In the spring of 2019, I purchased two sizable potted Martha Washington geraniums. Could you please let me know if I can bring them inside the house for the winter now that fall and winter are here? If so, what kind of care should I give them? I place them in my west-facing sunroom. The leaves are sturdy and very green. I am aware that they dislike direct sunlight, but I’m not certain whether this is true merely while they are outdoors in the sweltering summertime. Should I alter the soil or prune them back? What kind of fertilizer should I give them, if any? When I purchased the plants in May, there were plenty of blossoms. I’m unsure if I can restore that degree of bloom for the following spring.
I appreciate your assistance in advance. I searched the internet for the answers I needed, but I was unsuccessful.
It is possible to overwinter Martha Washington geraniums inside. In fact, they can be kept as a houseplant all year long and are sometimes regarded as the best kind of geranium to grow indoors. They need cooler nighttime temperatures (10–15 degrees Celsius) to bloom and prefer cooler overall temperatures than the more widely distributed, farmed geraniums that are readily available at garden centers.
As the plants become used to their new inside environment, you could observe some brief dieback or yellowing of the foliage; however, this is a natural occurrence and poses no threat. Particularly if grown indoors, Martha Washington geraniums should be grown in direct sunlight (but sheltered during the hot summer months). It sounds perfect that your sunroom faces west. They will need less watering in the winter than in the summer because of the decreased light levels. As directed on the packaging, fertilize very sparingly during the winter—once every four waterings—with a balanced fertilizer designed for flowering plants that has been diluted to at least half the recommended dosage. A good brand recommendation should be available from your neighborhood garden center.
Do Martha Washington geraniums survive the winter?
Burpee’s 2014 geranium release, “Angel’s Perfume,” has a pleasant, zesty lemon aroma to it. Backing the crimson flowers are wavy, cool-green foliage. What’s more, this geranium can tolerate both shade and direct sunlight. The plants’ height and width increase by 12 to 14 inches.
Thanks to their hardy nature, wintering geraniums are not difficult to master. You can get a head start on the garden season the following spring and save some money by keeping these plants dormant or treating them like houseplants. Find out how to care for geraniums over the winter.
For overwintering, pick geraniums from the Pelargonium genus. In addition to ivy, scented, or seed geraniums, this also applies to zonal or cutting geraniums. Although they belong to this category, Regal or Martha Washington geraniums typically don’t overwinter well. When the flowering season on these popular cool-season plants comes to an end, treat them as real annuals and compost them.
Are Martha Washington geraniums perennial?
The majority of geraniums used in florist arrangements are Martha Washington geraniums (Pelargonium x domesticum), which are stunning but difficult to grow plants with bright green, serrated leaves and impressive blooms in shades of pink, purple, red, white, or yellow, frequently with contrasting markings in the center of the flower. When the blooming ceases, Martha Washington geraniums are typically discarded, but given the appropriate conditions, they can last up to three years. Plant hardiness zones 9 through 10 of the United States Department of Agriculture allow for the perennial growth of Martha Washington geraniums.
Can geraniums survive the cold in pots?
Geraniums can be overwintered inside in three different ways: as a houseplant, as a dormant bare root, or as cuttings. Your decision will be influenced by the amount of room you have indoors and the range of temperatures you can tolerate. Here is a closer examination of each method.
Overwintering geraniums as houseplants
If you want to keep the entire potted plant and have lots of room close to a window that gets bright, direct light, go with this option. A drafty west-facing window would be the ideal place for your potted geranium to spend the winter because geraniums prefer it chilly (55 to 65 F is optimum).
Wash the foliage well with your hose and repot the plant in new potting soil to prevent bringing unwanted pests from outside. You might also use insecticidal soap, which is sold in most garden centers and hardware stores as well as online. Avoid taking the plant indoors if it shows any signs of pests or illness. Only strong plants have a chance of successfully overwintering indoors.
During the winter, keep the soil wet but not damp. No more humidity is required. If the stems begin to sag, pinch them back to keep the plant compact throughout the winter. When springtime comes around, you may start fertilizing once more and transfer the plant back outside as soon as the temperature reliably rises above 50 F.
Overwintering geraniums as dormant bare root plants
This is the most typical way to overwinter geraniums, but it won’t work unless you have a dark, dry place that stays around 50 degrees throughout the winter.
First, dig up your geranium before it freezes and shake the dirt off the roots. To stop mold from forming, let the plant sit and dry for a few days before storage. Before moving onto the following phase, the roots must be completely dry.
The roots should be kept in a dark, dry place that doesn’t get colder than 45 degrees throughout the winter. Geranium roots should be kept at a temperature of 50 F. You can keep them by doing:
- It has been customary for generations to hang the plants upside-down from the rafters;
- placing them on a shelf after wrapping them in newspaper or a paper bag;
- they were put in a cardboard box.
Step 3: Every month or so, look for mold, black leaves, or limp stems at the roots. Remove any plant or root components that are harmful. Most of the stems should endure the winter in good shape. Before re-storing them if they become too wilted, give them a good bath in water and let them air dry.
Step 4: Reviving your geraniums involves cleaning them up, pruning the stems back to healthy green growth, and replanting them in new potting soil about six weeks before your final frost date. Where the new roots will grow, bury the stems two nodes deep. When you notice fresh growth in one to two weeks, keep the plants somewhat dry; after that, keep the soil moist until the plants are big enough to replant outside.
Overwintering geraniums as cuttings
If your light windowsill area is limited or you are concerned that bringing in your entire potted plant would also attract unwanted bugs, this is a nice technique to try. Additionally, it’s a fantastic way to multiply your existing geraniums.
To trim plants, you’ll need:
- a cutting edge.
- Most hardware stores and garden centers sell rooting hormone, which is sold online.
- Use little terracotta or plastic pots, or recycle a clear takeaway container for roasted chicken.
- If you don’t eat chicken, use clear plastic bags to cover the pans.
How are geraniums prepared for winter storage?
Geraniums are incredibly simple to store for the winter—just place them in a cardboard box or a paper bag and secure the top. The following advice will help them survive:
- Maintain geraniums in a cool, dry area with a temperature of 50 to 60 degrees F.
- Once a month or so, remove dried leaves from the bag or box and check for mold.
- Check the stems quickly at the same time; they should be stiff. Throw away any dried-out, shriveled stems you uncover.
- If you see that the plants are becoming really dry and crispy, give them a brief soak in water.
- Plants with stems that appear to be blackened or mildewed should be disposed away.
Geraniums are typically kept in a sack upside down. Although the exact cause is unknown, one idea holds that it does so by pushing moisture into the stems. Whatever the cause, storing them in this manner is neither harmful nor necessarily harmful.
For the winter, should geraniums be pruned back?
You should prune a perennial geranium after it has bloomed all season and starts to wither. This helps the plant store energy for the spring while simultaneously keeping it dormant for the winter. This could need to happen any time between August and late October, depending on your zone. Cut perennial geraniums down to 2 or 3 inches above the soil with a pair of trustworthy shears, ideally at nodes or new growth points. Take out any more flowers or foliage. You’ll have a collection of thick stems that is really ugly. But don’t panic, your blooms will return in full bloom the following spring.
How should I care for geraniums over the winter?
Geraniums have the advantage of easily entering dormancy, allowing for storage in a manner akin to that of sensitive bulbs. This method of storing geraniums for the winter entails digging the plant up in the fall and carefully removing the soil from the roots. The roots should not be spotless, just clear of dirt clumps.
In a room with a constant temperature of roughly 50 degrees Fahrenheit, such as your garage or basement, hang the plants upside down (10 C.). Rehang the geranium plant after soaking the roots in water for an hour once a month. All of the leaves on the geranium will fall off, but the stems will still be alive. Replant the dormant geraniums in the ground in the spring, and they will come to life.
Reducing the number of Martha Washington geraniums?
The care of Martha Washington geraniums differs slightly from that of other geraniums. Because they thrive in healthy, well-draining soil, these geraniums need to be checked frequently and kept fairly moist. Make sure they don’t remain wet or sit on drip trays with standing water, though.
Weekly applications of a water-soluble fertilizer with a higher phosphorus content should be given to Martha Washington geraniums. The middle number in the fertilizer number sequence is phosphorus. Such combinations include 15-30-15. Avoid even numbers, such as 20-20-20, which has a little more nitrogen (the first number) and will encourage more green foliage growth than blooming.
Getting rid of Martha Washington Geraniums can be kept actively blooming by pruning old flower heads or geraniums. Pinching or pruning the plants could prevent them from blossoming.
How can Martha Washington geraniums be made to bloom again?
The Martha Washington geranium is a cool-season geranium that will broaden your geranium horizons (Pelargonium x domesticum). These geraniums, also referred to as regal geraniums, have vibrant flowers with petals that resemble velvet and are noted for their regal appearance. The exquisite ruffled look on the petals adds to the rich appearance of the plants.
The lavender, pink, burgundy, and purple hues of Martha Washington geranium blossoms fall under the reddish-purple color spectrum. Along with a variety of beautifully painted bicolor blooms, white can also be found in the mixture of blossoms. White centers or solid petals with white edges are two prevalent motifs.
The leaves of Martha Washington geraniums are bright green and slightly ruffled. When crushed, the leaves give off a citrus scent and the edges are frequently serrated. The height and width of Martha Washington geraniums range from 12 to 18 inches overall. A Martha Washington geranium frequently appears to be overflowing with flowers due to the flowers’ clustered appearance, which is similar to zonal geraniums but with stems that are typically shorter.
When the air is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, these lovely bloomers thrive. When the nighttime temperature falls between 50 and 60 degrees, Martha Washington geraniums begin to set their bloom buds. As a result, they are well-liked as springtime plants and are frequently purchased as gifts for springtime occasions like Mother’s Day and Easter. Plants typically stop blossoming once summer temperatures approach. Plan to remove plants from pots or planting beds as the heat builds and replace them with classic garden or zonal geraniums if you like the way Martha Washington geraniums look and live somewhere where summers can get a little hot.
Fertile, well-drained soil is preferred by Martha Washington geraniums. Before planting, enrich the soil in landscape beds with a lot of organic matter. Use a commercial soilless mix made for planters in containers. These mixtures offer the proper drainage for containerized plants to flourish. Because Martha Washington geraniums are prone to root rot, don’t overwater them or place them in planting beds with lots of clay soil.
Put your Martha Washington geraniums in a location with direct sunlight, but keep them away from the hottest afternoon sun in all areas. Plants produce fewer flowers when they receive less sunlight. Remove spent blossoms to promote the development of new flowers. This reduces the growth of fungus on decaying flowers. Remove and kill the affected plant sections if you notice any indications of fuzzy mold-like growth (botrytis) on Martha Washington geraniums or orange or brown stains on leaves.
On Martha Washington geraniums, stay away from high-nitrogen fertilizers. Choose a fertilizer that helps promote blossom production, such as a bloom booster. It also works well to use a high-potassium fertilizer intended for veggies. The first number, which shows the nitrogen content, should not be more than half of the other two numbers on the fertilizer bag. For instance, using fertilizer with the label 10-10-10 is incorrect. Use a product with a label like 4-8-10, which is often a fertilizer for flowers and/or vegetables, or 2-4-1, which is typically a fish-based plant food.
Soil and Transplanting
In well-drained soil, the Martha Washington geranium thrives. Preferably, regular potting soil.
Repotting a huge geranium is not usually simple. The best course of action is to take cuttings and propagate the plant.
A mature geranium should only need to be transplanted right before summer, before the plant starts growing quickly.
Trim it down and take out any cuttings that can be utilized for propagation.
Grooming And Maintenance
It is advised to groom the plant because it extends its life. As blossoms degrade, removing spent flowers encourages the growth of new flowers and minimizes illness.