Topic: storing geraniums

[brownthumb2]

 How can I store a lot of geraniums previous years i`ve kept them in their pots and kept in the green house and potted them into new compost in the spring,  .But this year i`ve invested in a lot more plus fuchsias so keeping in the pots will be impossible as i`ve only got a 6x4 green house and last year it was full to the brim I was thinking of removing them from the baskets and pots and placing them into large pots together but I,am worried about air circulation

[Tee Gee]

I tend to give them (Geraniums & Fuchsia) a haircut and pot them down prior to storing.

To elaborate;

During the summer my plants are mostly in 5"-6" pots and when I get round to preparing them for winter storage  I cut the top growth back by as much as a third to half their current size. I generally try to cut back to leave around 3-4 nodes. This means that if the tips of the stems become infected in any way I can still cut them back in spring to leave a couple of nodes for new growth to emerge from.

In terms of potting down I find that the smaller pot sizes I use are usually governed by the existing root ball, as different varieties can end up with large or  small root balls.

When I remove them from the large pot I scrape as much compost off the root system as I can,(I find an old dinner fork is a useful tool to do this with as it combs out the compost around the roots) at this point the root ball becomes quite 'hairy' looking so I give this  a haircut too!. How much you cut off is pretty much down to the size of the rootball so common sense has to kick in . I tend to look at this operation in human terms in so far as; I cut off the veins but leave the arteries,when you try it I think you will see what I mean.

Once the plant/s have had a top& bottom haircut I plant them in pots suited to the size of the finished root ball which is usually a 3"-4" pot.

I sometimes riddle the compost I use for this potting up as I find that the finer compost is in contact with the root system, that is; there are less voids in the rootball area.

Once potted up I give them a thourough soaking and this takes the fine grains into all the nooks and crannies between the root.

Then I just let them drain, then place them in a shaded place in the greenhouse ( usually under the bench) until spring when. I give them a light watering to kickstart them back into life for the following season.

At the end of this operation I find that the plants take up around half the space they would have done had I not carried out this procedure.

I hope this helps!

[tricia]

What about geraniums planted in the garden? I planted half a dozen between small lavender plants in early summer. They are still blooming. I'm in the southwest where we seldom get frosts and don't plan on lifting them. Should I use some kind of protection to improve their chance of survival? No biggie if they don't as they are cheap to replace! But it would save me the work next spring.

Tricia

[Tee Gee]

What I tend to do with plants that require frost protection in the winter is;

At planting out time I pot up the surviving plants which have over-wintered in 3"-4" pots as described above into 5"-6" pots  then sink the pot into the location I want them in the garden, then at the end of the season or as the first signs of frost is upon me, I fetch the potted plants into a cool greenhouse to prepare for winter storage!

If some of them are still in flower I just let them flower on in the greenhouse providing I don't need the space with a view to preparing them as I described above when I feel ready to do so!

Should I use some kind of protection to improve their chance of survival?

I would not chance leaving them out doors because; if the frosts don't get at them the cold & damp might!

You could lift them with a good root ball on them, and pot them up in a pot/s of a size suited to the root ball then like me you could place them in a cool greenhouse or on a window sill  until you want to prepare them for winter storage. 

Then again as you only have half a dozen you could forget about the potting down & haircuts and just let them tick over on the window sill till planting out time. In this way you could have full sized plants to plant out. OK you might want to do a bit of shallow pruning to tidy them up prior to planting out

No biggie if they don't as they are cheap to replace

I grow new plants from seed every year and only save plants from the previous season that have characteristics I like! e.g. perhapa particular coular or leaf markings!

[brownthumb2]

Thanks Tee Gee great information on storage ,I think I will trim as you said and place in one large pot and pot up singly in the spring  . I`ve never tried growing geraniums from seed  do they flower in the same year  I will try some in the spring any advice on growing them from seed I would appreciate

[Tee Gee]

I`ve never tried growing geraniums from seed  do they flower in the same year 

 Yes! if you sow them early enough! e.g. January

I will try some in the spring any advice on growing them from seed I would appreciate

See here;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/P/Pelargonium/Pelargonium.htm

As this thread started with a question on Geraniums & Fuchsia here is some info on Fuchsia as well;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/F/Fuchsia/Fuchsia.htm