Wintering geraniums and window boxes

banoffe2

Hi all
wondering how you winter geraniums and window boxes, I have put them in to the shed but the ones that I left out survived all types of weather conditions where as those that were stored inside didn't do well at all, I am thinking of leaving all of them out this year, any advice welcome, thanks for taking the time to read my post

lazybones32

I stored them inside last year and about 85-90% came good and flowered this 'Summer'.

What I did:
Dug them up and shook excess soil from roots.
Cut them back pretty hard - removing crossing or touching stems - but leaving at least one small leaf where possible.
Shook off more soil from roots.
Planted into dry compost (got about 4 into each window box - leaving a decent gap between each plant) and watered around the roots only. Wetting the plant might encourage mildew, fungus, etc.
Put them by a window that doesn't get direct sunlight and checked once a fortnight to remove dead/diseased stems.

They were slow to flower this year but I saved the person in the region of 200 euro by overwintering them. And this is only my second year in doing it, so don't think I'm an expert on this...I left some outside the year before and they flowered better and more profusely, so I might try half and half this year.

banoffe2

Thanks lazybones32 sounds like a lot of unnecessary work! I note how you got good results the ones you left outside the year before, I am going to chance leaving them outside, it is a big expense replacing them every year, same applies to cuttings, do you use rooting powder and leave them outside? I think the mildew did the damage from putting them inside, wont be going there again

marask

I left mine outside as I planted directly in soil. Bloomed bit later but looked fine to me. Leaving them out for this winter again

lazybones32

banoffe2 wrote: »

Thanks lazybones32 sounds like a lot of unnecessary work! I note how you got good results the ones you left outside the year before, I am going to chance leaving them outside, it is a big expense replacing them every year, same applies to cuttings, do you use rooting powder and leave them outside? I think the mildew did the damage from putting them inside, wont be going there again

I spent maybe 5 hours in total between lifting, trimming, potting and planting out, which is actually a lot more efficient than buying new every year - depending on how many you have. I had about 50.

I didn't take cuttings - I overwintered them. Cut off excess stems and put them into compost.

Last Summer was as bad as this one re: light but the weather turned unseasonably cold this Spring which may have stunted them. And apart from the 2 weeks of sun we had in June, there was very few good days which may explain the poor flowering.

Marhay70

You don't say what what type of geraniums you have. I have found that most types of zonal and ivyleaf pelargoniums will overwinter quite happily in the average Irish winter provided they are in well drained ground. I haven't taken any of mine in for years but I always take precautions by taking cuttings. Cuttings taken in July/August are by far the best way to overwinter pelargoniums and are really easy too. The whole palaver of lifting and potting up is just too much trouble for me these days.