BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Container Gardening Geraniums

Generally geraniums are annual in Massachusetts but I took my pot into the kitchen for the winter and they're actually coming back for a second year! Hurrah!





Does anyone else enjoy geraniums?

I always have geraniums in the summer. I was always told (and tried it once) that if you put your geraniums in a paper bag and put them in the garage for the winter, you can plant them again in the spring. I did. It worked.

Hello Lisa Lynne and all,

Geraniums and Pelargoniums have to be some of anyone's favourites they are so nice to have especially the creeping ones for hanging baskets and the scented ones for any fragrant garden. I have as many as I can all over the place (less should be more but it's not with me I am afraid) and there are two edible things I do all the time.

One is to have scented sugars in my kitchen which I use for black teas, herb teas and other infusions (not milky teas). Put about three leaves at the bottom of your sugar caddy and cover with sugar (anykind of sugar you have or use in the kitchen), then more fresh leaves halfway up then some on top and just close the jar. The flavour infuses and gives your drinkables an indefinable something that is really nice.

Second thing I do is use any of the varieties of flavours you get, but choose one, line the bottom of a prepared cake tin with clean fresh leaves only, no stalks, and then add cake mixture. When the cake is baked and cooled just peel off the leaves and dust cake with same-scented sifted icing sugar. Use for Madeira style and Victoria sponge cakes etc. Delish I say!

Easy peasy to grow and oh so rewarding. What lovely pics Lisa, thanks.

Cheers now

Those are intriguing recipes Lestie. I want to try them.

I don't have enough to eat, but I am very happy that they are blooming again

Hi Lisa,

You could use on or two of those leaves to flavour a cake if you are into baking! Otherwise, no matter, they grow well there so maybe more next year? The creeping ones are also nice, need less watering, take direct sun, got smaller slightly fleshy leaves and pretty pretty flowers.

Cheers
Lestie

That same geranium plant did great in summer 2012 -



It's in my window now, and it's looking strong, so hopefully it'll last right through to 2013 too!



I'm so pleased I figured out how to get this plant to last the winter. I enjoy its flowers each summer.

Hello Lisa and Everyone,

I love geraniums for many reasons and they are indeed a lovely plant and so giving of a lot of pleasure.

I see that your plant is looking healthy Lisa, but it is becoming 'leggy' as they say so after this flowering, I would suggest that you prune it back to two thirds if not halfway down. Cut above one of the many buds I see there, leave your cuttings to dry for a day then put those cuttings as little sticks into new pots of healthy composted potting soil (not soil from the garden) and see what you will see ... a whole new 'crop'.

Keep them moist and in dappled shade for the first two months or so then into morning sun only then into full sun where you have the others.

If you do not have space, you can give the cuttings away of course or not plant them (compost heap?) but your plants should be pruned for the new season or they will continue to become straggly and not produce such nice flowers and so on.

Repot the 'old' one after you've pruned after a month. DO NOT brush the soil off the roots, disturb them as little as possible and put them back (into a slightly bigger pot if possible) and the new soil with a spoon or two of bonemeal added to the composty potting soil. Keep moist for the first while then go back to your normal watering and feeding regimen.

Cheers

Dear Lestie -

The photo on the bottom is the one I just took a day or two ago. I'm not sure I see where you want me to cut it? The pot it's in is already fairly large - about the size of two desktop computers side by side I'd guess - so I don't think we want to go any larger. We wouldn't be able to move the pot in and out in the spring and fall.

Hi Lisa,

Don't worry about the buds and in fact you do not have to cut them back, but they will continue to grow and become straggly if you do not. That is also okay but then they will not generally grow leaves on the lower 'branches'.

Just cut them back halfway and if you do not want to repot for practical reasons, no fuss - just dig out the soil you can and renew/replace it by adding composty potting soil into which you have mixed some bone meal. Then keep moist and etc.

You will not lose your beautiful plant and it should reward you again and again and again. The worst that MAY (only may) happen is that you will not get flowers for a season, though the plant will thrive, be bushy and be fragrant etc.

Cheers now