Overwintering Geraniums: Three Proven Methods to Keep Plants Alive

Geraniums (Pelargonium) brighten summer containers but succumb to frost. With a little effort, you can carry them through winter and enjoy a head start next spring.

Method 1: Deep Mulching Outdoors

• Cut back to 8″.
• Cover with inverted shallow cardboard box.
• Pile 10″+ of dry leaves over box.
• Top with clear plastic sheet.
• Uncover in late March; plants re-sprout in average winters.

Method 2: Sunny Window Indoors

• Pot up landscape plants or hang baskets in a cool, bright window.
• Cut back to fit space.
• Water occasionally; no fertilizer until spring move-out.

Method 3: Bare-Root in Basement

• Remove from pots; enclose entire plant in brown paper bag.
• Hang upside down by roots in cool basement.
• Mid-March: take down, soak roots in bucket of water.
• Pot up and move outside when weather warms.

All three methods work—choose based on space, climate, and convenience. The “dead sticks” in the basement method miraculously leaf out within weeks.