It’s hard to stop at just one geranium, isn’t it? But if you’ve got a dozen window boxes full of them, finding space to store them all indoors for the winter can be a total nightmare. Here’s a pro tip: if you dig them up, give them a good trim, and wrap them in newspaper, you can fit an entire garden’s worth of plants into a single wooden crate.
Getting Your Geraniums Ready for Winter
Geraniums (or *Pelargoniums*, if we’re being fancy) are famous for their long blooming season. They’ll often keep going right up until the first frost. However, these beauties really can’t handle freezing temperatures for more than a hot minute. To be safe, don’t gamble with the weather—bring them inside early. Once the thermometer consistently stays below 50°F (10°C), it’s time to get to work:
- Give all the shoots a heavy pruning.
- If you want more plants, use those trimmings as cuttings.
- Leave only about 3-4 leaf nodes per stem.
- Pop the geraniums out of their pots and gently shake off the loose soil.
- Trim the roots back a bit (focusing on the thin, wispy ones).
Quick Tip:
If there are any flowers, buds, or leaves left on your pruned geranium, pluck them off! This helps the plant retain moisture and prevents diseases or pests from hitching a ride into storage.
The Newspaper Wrap Method
You can bundle 2 or 3 plants together or wrap them individually in old black-and-white newspaper. Avoid those shiny, colorful magazine pages—they don’t breathe well. Use several layers of paper to wrap either the whole plant or just the root ball. Make sure the bottom of the “package” is tucked in tight, but leave the top open. Finally, stack your newspaper bundles into a wooden crate or a wicker basket, either standing up or lying flat.
Quick Tip:
Another way to overwinter geraniums without soil is to put each root ball in a plastic bag and hang them upside down from the rafters.
The Perfect Storage Spot and Care
Keep your crate of geraniums in a dark, cool spot where the temperature stays between 40°F and 50°F (5-10°C). An attic, a basement, or a frost-free garage works perfectly. Every once in a while, give the stems (not the roots!) a light misting with water so they don’t completely dry out.
Waking Them Up in February
Even though these tender perennials can’t go back outdoors until the danger of frost has passed (usually mid-May), they need to start waking up in February. Unwrap the roots and pot them up in fresh soil. Keep them indoors for a while, gradually introducing them to brighter light and warmer temperatures to get that new growth started.
