How to Keep Geraniums Through the Winter

Geraniums grow in shades of white, pink and red. The plants are widely grown in the summer because they add color and texture to gardens. Caring for the geraniums properly in the winter will ensure that they remain healthy. Protect geraniums from a hard freeze by digging them up and bringing them indoors. Once you dig up the geraniums, you can store them in paper bags for the winter or grow them as indoor houseplants.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You’ll Need

• Potting soil
• Planter
• Pruning shears
• All-purpose fertilizer
• Brown paper bags

Houseplant

1. Dig the geraniums from their location outdoors. Remove as much of the soil from the geraniums as possible.
2. Add 2 inches of potting soil to an appropriately sized planter. Place the root ball in the planter and add potting soil around the geranium. Fill the planter with the soil and leave a 1/2 inch head space.
3. Place the geranium in a sunny location. Maintain a temperature of 65 degrees F during the days and 55 degrees F at night.
4. Cut back the geraniums to one-third of their size with pruning shears. This will ensure that the geraniums grow healthy foliage during the growing season.
5. Water the geraniums to keep the soil moist. Water the geraniums only when the top 1 inch of the soil feels dry to the touch.
6. Fertilize the geranium with an all-purpose fertilizer before you plant it outdoors. Follow the fertilizer instructions closely to ensure that you apply it correctly. Transplant the geraniums in the spring when the soil stays above 50 degrees F. You can also leave them in the pots and place them outdoors on patios or porches.

Paper Bag

1. Dig up the geraniums before the frost arrives. Remove the soil from around the geranium roots.
2. Place the geraniums inside brown paper bags. Leave the bags open so the air can circulate.
3. Place the bags in a dark, cool location with a temperature range between 40 and 50 degrees F. Remove the plants from the paper bags twice during the winter and soak the roots for 2 hours.
4. Inspect the stems on the geraniums. Remove any shriveled stems on the geraniums and discard them. Plant the geraniums outdoors or in growing pots when all danger of frost has passed in the spring.
5. Water the soil thoroughly to moisten it. Cut off dead stem tips from the plant.