How do I best keep Geraniums & Busy Lizzie's?

To all garden gurus. Do I cut back/dead head geraniums ( I have approx 10), to encourage more blooms, or are they ' going over' now? And how do I look after them over winter months please? BTW: I don't own a greenhouse.
Also, I have had a lovely show of busy Lizzie's which I purchased this yr. ( a favourite of my dear old dad's) . Are they perennials and if so how will I keep them - will I need to dig them up or can they be protected in situ somehow? [emoji4] [emoji258]

 

Good morning Lizzerti,
keep taking off the spent geranium blooms. They will continue to flower until the frost arrives. I wouldn't like the guarantee their Winter out door survival without protection . If it's a mild one, they may just make it.
But not those Busy Lizzies sadly. They are not winter hardy outdoors. They easily root from cuttings right now, maybe you could do a few to keep indoors over Winter? Mine are still blooming like mad outdoors and no sign of mould...
Jenny

 

Thanks Jenny
Will be lopping the geraniums tomoz and try and get them some shelter for winter. Are those small, plastic framed mini greenhouses adequate? Had one before but it didn't wear well. Was thinking of digging up the The busy lizzies and giving them shelter too...yep mine too are still a riot of bright colours. Sorry to keep asking things, but is taking bus lizzie cuttings an easy process? [emoji4]

 

a) plastic GH. Maybe - if the Winter's not too hard. Keep them on the dry side
b) find stems that are not flowering if you can. About 1.5" long as chunky as you can find. Cut cleanly and insert in a vessel so that no leaves are in water. Indoors,put in good light but not direct sunlight and keep stems immersed. May take a few weeks to throw out roots - especially if it goes cooler,
Jenny

 

Thanks Jenny- appreciate the advice. Think I'll invest in a small plastic GH then. Thrilled to learn geraniums flower for so long when dead-headed. So, I put busy lizzie cuttings into water - not rooting powder, then compost? [emoji259]

 

Yes, wait until you can see a good set of roots in the water ( change the water every so often if it's going green- but use slightly tepid water - same as it's in ) and then mix up a pile of MPC with some fine grit or sand in it to help with drainage and gently pot them up. keep them out of the sun for a few weeks to help them settle down,
Jenny
good luck
ps - here is one I took about 6 weeks ago, now growing on strongly and making new branches lower down

 

Ermmm ... "lopping" is perhaps open to interpretation but all you need to do is cut off the flower stalks that have gone-over. If you cut the plant, itself, back it will be 3 weeks or more before it has regrown and makes flowers.

No, they'll die in there - unless you live in Cornwall (If you put your approx. location in your profile that would help, thanks). They won't need much / any light, and little or no water, so a porch or a frost free shed / garage will do. I'm always amazed that mine survive over winter, I just chuck them in a plastic crate and then pot them up in late February ... you'd need to use windowsills to bring them on next Spring, if you don't have a greenhouse. A plastic "blow away" would do at that point, but you would have to bring them in for the night if frost was forecast - they won't mine being in the dark for the night, of course , or even for several days / a week if the weather turns really bad - so utility room / back bedroom / garage ... anything like that will do for frost-protection once they start back into growth.

 

P.S. If that all sounds like its in the "too difficult" category then probable best to plan to re-buy in the Spring, and do whatever you think gives them the best chance of surviving, and if we get a mild winter you'll save a bob or two , if not then you'll have some nice shiny new plants, which you can buy late enough in the Spring that you don't have to struggle to look after them - in effect you will be letting the Garden Centre worry about over wintering them ...

 

Hi Jenny. Your young BL looks most healthy. Mine seem to have lighter leaves. Really clear advice...well I never, in water..can't wait to have a bash at this. I remember my dad displaying busy Lizzies on almost ev windowsill..can't recall if he propagated them though.
Kristen, thanks v much for yr comments. Ah, well 'lopping' was maybe a too aggressive description. Lol. I am actually cutting dead geranium blooms (another dad fav. )with scissors. ( is this OK?) But not too far down ..stalks quite visible. Prev had tried the humble plastic carrier bag ov the G's but mainly they got frost bite and ended up black! I live in Dorset nr coast - unsure how to access profile to update data. Dearly love to nurture my G's through til next year, will try I think. Nothing ventured...etc., [emoji259]

 

Now have Busy Lizzies made a comeback ? I have not grown them for about three years , due to the dreaded mildew . Has someone sounded the all clear ?

 

You can chop off the flower and the whole of its stalk, just not any leaves Scissors are fine

Top right of the page you should see your name "lizzerti" and if you park the mouse over that a pop--up menu will appear, choose "Personal Details". There is other stuff there, fill in whichever bits you like, but Gender and Location are the ones that folk here find useful - Gender avoids the embarrassment of guessing a gender from someone's nickname

 

Am using Smartphone. Is format different? I clicked on 'lizzerti' icon..on left of this page and took me to some listed data, inc titles, 'started' & 'replies' , but could not see 'personal details'. :(

 

Ah, OK. Sorry not familiar with that route, but pretty sure it has come up before and I think the answer was that Profile had to be done from a PC (well, something with a conventional browser, rather than a "small footprint" type browser)

 

Mine are fine and dandy Harry. Fit as a fiddle,
Jenny

 

Update on #6 this morning


Jenny