Geranium Cuttings - Over Wintering?

There was a very good thread recently about propagating cuttings from geraniums. However I saw nothing about overwintering. I do not have a greenhouse. Where should I keep the new cuttings and what about watering? thank you all, mike

 

Hi Mike - I assume you are refering to Pelargoniums (ie the bright red summer bedding plants - usually called Geraniums) rather than hardy Geraniums.

Geraniums (Pelargoniums) are tender plants. When mature they can take more frost than many people think. I have had them overwinter outside (in Yorkshire), in pots close to the house. Normally I would overwintered them in an unheated garage or shed, where they go totally dormant and don't want any water. The odd one or two may die but they generally survive OK unless there is an exceptionally cold winter. However you have to remember to give them light and a bit of water when they start to emerge. Geraniums, when growing, have a greater need for light than heat.

However if you have taken cuttings I would be inclined to overwinter them inside (or at least frost free). If they are in a very cool place they will go dormant and not need any water, but if they are warm they will probably try to keep growing and need some water and some light. But don't overwater. Geraniums are pretty drought resistant especially over winter.

 

Why have I had such a mortality rate? I planted over 30 cuttings and I followed the advice on this site and have lost over 50% of my cuttings. In despiration I did ignore one member and used hormone powder on some replacements, with no success. Generally the cuttings have died and rotted off. They are in my shed with very limited light. My outside plants are still flowering. Is it too late to cut off more cuttings?

 

Sorry to hear you've lost so many, very dispiriting.

I think they probably needed more light. I don't think there's a problem with using hormone rooting powder although geraniums will do OK without it.

You might be lucky with cuttings taken now if you keep them at an even moderate temperature with as much light as can be mustered in November. But it's really not a good time for this job.

You could try picking sprigs and putting them in a glass of water in the kitchen and see what happens - geraniums root so readily (normally) this might just work.

You could cut the tops off any that are in pots outdoors, bring them into a cold but frost-free place to overwinter, then take cuttings from fresh growth in spring. A heated propagator would be handy for this.

I find geraniums kept in the greenhouse over winter are a martyr to downy mildew. Lots of the blossom heads on mine are mouldy and it hasn't even been cold yet, the greenhouse is well-ventilated too. By February it will have rampaged over the netire collection - that's why it's a good idea to cut the tops down to the ground. You can't do that with a cutting, though, which is why plenty of warmth, light and air is important.

 

I appear to have just crossed with you Madahhalia - but I think we are saying the same thing.

Mike - when you say cuttings - I assume you mean rooted cuttings and not cutting material.

Mature plant should survive OK in a garage overwinter, but I wouldn't like to do that with newly rooted cuttings. And, of course, there is no way that you can put unrooted cutting material in a poorly lit garage. Unrooted cuttings need the light, and heat, to give them the energy to grow roots.

Hormone powder will never do any harm, its just that often it does no good either. Young rooted cuttings (of any sort) are like babies - just not as robust as adults. They always need extra care.

As the season gets later, my feeling is that it becomes more difficult to take cuttings even under ideal circumstances. I suspect that the growth chemicals, in the plant, are not very strong at this time of the year. However - you have absolutely nothing to lose. I would take some more cuttings and put them on a windowsill inside the house. Even when rooted I would keep them inside the house, over winter, in the coolest and lightest place possible.

Don't cover Geranium cuttings with a polybag. They will invariably rot off. Remember, with a cutting, its a race between the cutting dying from lack of food and water, and growing new roots. So the more heat and light you give it the better the chance of growing roots in time. But remember that before it gets any roots it can't utilise any water that you give it. So any early watering will just result in rotting off.

 

My thanks to PeterS and Madhhlia. I am suren the advice in the original thread said to put them into a shed or garage, with very little light. I planted all the cuttings in about 50/50 compost and vermucilite. Again, following advice I soaked the mix in water and pressed it down hard before inserting the 30 or so cuttings. When my death toll went up, I did put four new cuttings into a tumbler of water on the kiktchen window ledge, but these appear to be rotting.

So I will bring the cuttings indoors with more light and warmth. Mike

PS: Should I decide to try and over winter some mature plants in their pots, any tips on where to put them and watering would be appreciated. Should I cut down the plants to about 4" or 5" or leave them after deflowering?

 

With Geraniums, like many other tender perennials, there are three ways of overwintering - cold, warm or hot.

In the cold method (preferably frost free - but they will take some frost) you can put them in a garage or shed and because of the cold they will hibernate. As they will be inactive they won't need either light or water. However its always worth giving them a bit of light because they will need this when they come out of hibernation in the spring. As they will be inactive it doesn't really matter if you cut them back or not - but its always a good idea to do so.

The warm method comprises keeping them inside the house, in a cool bedroom rather than a hot sitting room. In this case they will continue growing slowly. As they are growing they will need as much light as you can get from a winter's day, and a bit of water. Its well worth cutting back to tidy them and make their size more manageable.

In the hot method, you persuade them that it is still summer, they will need loads of light and normal watering. Under these conditions they will continue to bloom as well as they did during the summer. HOWEVER for this to happen they will need summer levels of light, and nobody can produce this in winter, unless they have expensive grow lights. So the hot method is a non starter for everyone except those growing marijuana.

I think you may have misunderstood the bit about garage and little light. Cuttings, like babies, need a lot of attention and TLC. Mature plants will happily overwinter in a garage with little light.