Overwinter Tender Plants: Save Money, Gain Spring Size

Don't let frost kill your investment. Coleus, dahlias, gladiolus, crocosmia, acidanthera, geraniums, fuchsias, and tender salvias can all survive winter indoors—larger, earlier-blooming, and free next spring.

Bulbs, Corms, Rhizomes: Dig and Store

Gladiolus, crocosmia, acidanthera: After frost kills foliage, dig corms. Cure 2–3 weeks dry/ventilated. Discard old corms. Store new in paper bags at 35–40°F.

Cannas: Post-frost, dry in ground few days. Cut stems to 3–4". Dig rhizomes, dry few days. Store in peat moss at 40–50°F. Spring: plant clumps or divide with stem portions.

Active Winter Growth

Geraniums: Cut back 1/3. Sunny window. Fertilize in 2 weeks. Or: dormant storage—cool (40–50°F), dark, dry until spring growth appears.

Coleus: Root tip cuttings in water. Or bring whole plant, cut back succulent growth (aphid magnet).

Semi-Dormancy

Fuchsias, tender salvias: Cut back 1/2. Cool (40–55°F), low light. Water monthly. Spring: shade acclimation, trim, resume water/fertilizer.

Why Bother?

A 3-year geranium is a flowering machine. Overwintered dahlias bloom weeks earlier. The effort is minimal; the reward is compound interest on your plant investment.