Wracking my brain for a thrifty thing I've done lately I remembered that I pulled up my geraniums to save.
These geraniums are special to me because my children gave them to me for Mother's day 3 yrs ago. That is not a normal occurance for me. I learned here on the chat that they would survive in the basement without any ground. The last 2 yrs I have stuffed them in a paper bag and just let the sit there and in the spring all the leaves have died but there is new growth just waiting to take off.
This yr i put them in a long planter and put them on a basement window in ground. I hope it will work ok and that it won't freeze in that window. Maybe the other way is better. The basement is kind of dark and pretty cool.
Are you saving plants for spring?
Hi Belle,
I've saved Geraniums in their pots for several years. I just cut them back and keep them in a sunny window in my heated tackroom in the pole shed. It stays around 40º there.
They bud and bloom all winter and then I cut them back in the spring again before I put them out if they need it. They seem to be happy in those conditions.
When we were farming I overwintered them in the milkhouse. With the bulk tank running it got pretty hot in there, but there was also a heater that kept it from freezing at night. One year I dug up and kept a green pepper plant. It even flowered. I put it back in the ground in the summer and it produced many more peppers than the previous year. I haven't had good luck with green peppers here though. They may need it warmer than 40º.
Pat ~ WC WI
Hi, Belle and Woodland!
I've been taking geraniums in for about 5 years now -- the same 7 plants! They spend the summer out in my front yard, most in a 1 1/2-foot planter. When frost threatens, I pack them up into a couple smaller pots and put them in my dining room window (actually a slider door for a deck). It faces south-east and gets lots of sun, and they seem happy there all winter. They lose a few leaves at first, because of the heat and dry air, but they keep blooming continuously. I really like having blooming plants. And I appreciate not having to buy more in the spring! I thought I might try the "unearth 'em and hang 'em up in a cool, dark place" advice, but I'm nervous about that. They do so well indoors. That's really cool that you got a pepper plant to overwinter, Woodland! And then to go on and produce lots of peppers. Good job!
wow I did not know that. I will have to start that as well! I only have a couple each year for the front of the house on the deck . . but I have a multitude of planters in the backyard! I'll be buying those next spring and doig the same as well! So for the winter you just dig them up and place them in a brown paper bag? Does color matter?
I see some have them in their pots inside all winter but I don't have that luxary for space.
Kimmer, I have never tried the paper bag thing either. I'm sure they wouldn't survive for me that way.
I bring the pots in and just cut the plant back about 2/3. It makes me smile to see red Geraniums blooming happily in a sunny window in Jan. or Feb., our below zero months here!
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