Geraniums for Generations

Do you overwinter your tender Geraniums (Pelargonium plants) inside your home? I used to think of overwintering them in bare root form by shaking the dirt from them, finding a cool spot in the cellar to store them, and hanging them so that they could benefit from good air circulation. Ignoring them and then trimming their foliage at the right time would leave bare roots for planting. But now, I more frequently take in such plants as Pelargonium Peltatum, place them in attractive plant pots with a little new and loose soil, and prepare to enjoy them all fall and winter.

The practice of overwintering ornamental plants as bare roots likely began due to space constraints. Gardeners who had Pelargonium plants by the dozen typically also had lots of fruit and veggies to store for winter. The food crops would carry families through the bleakest months, taking priority over ornamental plants. Space constraints in the cellar were a good reason to minimize lush and full plants to their bare root form. 

Plenty of gardeners still preserve Pelargonium plants from year to year using the bare root method, but I much prefer the houseplant method. Take the example of Pelargonium Peltatum ‘Crocodile’, one of the Ivy Leaved Geraniums: With foliage that is more decorative than that of many of the houseplants I have purchased, this garden plant is absolutely houseplant material.

I took in my Pelargonium Peltatum ‘Crocodile’ recently and did, for a second or two, understand why some gardeners use this plant and other Geraniums as annuals rather than the tender perennials they are. This particular variety is grown for the way it spills out of window boxes and other containers with foliage that has the visual interest of crocodile skin. I wrangled this big ‘Crocodile’, a plant that had filled out nicely in summer, and wondered how this sizable “spiller” could find a place indoors. But Pelargonium Peltatum ‘Crocodile’ did make it indoors, with a few snips here and there. It took its place on a narrow table where it could drape just a bit beside one of the scented Pelargonium varieties I grew this summer.

With the Scented Geraniums such as Pelargonium citrosum ‘Citronella’ or Pelargonium graveolens ‘Grey Lady Plymouth’, unwieldiness at the end of the summer season relates to the plants’ height more than anything else. So when my Scented Geraniums entered, they too required a few snips here and there. And for these strong plants which typically stand tall, it also required a multi-day acclimation period in which the plants started out looking wilted and terrible before they perked up.

I should note that with this houseplant method of protecting Geraniums over winter, I try to avoid trimming my plants too much during the delicate period when they are first brought indoors. Even though the acclimation period is rather brief, I like to hold off on doing any major trimming until late, late winter or early spring. This sometimes means that plants which have grown tall, such as my ‘Grey Lady Plymouth’ Scented Geraniums, need to be placed in floor containers. Some plants are just a little too large to convert to tabletop plants when they make the move indoors. But rather than cut them down and shock them right after their big move, I personally think it is best to leave them alone. Try to deal with them even if they are a little too tall or a little too full. Then, right before spring is ready to arrive again, give them a more severe trimming to promote new growth and ready them for their spring and summer vacations outdoors.

Most gardeners have and love these tender perennials known as Geraniums… technically, Pelargonium plants. These tender Geraniums grow in the garden or in patio containers all summer. (The Hardy Geraniums known as Cranesbills do not need overwintering, unless you live in the coldest regions. But the tender Geraniums, or Pelargonium plants, do.) Consider getting out now to dig up a few of these lovely, classic plants. Place them in sunny spots with pride, admiring what you have grown all summer and knowing how they will look when they return to the garden. You won’t be able to preserve Geraniums for absolute generations, but you will succeed at saving many plants across the years.