I have to keep planting geraniums every year as they do not come back each year.?

Question

someone told me that if I plant them in pots they will come back every year. If not what am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

Geraniums are annuals, which only flower for 1 season, during the summer months. Frost will kill them, but you can successfully grow them indoors, on a nice sunny windowsill, or keep them in a greenhouse. They will get "leggy" and you will probably have to keep them trimmed, but they can be replanted in the garden next year. Cuttings are also very easy to take from your saved plants, and you won't have to buy more next year!.

Answer 2

I was lucky this past winter, living in Staffordshire UK, as some of my tender geraniums and pelargoniums lived through it!  This is not the norm, and I did give them a covering of horticultural fleece for much of it.  I've been similarly lucky with some Petunias and flowering tobacco plants - Nicotiana, so it's been a lower cost summer bedding plant season!  We were very fortunate with the past winter though, so I don't expect to repeat that success regularly.

Geraniums flower best when they have their roots restricted, so I often keep them in their pots and bury them in tubs in the garden.  This makes them easy to lift in the autumn,   and doesn't disturb them as much as if their roots get broken etc.   If you have yours planted already,  lift them before the first frosts, and keep in reasonably small pots through the winter.  The lifting will stress them slightly, but they will soon settle in.  I keep most of mine on windowsills around the house,  though a protected small lean to window would also work, as long as it's kept frost free.  Using something like Christmas tree lights can help keep the ambient temperature a little warmer - beware of electricity and water though!

They don't need tons of water in winter time, just give them a little when they're getting dry.  Likewise with food, I generally do not feed from November through to late February/March (northern hemisphere - not sure where you are).

To really give yourself great plants next year,  take some ripe shoot cutings around August.  As you can get 3 or 4 rooting in a small pot, these take less additional house space with your larger plants.  They can then be repotted in spring time.

Remove dead and dieing leaves and flowers,  and you should start to see new flower buds appear in very early spring time, as soon as the day length starts to increase - though you may be fortunate enough to have some flowers all through the winter.

Hope this helps.  Good luck! Rob

Answer 3

Plants whether in the ground or in pots need care over the winter just like in the summer.  Keep them watered (not over watered)  add small amounts of fertilizer (follow directions on package) and protect from freezing.  Pots can  reach freezing temps more easily as the ground does not provide heat to them.  You may need to put them indoors or a protected area or cover them if a freeze is expected.  Good luck.  I suggest you join a good gardening group there are many of them with lots of resources and advice from experience gardners in your same climate.

gateways to our gardens is a good place and there are many others.   don.

Answer 4

u have to bring them in the house during the winter months and put them in a sunny window.every year i plant them in my garden and just plant some clippings in a pot for next yrs garden

Answer 5

Yes put them in pots and put them in the green house over winter or on a window ledge indoors. Frost will kill them.

Answer 6

theyshould do. maybe you leave them out and they get frostbitten. that kills them.

Answer 7

There are different types of geraniums--some are hardy and do come back every year...others are annuals and die at the first frost.Perhaps that is what you have in your pots.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geranium

Answer 8

I recently read that hybrids may come back but each year they won't be as big & numerous as they were originally.

Answer 9

Geraniums (Pelargoniums) are not hardy plants. They are also sensitive to excessive moisture.

I have had success off and on bringing them in and acclimating them indoors well before frost.  Scented geraniums grow beautifully indoors year-round for me.

It's worth a shot, I figure. They're doomed outdoors.

Answer 10

as a child my mom always had geraniums in the vestibule that is what we as New Yorkers call it as  otherwise known as a hall or entry way year through i keep mine indoors and i enjoy the blooms all year  through in a sunny window you are probably leaving them out side in frost temperatures this is why they do not come back you are buying annuals which die upon the first frost whereas perennials last through the frost