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Last year I tried my hand at overwintering some pelargoniums. I didn't cut them back, but rather hung whole plants, minus the soil of course. Out of six plants, two came back and are doing well this season. If only I'd known to give the roots a soak when things were looking too shriveled. I know better for next time, thanks to your article. :)
For the last five years I have taken a slightly different tack. Before frost, I dip cuttings with two or three leaves on them in rooting hormone, put them in damp sterilized soilless mix and stick them on top of a shelf in a room with dim indirect sunlight and water them once a week. By spring they have grown to full size (and have probably even produced a few blossoms during the winter months for table decorations) and can be planted out. While not all of the cuttings take, enough do that I increase my stock of pelargoniums each year. If I were really ambitious I could probably chop up the young plants in February for more cuttings to multiply the population further.
I always mean to root cuttings, too. I'll have to do some of both this year. I wonder if the top of our fridge would be good as long as I keep them watered? Then again, there's a heat vent right by the fridge and it might be too dry for them.
I have all my plants still in dirt, I need to take tm out or can I leave them in if I have a shoplight on them and keep them watered. has any one done that and what was the results. or do I need to take the dirt out and trim them down?
Theresa from Iowa
I had some I'd brought in still in their pots and neglected over in a corner of our living room. They dropped their leaves and looked pretty pitiful, but didn't die. Come spring, when I watered those two containers, the plants bounced back and became healthy again. They're pretty resilient plants.
I'm going to try to store my geraniums also. Never have I tried before. But here in Alaska we need to start. Out of soil upside down in a large bag each. Thanks for the tip of soaking the roots when it shrivels up a little. Wish me luck, I have 10 of them down in the crawl space. I also have 4 fuchias I'm trying to winter over also.
