Overwintering geraniums: pruning and care

To ensure that your geraniums survive the first frost, we have summarized everything you need to know about overwintering, cutting and caring for them.

When the first frost sets in, many geraniums (pelargonium) after a blooming summer season on the compost. The geraniums can be brought through the winter without much effort.

Incidentally, the term "geranium" is actually an unfavorable trivial name, since there is a genus called Geranium, to which the pelargoniums no longer belong. Most wild species of pelargonium (or geranium as it is popularly known) are at home in the warm climes of South Africa. So it's not really surprising that the actually perennial plants die when the winter temperatures are below zero, instead of experiencing a second spring. With a little preparation and the right winter quarters, however, you can help your favorite geraniums through the winter without much effort. Here you can find out how geraniums survive the cold season without any problems, so that your most beautiful specimens can also amaze your neighbors in the next flowering phase.

Overwintering geraniums: the right time

Geraniums (if they are sheltered) also tolerate light frost down to about - 5°C. However, the plants should have moved to their winter quarters before the first severe frost. This is usually the end of October. If you want to be on the safe side, bring your seedlings to a sheltered location in September or early October.

Note: If the first frost hits you unexpectedly: Plants that only freeze the leaves and not the stems will sprout again the next year without any problems.

Overwintering geraniums: preparation and cutting

In order to help your geraniums through the dark and cold winter as best as possible, a few preparations are required. The plants are removed from their window box, bed, etc. removed and the loose soil carefully tapped off. As many fine roots as possible should remain intact. All shoots are then planted at approx. Trimmed to a length of 10 cm, leaving two to three knots per shoot. However, do not cut back into the woody part of the shoots. To avoid disease and to minimize evaporation, the leaves of the geranium are removed.

What is left of your once beautifully flowering geraniums is transplanted into matching pots or bags. The roots are covered with a mixture of sand and potting soil. Even if your once imposing eye-catchers may now look a bit battered, don't worry because next year new floriferous shoots will sprout.

Summary of preparations and editing:

• Remove the plants from the container and carefully remove the soil from the roots
• unwoody part of the shoots to approx. Shorten 10 cm
• remove leaves
• Cover roots with sand and potting soil in a pot or bag

tip: If necessary, you can cut cuttings from the removed shoot parts and with them your propagate geranium. You can find out how best to do this in our special article.

Wintering geraniums: location and care

Now it is time to find suitable quarters for the plants. A dark and cool place like a basement is ideal for bringing the plants through the winter. Here the geranium is protected from direct sun or protected from light. This prevents the plants from starting to sprout again too early and suffering from a lack of water.

Optionally, a bright place with about five to ten degrees Celsius (e.g. B. a conservatory or a bright stairwell) serve as winter quarters.

Another option is to hibernate in heated places such as the living room window sill. In this pleasant warmth, the geranium will sprout again. If there are too many shoots, some of the new shoots will be cut off. As a result, more side shoots are formed and the plant grows bushier and more compact. In addition, the formation of flower buds is promoted. Some geranium species, in particular Pelargonium grandiflorum Hybrids, however, require a cold period of up to six weeks for flowering.

During the winter, the geranium is kept rather dry and watered only occasionally. Fertilization is not necessary.

Summary of location and care:

• Optimal location: dark and cool (e.g. B. in the basement)
• water occasionally; rather keep dry
• no fertilization

Overwintering geraniums: Spring pruning after overwintering

In February or early March, the geraniums, which have been hibernating in the dark, are carefully awakened from their hibernation by placing them on the windowsill and watering them more heavily. Here the plants can slowly acclimatize. In order to give the late risers the best possible start to the new season, they can be repotted in new substrate.

There is also a spring pruning. Horny shoots may have formed during the winter in the cellar. This is usually a sign that the storage was either too warm and dark or too light but cool. These elongated, thin shoots are removed as they will not form flowers.

If new shoots have formed in the sunny winter quarters, these are also shortened. This will later result in beautiful bushy new shoots.

When pruning, dry stems that are black on the inside may appear. Even if it seems as if the plant did not survive the winter successfully, there is hope. It is possible that the root will still sprout again. All of the old wood is cut off and the root planted in new soil.

Summary of spring pruning after hibernation:

• Acclimatization: February/early March from the winter quarters onto the window sill or similar and water more heavily
• Spring pruning: remove horny shoots, possibly Shorten new shoots
• From mid-May, the plants can go outside again

Depending on the weather (there should no longer be a risk of frost), the plants can go back outside in mid-May. How to get the best after the winter location for geraniums find out in this post. And if you are general for that Geranium care If you are interested, you can read more here.

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