Overwintering Geraniums

For the last few years I've tried different methods to save geraniums over winter. In a warm climate they can thrive year-round, but at my float cabin in Coastal BC it's a different story.

I buy geranium plants at the nursery in May and enjoy them all summer in my repurposed BBQ planters. But when frost comes in November they die. What could I do to save them and money at the same time? Follow the links to read the full stories.

Covering roots with newspaper and soil.

My first try to save was covering the roots with newspaper and soil. It was a moderate success, but I had to buy lots of replacements.

Experimenting with a plastic cover.

My next tries included adding plastic covers. On my first try I uprooted the geraniums and placed them in a large pot with a plastic cover. White flies enjoying the warm environment were a problem. The next year I left the geraniums in their planter and covered it with plastic. Both tries were again a moderate success, but not perfect.

Bareroot geraniums in the guest bathtub.

Not one to give up, I tried a bareroot method the next winter. The dormant plants were stored in paper bags in town. They revived nicely, but I put them out too early and they didn't adapt well to alternating warm days and cool nights. Back to the nursery to buy more to fill in the gaps.

Last winter I found a better method. I carefully removed each plant from the planter roots, soil and all. I trimmed the dead leaves and cut back long stems.

Removing geraniums from their planter.

I put the plants in a plastic tub and took them to town. I placed them next to a west facing glass door to get sunlight and watered them periodically from November through April. I waited longer to put them back out to avoid cold nights.

Storing the geraniums indoors for the winter.

Here's half of my overwintered geraniums in the repurposed BBQ planter. The blossoms have been amazing on the more mature plants.

Overwintered geraniums in a repurposed BBQ planter.

I didn't have to buy any new ones for fill-ins. I would say that was a total success. I bet you can guess which method I'll use again next year. Do you overwinter any plants? What have been some of your successful methods? -- Margy