[rowlandwells]

 every year we dig our geraniums up and try to keep them for next year last year i had the luxury of a spare room last year i put some heat on and they kept alright but this year i have lost the room and so its back to the cold greenhouse

i thought about dividing an area in the greenhouse and insulate it with bubble wrap i have already boxed in the greenhouse staging about a ft high  that i intend to cover with fleece

i don't really want to put heating on in the greenhouse till around the end of Feb because my solid fuel heater is rather expensive to run for just geraniums

any advise most welcome  RW

[sunshineband]

You might find that cutting them right back and keeping the rootstock fairly dry will avoid problems with mildew that might arise if they are in an unventilted area.

They will start into growth in the spring once watered and fed 

[catllar]

I usually chop mine back and move the pots into the garage - they seem to be fine there.
Last year I forgot, however, and by the time I remembered the temps had plummeted so I just threw some winter fleece over the pots and hoped for the best. I must have been really lucky  because despite some minus 15s they all came up again this year. We don't have a lot of rain here in the winter so that might have helped but  I think this was just pure luck , so this year they'll go back in the garage.

[PeterP]

I think the secret is as suggested.
Try and dry them out as much as possible.
It is the freezing damp in the roots that
will them off.
Try and keep them just off total dryness.
not easy, but once out of the weather
they should be okay.
Bit more hardy than given credit for.

[Spana]

I can remember my father putting his geraniums to bed for the winter.

 He didn't have a greenhouse so use to dry them off, shake all the soil from the roots and lay them all together in a box and cover with dry peat or compost.  The box was then stored in the shed until spring when he cut them hard back to a shoot and potted them up.  Once given a watering they soon started into growth .

[Paul Plots]

I read somewhere (probably a very old gardeing book) that if the stems are cut back hard and the roots are cleared of all soil they can be hung upside down in a frost free place until spring. I have no idea if this works but maybe you could try one plant and see. 

We used to take late summer cuttings and keep them in an unheated leanto greenhouse covering with fleece to keep the worst of the cold out. It's the damp that does the worst damage providing they can be kept just above the very, very cold level.

These days I find it easier to buy very small plugs in the spring. Growing from seed is almost as expensive as plug plants and far more fuss. 

[rowlandwells]

hi Paul i must admit i do buy my geraniums as plugs each year but i have some nice coloured geraniums that i wanted to keep over winter so i'll try your method win or loose
RW

[Paul Plots]

hi Paul i must admit i do buy my geraniums as plugs each year but i have some nice coloured geraniums that i wanted to keep over winter so i'll try your method win or loose
RW

Oh hell's teeth... I'm going to worry all winter that I've let you down and they don't survive. 

Perhaps, if you have room, you could pot up a few and plonk them in a coolish room indoors as a safe guard?

[goose]

I have lost all of mine in the greenhouse during the past two harsh winters , so this year i am trying something different.

I took cuttings about a month ago from my favourite ones and they are on a windowledge in the back bedroom.  I am also going to try cutting them back/shaking off the soil/hang upside-down in a paper bag method, for the first time. fingers crossed it will work, but i havent got much to lose as other methods havent worked....i will report back in the spring

[Paul Plots]

I think it's not neccesarily the cold that kills them off but a combination of that and damp.

Cuttings is by far the best way to go if you have somewhere suitable to keep them cool / frost-free.

Keep a very close eye out for aphids though when things warm up.
Good luck!! 

[rowlandwells]

 hi Paul
 your concerns for my poor old geraniums are noted but its going to be a suck it and see
 thing but i have took notice of what all of you have said  so ime going to give it a go
 
as i said i have some  back up I've already ordered a couple of trays of plugs palladium and maverick mixed. the geraniums ime tying to keep are geranium zonal bought as raised cuttings and a little costly to buy but a very nice salmon colour :happy:

thanks for all your advise on this topic RW

[stentman]

I take cuttings from my established plants and put them in pot noodle sized pots, then try to avoid overwatering (a failing of mine). The idea is to keep them alive but not molly coddled through the winter and not allow them to put on to much foliage then next year out they go. I keep them on the back bedroom window sill but anywhere that remains above freezing seems OK but to much heat will promote growth so potting up is needed,  more watering etc etc. I have'nt bought a geranium for years but my varieties don't change either. A white one, a pink one and a red one plus a lemon scented varient.