It's getting colder now and I'm afraid to leave my geraniums outside. The petals come off all the time so I don't want to bring it inside though (it'd be messy). Any ideas? If I leave it out for the winter, will it come back in the spring/summer or would it just be completely dead? Thanks!
2006-10-20 06:26:10 · 4 answers · asked by lesliehope24 3 in Home & Garden ➔ Other - Home & Garden
Also---it's not in the ground. It's in a medium sized pot.
2006-10-20 06:26:40 · update #1
The most important thing I can tell you is to keep all of your plants away from heat sources in the house. Also be aware that there may be insects on the plant, which could migrate to your houseplants, so you might want to spray them before exposing them to your others.
The best way is to try to re-create the same conditions indoors that the geraniums were growing in, outdoors. Try to provide as much light and humidity as you can. The best temperature range would be from 60-70 degrees, which is cooler than a typical house in the winter, so if you have a spare room, that might be cooler, with sufficient light, you have it made.
Even in these conditions, your geraniums may begin to get leggy and less attractive by the end of winter. If this is the case,simply take cuttings from the mother plant. If you are inclined to try cuttings, geraniums are a very easy plant to restart...... Take cuttings in September from healthy plants which have been kept rather dry for a couple weeks. Use a clean, sharp knife and make a cutting 3 to 4 inches in length from the growing tips. Trim off the lower leaves from the cutting, and stick it into a coarse, sandy medium in a small pots or in flats, and water well. Place them in indirect light. Do not allow the cuttings to dry out. After roots are formed, move the new plants into full sun and water only enough to keep them from shriveling. Fertilize with a weak solution of liquid fertilizer every two weeks once the new plant shows signs of new growth.
Not only will the mother plants become bushier, you'll increase your stock of geraniums just in time for spring! The winter care for the ivy geranium, or citronella would be the same.
2006-10-20 06:30:22 · answer #1 · answered by skyeblue 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you leave them outside over winter they will die.
Do you have a basement to put them in- I take my geraniums out of pots and put the root ball in a brown paper grocery sack and leave them until spring in the basement. In spring when I take them outside i trim any stems that have rotted over winter and place the root ball in pots. They sprout back.
Good luck
2006-10-20 06:32:38 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Bring them into your garage and heavily prune them (to one or two inches per stem), It looks severe, but that all you need to do. If your garage doesn't have aa window, find another location that will be out of the elements. Water it every few days at first, then in the winter once every couple of weeks or so, then in the spring when you take them out, they'll grow back to their original glory!
2006-10-20 06:34:14 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
plant them in some potting soil made with plant food
2006-10-20 06:29:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋