How to survive the winter of geraniums

Geranium is native to southern Africa. It prefers a warm, humid and sunny environment and has poor cold resistance. Once the temperature drops below 5℃ in winter, geraniums will be frostbitten or die. So how can geraniums survive the winter? Let’s learn more about it below.

1. Temperature management

Geranium is not cold-resistant. In winter, the room temperature should not be lower than 0°C, otherwise the plant will easily suffer from frost damage. Therefore, before winter, geraniums need to be moved indoors in time and the indoor temperature should be kept between 10-15°C.

2. Increase lighting

Geraniums like the sun themselves, and the light is soft in winter, so it is best to place them in a sunny place all day. If there is insufficient light in winter, the stems and leaves of geraniums will grow too long, the pedicels will become thin and soft, and the inflorescences will be poorly developed.

3. Reduce watering

Geraniums grow slowly in winter and their water requirements drop significantly. You should reduce watering frequency, keep the soil slightly moist but not wet, and avoid waterlogging. Generally, water the plant once every 5-7 days to keep the soil in the pot semi-dry.

4. Stop fertilizing

Geraniums grow slowly in winter and require less fertilizer . Therefore, fertilization should be stopped in winter to avoid root burn caused by excessive fertilizer. After the temperature rises in spring and the plants resume growing, you can start fertilizing normally.

5. Other points

(1) In winter, when maintaining indoor plants, you need to open windows for ventilation to promote air circulation and reduce the risk of pests and diseases. You can open the windows for ventilation during the noon period on a sunny day to let the geranium breathe fresh air.

(2) When watering, be careful not to let the water drip onto the branches and leaves of the geranium. Water it little by little along the edge of the flowerpot until water seeps out of the small holes at the bottom of the flowerpot.

(3) Check the leaves and branches of geraniums regularly. If you find any signs of pests or diseases, take timely measures to prevent and control them.

(4) It is generally not advisable to prune geraniums in winter, especially heavy pruning. However, after the flowers fade, you should still cut off the remaining flowers in time and cut off the dense or thin branches to avoid wasting nutrients.

In general, geraniums have relatively weak adaptability to cold environments. In order to ensure that geraniums survive the winter safely, it is important to properly manage temperature, water, fertilizer, light, etc. to avoid low temperatures in winter that may affect their growth.