Geraniums- indoors for the winter

[danielle]

My geranium plants live outside during the summer but I keep
them indoors in the winter. Can anyone give me advice about the
best way to do this? Someone suggested wrapping them in newspaper
and storing them in a dark place. Someone else said put them indoors
but don't water them at all. Another person said to leave them outside
in a sheltered spot. I've tried all 3 with varying success.
Can anyone give advice? What's the best way?

[Jan Flora]

In article >,
(danielle) wrote:

> My geranium plants live outside during the summer but I keep
> them indoors in the winter. Can anyone give me advice about the
> best way to do this? Someone suggested wrapping them in newspaper
> and storing them in a dark place. Someone else said put them indoors
> but don't water them at all. Another person said to leave them outside
> in a sheltered spot. I've tried all 3 with varying success.
> Can anyone give advice? What's the best way?

I put mine on top of the fridge and let them grow all winter. Whack them
back without mercy when they get leggy.

Jan, Alaska
USDA Zone 4

[jrstark]

Jan Flora wrote:
> In article >,
> (danielle) wrote:
>
>
>>My geranium plants live outside during the summer but I keep
>>them indoors in the winter. Can anyone give me advice about the
>>best way to do this? Someone suggested wrapping them in newspaper
>>and storing them in a dark place. Someone else said put them indoors
>>but don't water them at all. Another person said to leave them outside
>>in a sheltered spot. I've tried all 3 with varying success.
>>Can anyone give advice? What's the best way?
>
>
> I put mine on top of the fridge and let them grow all winter. Whack them
> back without mercy when they get leggy.
>
> Jan, Alaska
> USDA Zone 4

I have a citrosa that is getting really leggy, but it also looks like it
will bloom soon (little green buds).

Was planning on cutting it back when I take it outside, should I do it
sooner? How far back is without mercy? It's about 29" at the tallest,
but there is some lower growth.

It's in my semi-heated basement, about 50 degrees F and growing towards
the lamp.

Janine

[jrstark]

Jan Flora wrote:
> In article >,
> (danielle) wrote:
>
>
>>My geranium plants live outside during the summer but I keep
>>them indoors in the winter. Can anyone give me advice about the
>>best way to do this? Someone suggested wrapping them in newspaper
>>and storing them in a dark place. Someone else said put them indoors
>>but don't water them at all. Another person said to leave them outside
>>in a sheltered spot. I've tried all 3 with varying success.
>>Can anyone give advice? What's the best way?
>
>
> I put mine on top of the fridge and let them grow all winter. Whack them
> back without mercy when they get leggy.
>
> Jan, Alaska
> USDA Zone 4

I have a citrosa that is getting really leggy, but it also looks like it
will bloom soon (little green buds).

Was planning on cutting it back when I take it outside, should I do it
sooner? How far back is without mercy? It's about 29" at the tallest,
but there is some lower growth.

It's in my semi-heated basement, about 50 degrees F and growing towards
the lamp.

Janine

[danielle]

jrstark > wrote in message news:<8KuUb.229322$xy6.1164094@attbi_s02>...
> Jan Flora wrote:
> > In article >,
> > (danielle) wrote:
> >
> >
> >>My geranium plants live outside during the summer but I keep
> >>them indoors in the winter. Can anyone give me advice about the
> >>best way to do this? Someone suggested wrapping them in newspaper
> >>and storing them in a dark place. Someone else said put them indoors
> >>but don't water them at all. Another person said to leave them outside
> >>in a sheltered spot. I've tried all 3 with varying success.
> >>Can anyone give advice? What's the best way?
> >
> >
> > I put mine on top of the fridge and let them grow all winter. Whack them
> > back without mercy when they get leggy.
> >
> > Jan, Alaska
> > USDA Zone 4
>
> I have a citrosa that is getting really leggy, but it also looks like it
> will bloom soon (little green buds).
>
> Was planning on cutting it back when I take it outside, should I do it
> sooner? How far back is without mercy? It's about 29" at the tallest,
> but there is some lower growth.
>
> It's in my semi-heated basement, about 50 degrees F and growing towards
> the lamp.
>
> Janine



If the plant is getting leggy, have you tried pinching off the ends of
lots of the stems? That encourages them to become more bushy. I'm not
sure if you're supposed to do this at a particular time of year, but
it seems to work anytime with all sorts of (house) plants, not just
geraniums.

Danielle

[danielle]

jrstark > wrote in message news:<8KuUb.229322$xy6.1164094@attbi_s02>...
> Jan Flora wrote:
> > In article >,
> > (danielle) wrote:
> >
> >
> >>My geranium plants live outside during the summer but I keep
> >>them indoors in the winter. Can anyone give me advice about the
> >>best way to do this? Someone suggested wrapping them in newspaper
> >>and storing them in a dark place. Someone else said put them indoors
> >>but don't water them at all. Another person said to leave them outside
> >>in a sheltered spot. I've tried all 3 with varying success.
> >>Can anyone give advice? What's the best way?
> >
> >
> > I put mine on top of the fridge and let them grow all winter. Whack them
> > back without mercy when they get leggy.
> >
> > Jan, Alaska
> > USDA Zone 4
>
> I have a citrosa that is getting really leggy, but it also looks like it
> will bloom soon (little green buds).
>
> Was planning on cutting it back when I take it outside, should I do it
> sooner? How far back is without mercy? It's about 29" at the tallest,
> but there is some lower growth.
>
> It's in my semi-heated basement, about 50 degrees F and growing towards
> the lamp.
>
> Janine



If the plant is getting leggy, have you tried pinching off the ends of
lots of the stems? That encourages them to become more bushy. I'm not
sure if you're supposed to do this at a particular time of year, but
it seems to work anytime with all sorts of (house) plants, not just
geraniums.

Danielle

[Jan Flora]

In article <8KuUb.229322$xy6.1164094@attbi_s02>,
jrstark > wrote:

> Jan Flora wrote:
> > In article >,
> > (danielle) wrote:
> >
> >
> >>My geranium plants live outside during the summer but I keep
> >>them indoors in the winter. Can anyone give me advice about the
> >>best way to do this? Someone suggested wrapping them in newspaper
> >>and storing them in a dark place. Someone else said put them indoors
> >>but don't water them at all. Another person said to leave them outside
> >>in a sheltered spot. I've tried all 3 with varying success.
> >>Can anyone give advice? What's the best way?
> >
> >
> > I put mine on top of the fridge and let them grow all winter. Whack them
> > back without mercy when they get leggy.
> >
> > Jan, Alaska
> > USDA Zone 4
>
> I have a citrosa that is getting really leggy, but it also looks like it
> will bloom soon (little green buds).
>
> Was planning on cutting it back when I take it outside, should I do it
> sooner? How far back is without mercy? It's about 29" at the tallest,
> but there is some lower growth.
>
> It's in my semi-heated basement, about 50 degrees F and growing towards
> the lamp.
>
> Janine

I've whacked mine back to a couple of bud nodes (is that what they're
called?) on each stem. Mine is in a pint jam bucket right now, and about
3 foot long, cascading off the fridge. It smells like lemon furniture
oil when you touch it. I have no idea what cultivar it is -- got it as a
slip off a neighbor's plant.

You could probably give it a good haircut when you put it outdoors for
the season. That way you'd get nice thick growth. But if it wants to
bloom for you right now, gee, let it!

I live in a daylight basement, so plants kind of languish in here all
winter, then go nuts in March when the daylight comes back. (We
have snow on the ground until May 10 or so, here at the house.)

Jan

[jrstark]

Jan Flora wrote:

> In article <8KuUb.229322$xy6.1164094@attbi_s02>,
> jrstark > wrote:
>
>
>>Jan Flora wrote:
>>
>>>In article >,
>>> (danielle) wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>My geranium plants live outside during the summer but I keep
>>>>them indoors in the winter. Can anyone give me advice about the
>>>>best way to do this? Someone suggested wrapping them in newspaper
>>>>and storing them in a dark place. Someone else said put them indoors
>>>>but don't water them at all. Another person said to leave them outside
>>>>in a sheltered spot. I've tried all 3 with varying success.
>>>>Can anyone give advice? What's the best way?
>>>
>>>
>>>I put mine on top of the fridge and let them grow all winter. Whack them
>>>back without mercy when they get leggy.
>>>
>>> Jan, Alaska
>>> USDA Zone 4
>>
>>I have a citrosa that is getting really leggy, but it also looks like it
>>will bloom soon (little green buds).
>>
>>Was planning on cutting it back when I take it outside, should I do it
>>sooner? How far back is without mercy? It's about 29" at the tallest,
>>but there is some lower growth.
>>
>>It's in my semi-heated basement, about 50 degrees F and growing towards
>>the lamp.
>>
>>Janine
>
>
> I've whacked mine back to a couple of bud nodes (is that what they're
> called?) on each stem. Mine is in a pint jam bucket right now, and about
> 3 foot long, cascading off the fridge. It smells like lemon furniture
> oil when you touch it. I have no idea what cultivar it is -- got it as a
> slip off a neighbor's plant.
>
> You could probably give it a good haircut when you put it outdoors for
> the season. That way you'd get nice thick growth. But if it wants to
> bloom for you right now, gee, let it!
>
> I live in a daylight basement, so plants kind of languish in here all
> winter, then go nuts in March when the daylight comes back. (We
> have snow on the ground until May 10 or so, here at the house.)
>
> Jan

Yours cascades? Cool! Mine pretty much goes straight up, although the
main woody stems do this curve thing before going up. I bought it at
Lowes in the early summer. I tried taking cuttings in the fall, but
they aren't doing that well. I'll try rooting everything I cut off in
the spring.

The little buds haven't changed much in the week since I noticed them,
but there seem to be more. I had the pot in full afternoon sun all
summer, lots of growth but no flowers (some of the ones still at Lowes
were blooming in late summer, they hadn't grown much). So do they like
it cooler/shadier? Or was it just growing to fill the new pot? I was
also planning on repotting in the spring.

I'm just outside Chicago, and last summer really wasn't that hot. But
aside from the legginess, it's doing really well in the basement, so
that's why I wonder about the best temps.

Janine