My Garden

Trailing Geraniums

Last post 21-10-2009 2:25 PM by Arrem. 6 replies.

• 19/10/2009 04:01 PM

  Arrem Location: West Midlands. UK Joined on: 12 Jul 2009 Posts: 90

  Reply | Contact  I bought some Trailing Geraniums this year which have put on a beautiful display in one of my hayracks.  The growers notes stated I was not allowed to take cuttings of them.  So I am now left wondering if I can overwinter them.  I dont have a greenhouse or a particularly suitable windowsill. Can I (for example) wrap the whole basket in fleece?  it is sort of sheltered against a West facing wall of my house.  Any advice appreciated.      There is no such thing as useless - you can always be a bad example.

• 19/10/2009 06:09 PM

  In reply to

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 5,200

  Reply | Contact  Is the reason you are advised not to take cuttings because of a PBR?  http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/plants/plantVarieties/plantbreedersRights/documents/ukBreedersRightsGuide.pdf If so, there is a clause on page 6 - "Plant Breeders' Rights do not extend to any act done for private and non-commercial purposes, for experimental purposes or for the purpose of breeding another variety." My understanding of that would be if you wanted to take cuttings for your own personal use, and you are not intending to sell the plants, there's nowt wrong with it. sue1002

• 20/10/2009 10:47 AM	In reply to
  Arrem Location: West Midlands. UK Joined on: 12 Jul 2009 Posts: 90	Reply | Contact  Thanks Sue, It's true that PBR's were a part of my enquiry so thank you for clearing that point. My biggest problem is the lack of a decent overwintering resource.  No greenhouse and very limited windowsill space.  That's why I included the option of wrapping the window box in fleece over winter.   There is no such thing as useless - you can always be a bad example.

• 20/10/2009 01:27 PM	In reply to
  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 5,200	Reply | Contact  I don't grow Geraniums as I'm allergic to them so I'm not able to comment on how well, or if, the trailing ones will overwinter. Unless someone else can come up with a solution, you could try covering them with fleece and hope for the best, and take some cuttings anyway just in case the plants don't survive the winter. sue1002

• 20/10/2009 03:14 PM	In reply to
  BB Location: Hereford Joined on: 12 May 2009 Posts: 572	Reply | Contact You might be lucky if we have a mild winter. I have left some once with no protection against the house wall and they survived. If the winter is like the last one though I doubt they would survive even with fleece covering. Could you construct some kind of coldframe (old windowframes, etc) just to give them some added protection? BB

• 20/10/2009 07:59 PM

  In reply to

  AlexS Location: Reading Joined on: 06 Sep 2009 Posts: 58

  Reply | Contact An old-fashioned way of saving geraniums over the winter is by burying them in a compost heap, which I've successfully done in the past. I dug a hole in half-rotted compost and just laid them in with their roots still in soil, then filled in the hole. By the time I rescued them they looked pretty bedraggled but were definitely alive. It's not an ideal way of treating them but it's better than letting them die! My grannie (this is going back - I'll soon have my own bus pass) used to keep her geraniums in an unheated spare room on top of the wardrobe. The basic requirements are a cool frost-free place with airflow. If they have no air e.g. in plastic, they'll rot. If it's warm they'll grow, and if not watered will then die. I bet if you tucked them into a dry corner of the garden and stacked autumn leaves around them, that would probably work too. Improvise! Alex

• 21/10/2009 02:25 PM	In reply to
  Arrem Location: West Midlands. UK Joined on: 12 Jul 2009 Posts: 90	Reply | Contact  Brilliant help, thanks guys. Cool unheated room? Not in this house (it wouldnt be allowed ).  But I do have a nice quiet sheltered corner in the garden where I could wrap them up and bury them under a heap of fallen leaves for the winter.  There is no such thing as useless - you can always be a bad example.