Oh yes!
I got a beautiful ice pink geranium two winters ago! It's a little straggly this yer (but still flowering).

I don't know if I'm doing it "right" but it has worked for me.

I took three cuttings about 6-8 inches long of nice, new growth. Made sure they healed over and then put them in water. It took quite awhile to get roots (and I think one of them rotted (so I cut the rotten stuff and tried again).

Once they had roots I just popped them in some potting soil. At the time, the "plant room" faced North but had West and East facing windows - lots of light. The pink one flowered several times in the winter!

I also snagged a piece in a parking lot just before Christmas. That one (finally) took hold but has not yet flowered. I also have a rather gangley geranium that I grew from seed 5 years ago. It's ugly but I keep it around for sentimental reasons! My trailing geranium from last spring looked just awful all winter long but it's in the window box outside now with enormous blossoms! I'll definitely try to keep that one going another year.

I think rot is the biggest danger. I tried to root a few pieces of my precious pink one just last month and they all died. Maybe it's a timing thing too. No idea.

Like I said... I don't know what I'm doing... but it worked!

BasilB

I'm assuming you are referring to pelargonium geraniums.

If you wish to take cuttings from the plant just before any frost hits it, then that is one way to over-winter the plant.
Take the slip by cutting just below a node. Each cutting should be about 4" long. Allow to set for a couple hours before putting it into freshwater, sharp sand.
Sharp sand is the type builders use....not the beach variety or the sand from the kids sandbox.

Dip the cuttings in some rooting hormone, shake off any excess and plant in the medium.
Remove all but a couple of the top leaves.

Put them then into cool light--no harsh sun--water as necessary to keep damp.
Don't fertilize. Let them get some roots first, let them show you something before trying to force feed them.

After they have rooted, put them into 4" pots.
If you wish, start them in 2 1/2" pots before transplanting them into the 4"ers.

Begin fertilizing according to their growth. Do quarter rate until they grow to size.

Have you tried to over-winter them by simply putting them somewhere where they can be left alone....to dry out..completely.
Don't think that plants to overwinter must be kept watered, kept moist, kept in light.
That's nonsense.....where geraniums are concerned.

If you can put the plant somewhere in a cool environment...cool being above freezing, below 55 or so.
An old fridge will do...it must be tho kept running thru winter. That can be a problem for the cooling unit if the outside temperatures are near the zero mark.

If you have such a place....then all you have to do is remove them from the container (or bed) they're in.
Shake off any loose soil. Take them to the cool area and hang them up, upside down to stay there until we want them to grow again.
No water, no light, no nothing....should touch the plants.
They should be allowed to remain where they are, untouched by anything....then in mid February, they come out, are cut back, put into fresh potting soil, put into a sunny window, watered well... and watch.....they'll come back better than ever.

If you follow this....don't be tempted to spritz them with water---what would that do ...we dont want them to grow...we don't want them to have light put on them...they don't need either. They need to be left alone....until we want them to grow again.

I remember my father taking his geraniums out of the ground cutting most of the growth above the soil drying them a bit on newspaper then placing them all in paper grocery bags,closing them up and leaving them in his basement not looking at them until maybe February. Then he would pot them up and let them grow inside until it was safe to plant them outside. Worked every year!
Sue

Wow !!!

Thank you all so much for the tips.....I am going to cut, dry,and bag them...in Oklahoma I can re-pot around Feburary 15, and plant outdoors about April,1....
God love you all,

catholic_okie

Hi Jake,
I would suggest that you take cuttings of your pelargoniums in the next few weeks. You do not need big cuttings 7-8 centimetres is fine. Select,healthy, non flowering shoots and cut just below a leaf joint and remove stipules and leaves, if the selected shoots have flowers or buds remove them. Insert 1-2 cm of the cuttings into a mix of potting compost (soil) 3 vols and vermiculite/perlite 1 vol.
There is no need to use hormone rooting powder, this can cause pellie cuttings to rot. Water well and allow to drain do not tent the cuttings, stand in good light but not direct sunlight and they will root without fuss.
Two further points;

1) keep the cuttings in good light in frost free conditions over the winter

2) Put three cuttings in 7.5cm pot

I use this method and get very good results.

Some time ago I remember a long thread about the various ways to over-winter pelargoniums. If I could, I would use Diane's method, as it seems the simplest. My problem is that I do not have a basement  and I'm not sure what temperature my garage will maintain through winter. Also, I have the worst house possible for interior light, so the February reviving stage might not work Â

Anyway, is there another way to over-winter my pellies? I have 5 Old-fashioned rose and 2 apple scented, plus one unidentified "red" from Mother's Day. I'm leaning toward potting them and watching to see if temp in garage stays above 15 deg F, which I read somewhere is the temp that marks the viable point for roots in earth. Then, when daytime temps are above freezing, I would cart them in and out to catch some rays. Harder than the other way, but I've thought this through and I don't think I have any place that reliably stays between freezing and 55 deg.

Any suggestions? Any hope I can save my buddies?

BA - in love with my pellies Â

interiour

Just a suggestion- larger amounts of soil might increase the chances of success. Maybe the pots could be in a box with soil or insulation. Not sure on this though, but it seems insulation might help. I'd always thought you have to keep pelargoniums above 32 degrees. It's always worth a try though.

Also, does dear husband have a sunny window at work? Maybe he could take in a plant or two. Even if he isn't a gardener, maybe a co-worker would take care of them. Might give you a way to keep one or two plants, in case the garage doesn't work.

Even in low light conditions, a pelargonium might be able to survive in the house. If the rest of the family can read in the light available, the pellie will be getting some light. It might get very spindly, but as long as it survives, it can fill out when you move it outside.
Maybe try some in the house, some in garage, and any that you can at husband's work (or other friends, for that matter.)

Bringing this thread back to life with a question.

I have few geranium American bright red that is the prettiest red I've ever seen. I want to save these for next year. In the past I've done the paper bag method and put it in the unheated attick. Everything rotted. So here's the lan for this year:

we just had our first frost yesterday. I'm going to pull those out from the pots. Shake off the soil, and then let them hang out in the dining room until they dry and loose leaves and then put them in a brown paper bag and store in the refrigerator. Will this work?

I have a question...

why take cuttings? Why not trim back the plant if spindly/leggy looking?

i have left my pelargoniums in pots on my front porch (south southwest facing) over winter and even with the 20*f temps we had last week they are still blooming. A couple years ago, I left some in a pot and never watered and amazingly they were still alive. Ugly but alive.