Marianne's Response

bringing geraniums into the house for the winter

I am again here with a question as to why many of the geraniums I’ve brought into the house are dying, or have died. The stems turn brownish and then almost black. If I open one of them, it’s sort of stringy inside. They look more like they are diseased than that they have rotted. I water very cautiously of course. I admit to planting many in decorative pots that have no drainage. I always put at least 1 inch of broken pot pieces in the bottom of each pot. This year, I did have one pot do this also that I simply brought the pot, with the geraniums in it as they had grown all summer, and put it in front of a large window. So, these geraniums were not dug out of the garden dirt and put into a pot. Suggestions would be appreciated.

Posted by Margy on January 26, 2021

Marianne's Response

Thank you for sending the photo. It helps a lot with diagnosing the problem to see what the plant looks like. My best guess is that the geraniums are suffering from a root rot disease based on both poor drainage and lack of sunlight. These plants really need good drainage and so putting rocks in the bottom of a pot with no drainage will not be enough to keep the roots happy. The shorter days of winter adds to the problem as does cooler night temperatures. At this point you could try and take cuttings from the green material left on any of the plants but it may be most practical to dispose of the plants now and start fresh in the spring. Good drainage, lots of sun and dry soil in the winter are the keys to overwintering geraniums. Don't give up just try again next winter. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti

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