Geraniums are semi-evergreen perennials that come in many different colors. If you’re growing them outdoors, you may wonder if the flowers can survive frost.
In this article, we will find out whether geraniums can survive frost and other related topics.
Can Geranium Survive Frost?
The answer to this question depends on the type of geranium you’re growing, but generally speaking, no. Geraniums are not frost tolerant plants. In fact, most varieties are hardy only to about -5°C (23°F). A light frost will damage or kill a plant in its delicate state, so it’s best to protect them with something like a frost cloth until your weather warms up again.
If you live somewhere that experiences regular frosts during winter—and especially if it gets brutally cold where you live—consider planting your geraniums in containers rather than directly into your garden bed. This way they can be moved indoors if necessary and won’t have their roots exposed during the coldest months of the year!
How Tolerant Is Geranium To Cold Weather
If you’re a gardener who’s hoping to get some geraniums in the ground for next year, it’s important to note that these plants are not frost tolerant. In fact, most geranium varieties are only hardy in USDA zones 8 and warmer. This means that if you live in colder climates than those, your plant won’t survive cold weather. So what does this mean for your garden?
It means that if you want to grow geraniums outside or indoors (for example), then they’ll need protection from freezing temperatures by being kept inside during the winter months. But if you’d rather keep them outside on your patio or deck all year round and just bring them inside when it gets too cold outside—that’s fine too! Just make sure they get plenty of sunshine as well as protection from strong winds and snowdrifts so they can thrive all year long!
How To Protect Your Geranium From Frost
If you love your geranium, you’re going to want to take care of it this winter. In fact, we can help! Here are some tips for protecting your plant from frost and making sure it stays healthy all winter long.
Cover the plant with a blanket or sheet
Cover the plant with a blanket or sheet. This will keep the plant warm and cozy, but also protect it from any cold winds that might come through. Just make sure not to cover the leaves or stem—you want the stems to stay exposed so they can breathe!
Put a heating pad underneath your pot of geraniums. This will help keep the soil warm so that it doesn’t freeze when temperatures drop below freezing outside. The heating pad should be set on low so as not to burn your plants’ roots or dry out their leaves too much; one option is to use an old towel between the pad and pot so that the heat is distributed evenly throughout rather than concentrated at one spot on top of each plant’s soil surface (which could cause root damage).
Bring the plant inside
Bringing them inside is easier than covering them with fabric because it doesn’t require any sort of special equipment, but that doesn’t mean it’s not effective. The best way to do this is by bringing them inside before the temperature drops below freezing outside and leaving them there until the temperature rises again. You can also keep them in a greenhouse if you have one available.
Caring For Geranium During The Winter
Geraniums are not frost tolerant, so they should be brought indoors before the first frost. Bring the plants inside when the temperature drops to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. To keep your geraniums healthy and happy, follow these tips:
- Water them sparingly but regularly during the winter. Geraniums need just enough water to stay hydrated but not so much that they become soggy and start to rot from over-moisture.
- Provide bright light for your plants during the winter months, whether you’re growing them in pots or directly in the ground—but never allow them to sit in direct sunlight for too long, as this will cause them serious damage!
Related Questions
What temperatures will kill geranium?
A general rule of thumb is that geraniums die when the temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. However, this isn’t a hard and fast rule. Some varieties can survive colder temperatures than others; it’s worth checking on your specific variety before you plant it in your garden in order to ensure that you’ll be able to keep it alive through the winter.
If you do have a geranium that has been damaged by frost or cold weather, there are ways to save it:
- Move your plant indoors until spring arrives (if possible). Do not let it dry out while waiting for spring—keep it in indirect light with moist soil at all times.
- Transplant smaller plants into larger pots so they have more room to grow once warm weather returns. This will also protect them from damage caused by freezing temperatures if they were planted too close together outside earlier in the season.
Can I overwinter geranium ?
You might be wondering if it’s possible to overwinter geraniums. The answer is yes! Geraniums are hardy plants and can survive cold temperatures. You can overwinter geraniums in the ground, in a pot, indoors, or in a greenhouse.
When should you start preparing for overwintering geraniums? Ideally, this should start around September or October. The best time to move your plants indoors for winter storage is when the weather starts cooling down at night and the days get shorter than 10 hours of daylight (or just after their last bloom).
If you’re going to store them outside during the winter months, make sure they’re sheltered from wind and rain at all times but still receive plenty of sunlight each day (at least six hours per day). If you live where there are harsh winters with lots of frosty nights, dig up your plants and bring them into an unheated garage or shed that has plenty of ventilation but no direct sunlight; otherwise they’ll perish if left outside unprotected during freezing temperatures!
Conclusion
As you can see, geraniums are flowering plants that cannot survive frost. To keep them growing is to bring them indoors or place them in a greenhouse where they can be sheltered from the cold.
