Checking on geraniums and winter

[mint]

From previous posts, I have gathered the following information about keeping your geraniums in winter.  Here goes:

For those in pots, cut back severely, moisten soil and keep in frost-free environment with some light source.

For those in the ground, dig up and wrap in newspapers when leaves, etc all dried.  Again, keep in frost-free atmosphere and keep dry.

In the spring, look forward to signs of life and plant out when it's nicely warming up.

Now, have I got all that right or not?

Thank you.

[Joe]

I have taken some cuttings (fingers crossed) and placed them downstairs in the cave along with the plants in pots.It does not get too cold,but if the temp' drops they could go in the boiler room at a steady 20 deg's.

[Clair]

[quote user="sweet 17"]From previous posts, I have gathered the following information about keeping your geraniums in winter.  Here goes:

For those in pots, cut back severely, moisten soil and keep in frost-free environment with some light source.[/quote]

That's what I have been doing for the last 3 years with the 28 hanging balconnières (56 plants ) and various small pots scattered around the garden...

I tidy them up, chop them down and put them away on shelves in a well-lit room.

I water sparingly through the winter, spray against white-fly and get them out again around May.

Some plants need do need replacing, but usually no more than 8 or 10.

The picture below shows half the length of the balcony...

[IMG]http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q296/clair46/281ca320.jpg[/IMG]

[mint]

Thanks, Clair, and how beautiful your balcon looks!

I showed the picture to OH and the first thing he said was, "What lovely arched braces!"  Men, they never notice the same things, do they?

But, he's right, the braces on your balcony do look very good.

Do you or anyone else know what to do with the geraniums that he's dug out of the ground today to make room for the spring bulbs?

[Gemonimo]

I've been told that wrapping them in newspaper is the answer Sweets,  but I've never tried.  My exterior pots usually last until the next season if I keep them in a cool well lit place. When I chop them back I usually take cuttings for next year, too.

[mint]

Hi, Gem, our pots are still glorious with flowers:  geraniums, lobellia, begonias, the lot!

So, as and when the geraniums die back, we'll do as Clair has suggested and stick them under cover but with daylight.  It's just that the ones that were put into the ground will be dug up as we still have lots more bulbs to go in and I wondered whether we could try saving those as well?

It seems a shame just to throw them away and buy new next year as we now have lots of storage room and I feel like some sort of plant-killer, tipping the poor things out of their pots and just discarding them when they have given us pleasure all through the summer months.