. And this is how winter storage in the bag works:

1. Drain and cut the geraniums.
2. There must be no more soil or leaves.
3. Provide some air holes in the plastic bag.
4. A fresh food bag, for example, is suitable.
5. Wrap roots in this.
6. Tie the bag with a ribbon or elastic.
7. Hang geranium upside down in a dark and cool place.

In newsprint

Instead of a plastic bag, you can wrap the geraniums in several layers of newspaper to protect the plants from the cold and dehydration. Again, you have to cut back the flowers vigorously and remove the leaves and soil. Bundle three to four plants in a package that you keep in a frost-free, but cool and dark place. A cellar is suitable for this, but also the garage, the attic or an (unheated) garden shed.

In the living room

Wintering in the living room is basically possible with geraniums, but difficult. The reason for this lies in the unfavorable combination of warm heating air and lack of light, which inevitably results from the short days. As a result, geraniums that are wintered in warm conditions are often plagued by diseases and pests. So if possible, always give preference to a cool winter. But this does not always work, then please note these tips:

• Place the geranium in as bright a spot as possible.
• If necessary, install a plant light.
• Do not place the plant directly over a heater.
• Avoid sudden changes in temperature, e.g. B. when ventilating.
• Water little, but more often than in a dark winter.
• Do not fertilize!

When is the right time to clear out in the spring?

Towards the end of winter, the question arises as to when the geraniums can move out of their winter quarters again. Basically, you should do this as early as possible, especially if you've cut back the flowers a lot. In this case, they need some lead time to sprout again in early spring. The easiest way to do this is in a greenhouse or in a winter garden, but it also works on the window sill at home. And this is how you do it:

• Get plants out of the winter quarters.
• Put the geraniums in fresh, nutrient-rich substrate.
• Moisten the potting soil.
• Place the freshly planted geraniums in a light spot.
• However, this should not be too warm.
• At first, a little or unheated room with around 12 to 15 degrees Celsius is best.
• Do not place the plants in full sun.
• First get the geraniums used to a lighter and warmer location.
• Gradually increase the temperatures.

However, the flowers are only allowed outside when it is warm and sunny enough outside - you should put the geraniums outside in April at the earliest. Now is the right time to start fertilizing again.

Are there differences between the different types of geraniums when overwintering?

Last but not least, it should be mentioned that there are sometimes big differences when wintering the different types of geraniums mentioned at the beginning. The rules and overwintering methods described only apply to geraniums of the species

• Pelargonium zonale (standing and climbing geraniums)
• Pelargonium peltatum (hanging geranium)
• and Pelargonium odorata (fragrant geraniums)

Particularly with the (Tyrolean) hanging geraniums, the fact that the plants' willingness to flower can decrease after overwintering can be problematic. Standing varieties show no abnormalities in this regard. On the other hand, noble geraniums, which are also known as English geraniums, must never be left in the dark during the winter. They are mainly cultivated as indoor plants and feel comfortable in a bright and warm location all year round. However, here is the installation of one during the winter months Plant lamp useful to compensate for the lack of light in winter.

Caring for geraniums properly after winter

So that your geraniums will flourish vigorously after the long winter, help them with the following Maintenance measures preferably on the jumps:

• Repot in fresh, nutrient-rich substrate in March / April at the latest
• Pre-fertilized soil is best
• Cut back winter shoots, as well as diseased or dead plant parts
• also with the roots: cut off thin and dead roots
• Gradually increase the watering amount, do not pour over
• Start fertilizing about four weeks after potting

In addition, do not put the geraniums in the blazing sun right away, but get them used to the new location first. Otherwise there is a risk of leaf damage in the form of unsightly brown spots due to sunburn.

frequently asked Questions

Why do my geraniums get in winter quarters yellow leaves?

If geraniums suddenly get yellow leaves in winter, this can have different causes. This can be due to a lack of nutrients (during a warm winter), but also a lack of water or too frequent watering. Furthermore, there is frost damage (e.g. B. after ventilation) or a pest infestation.

Help, the geraniums are full of aphids. What to do?

Pests such as aphids, but also thrips, whiteflies, Spider mites and others are not uncommon after wintering. The plant is weakened and is therefore attacked more quickly by the annoying animals. Now it is time to act quickly: fight the pests with a suitable means and take care of the infected geranium so that it recovers quickly. It helps against aphids in particular to wash off the leaves and shoots of the plant - for example with a mixture of water and oil - or to shower them off.

How often can geraniums be overwintered?

In principle, there is no limit to the number of hibernation periods as long as the geraniums remain healthy and strong. Some have looked after their own for 20 or more years - geraniums can therefore get quite old.

Are geraniums and petunias the same thing? How can you overwinter these plants?

Even if the plant names “pelargonium” and “petunia” sound very similar, they are still different species. The brightly colored and blooming with large flowers Petunias belong to the nightshade family (Solanaceae) and originally come from tropical South America. They are also not winter hardy, but like geraniums, they can be hibernated well at five to ten degrees Celsius and if they have been cut back heavily.