How to Preserve Geraniums

Consider preserving your geraniums before the frost and cold weather take over your garden. Geraniums are often cultivated for their exotic scent. The plants grow in a variety of colors, which makes them a great addition to anyone’s flower garden. You will save yourself money and time by learning how to preserve your geraniums and using them to plant in your garden the following year. Preserving geraniums does not require extensive labor, but you will need to take the time and effort to ensure that you preserve them properly.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You’ll Need

• Shovel
• Two large containers
• Shears
• Sand
• Spent compost
• Green sulfur dust

1. • Begin prepping your geraniums before the first frost. You do not want the flowers damaged. Decide which geraniums you want to preserve, and begin digging them up with a shovel.
   • Dig the geraniums up carefully. Place them in a container until you have gathered all the flowers.
   • Use shears to cut the top growth down by two thirds. You will have around 2 inches of stem left.
   • Pull off all the leaves on the stems. The leaves will mold when they touch the soil, and they are not necessary when you plant the geraniums next year.
   • Place an equal mixture of sand and spent compost in a large container. You can use multi-purpose compost to mix with the sand if you cannot find spend compost. The container needs to be large enough for all the geraniums. You may have to separate the flowers into several different containers.
   • Plant the geraniums in the compost and sand mixture. Add green sulfur dust to the plants to help preserve them longer.
   • Put the plants in a dry and warm environment. Continue to check on them every week to ensure that they are not getting too much sunlight. It is fine for the geraniums to get sunlight, but you do not want them to have too much. The idea is to keep the plants alive but dormant.