Wintering geraniums

I know you can dig up and shake off geraniums, store hanging upside down in a very dark (no window) room, and they will start right back up again when spring planting arrives. My question is, can you do the same thing with scented geraniums?

I've never done it, but my old auntie always did. I usually cut some of the scenteds and either started them in pots in the fall or just kept them in water for the winter.

I used to store seed grown geraniums, many years ago when I had a basement, in paper bags in a cool dark spot of the basement. I had about a 50%+ success rate with them. I tried scented geraniums and they didn't work for me. I have a large collection of scented geraniums. I take fall cuttings and put them in a 72 cell flat. They root and winter very well this way and can be held in the flat for quite a long time. I start potting them up in late winter. But they also make great houseplants. So I usually try to keep at least one larger plant of each variety in a sunny window.

If they are potted, put them in the garage( before frost) and water occasionally during the winter. They will survive cold but not a freeze. In the spring, cut off any growth and set back outside. My garage isn't heated but is attached to the house. Any plants stored out there are just protected from the elements but I've overwintered several plants that way.

Our geraniums are placed in one unheated room in the house where the temp usually stays 48-56 degrees with filtered direct sun light. They bloom almost all winter long. Come spring, we set them out in a mostly sunny area and they are the first to start blooming even before our tulips. In fact, two of them had blooms on them when we set them out.
Gorgeous red!

I have two hanging baskets with really nice, big geraniums. I think (thanks to this thread) that I'm going to hang them in the basement and see how they do!

MsKatt...they should do well if you can allow some sun to get to them and let the temp get somewhat cool. The cold seems to stimulate them.
We also have a Christmas cactus which blooms from B-4 Christmas until late Jan-early Feb....most of the time.

Not a problem. I'll hang them in front of the window and my basement is cold in the winter!

what about an unheated shed? best I got.
Gloria

Gloria,

I think an unheated shed won't work. The geraniums can't be in temperatures below freezing and I'm sure your shed will get that cold. You can treat geraniums like a houseplant and just find a table near a window in your house. I brought mine in last winter and just left them in their pots and set them on the stairs going down to the basement. I have a big glass block window in that foyer so they got plenty of light. I cut them back and watered them about once a week..sometimes two weeks when I'd forget. They did just fine. Come spring I gave them some fertilizer and extra water and they started putting on new leaves. Saved me a lot of money from having to buy them over again.

If you can't find a spot to put your geraniums you can just take cuttings from them and root them in water.

In the spring I like to take out some of the old dirt and put in fresh potting soil.

thanks Loon so I guess I buy new ones in the spring I live in 16x80 MF home not a lot of room to over winter things DARN
Gloria

glevely... you may want to use an inexpensive grow light if you do not have room access to a window. Just about any cheap fluoresent light will suffice. This is one of those "may or may not" work things. At least you can use the grow light to jump start tomatoes if you are inclined to do so.
Ain't gonna be a total loss this way.

I'v thought about that cuz I only have a 12x14 den / computer room that has not much room in it can you get free standing ones I'v never checked into it ?
Gloria

I lug my huge pots of geraniums inside and put them in unheated rooms, but by windows. I water sparingly and they grow gang busters!! They tend to get tall and leggy by spring, so in April I cut them way down to about 2 in and they fill back in. I've had the same pots for 5 years. I just dose them good with fertilizer in the spring. When I cut them back I often start the cuttings and they do well also.

Just don't let them freeze!

glevely.. just put a "sky hook" in the ceiling and hang a light from it just as you would a hanging plant. You will probably have to use a long extension cord to make the light hang about a foot from above the tallest part of the plant(s). If you do, be sure to electrical tape the connection to the cord to keep it from pulling loose from the light.