Thanks in advance (never done this before),

Kim

Ron

If your cellar area is slightly above freezing and dark, you don't need to do much. Just by a fluke, last year I brought mine in after shaking the dirt off the roots, placed them in a box with roots belly-up, and placed the box - still opened - in a cool closet in the basement thinking I would return in a couple of days and 'take care of them'.

In early February while storing holiday decorations back in this closet - DH had removed the decorations and never said anything about the pelargoniums sitting there - I rediscovered them. Despite being in the dark and cold (about +5C), one was flowering?????, and all others had tiny leaves on them. So, I left them there.

In April I took them out and from 4 plants began to do stem propagations. I had over 20 plants by June.

Doing the same this winter...

It can be stored either by hanging your plant upside down...or in its pot and turned to its side.

About mid February...and into March, you bring out your geranium...it should be like a prune...dry...practically falling apart.

Take to a well-papered table to catch the debris...
cut the plant back how you choose....but generally about 4" to 6"...remove all old leaves, any weak or damaged stems.
Look at the roots, tear them apart. Remove all old soil.

Into a pot (clay is nice) that you have placed some shards of ??? to effectively keep the roots up above the drainage holes. Fresh potting soil, place your plant in and firm it up.

Take to the sunniest window you have....but north will not do.
Water to drainage.....and that's the last watering you do until new leaves form. That should be within 2 weeks.
Then water as necessary but always, water to drainage and dump the excess.

Don't fertilize until new leaves form and then at 1/4 rate 20/20/20....and turn your plant about every day to ensure all parts receive equal sun.

It can depend on just how good your sun is whether you get buds to appear before the time you set them out..but don't despair, new flowering will come...in time.

Increase fertilizer as the plant warrants...about every 2nd watering.
When bloom appears switch over to 15/30/15...(Miracle Gro)

That's it.....and if you use this formula year after year, there is no reason your plant cant come back each and every year thereafter.

That is, if you provide warmth, the plant will want to grow...if you provide sun, same thing, if you water your plant....same thing.

But how much growth can one expect when the sun is low in December and January. So the plant just sits and tries to survive on what it has done and hopes the March sun comes fast.

Think of a prune...the dried up plum that looks like a ...well...like a prune.
That's how your geranium can look through winter and come back better than ever.
But, it must not be given something to initiate growth at the wrong time.

The method above is without ifs, ands or buts...its faultless.

The other method, to bring it along through winter and enjoy what bloom is on the plant and the little that continues into winter. But, such low sun prevents any strength in the plant to keep going. So it too, can be cut back, given fresh potting soil and it will flower just as good, maybe better, than last year.

I just dug my geraniums out of the back of the garage and, much to my surprise, they've got new leaves going. I had just left them there in their pots from last year, which is how my mom always did hers. Time to prune and repot and see if they all come back fully.