Geraniums in Zone 2 and 3
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: Gail Hickie
Posted on: September 30, 2009

I have the old fashioned hardy geraniums. Is there an easy way to winter them in Saskatchewan, Canada?

Northern Saskatchewan is zone 2 and the southern third is zone 3. I only vaguely remember once seeing some geranium that was hardy to zone 3. Most winter-hardy Geraniums are only rated to zone 5 and a very limited selection to zone 4. I suggest you plant the geraniums in question in large pots, sink them into the ground for the growing season and bring them to a cool place indoors, pot and all, once it starts to freeze outside. Water sparingly until spring. If you give them good light you can enjoy them indoors in February already.

If by hardy geranium you mean the zonal geraniums, they can be pulled out of the soil and hung in a root cellar that does not freeze, but is very humid and planted out again when frosts go away. The safer way is to make cuttings late in the season and overwinter them in pots on a sunny, cool window, or dig up the plants, cut them down to reasonable size, pot up and keep them on the cool, sunny window. Keep on the dry side.

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