Overwintered geraniums are really not beauties: Naked and bare, apart from a few long and dry shoots that have grown due to the lack of winter light, the plants do not yet give much of an idea of their later splendour. In order to get the summer flowers back on track, they should be cut back again in early spring and then repotted in fresh substrate.
The geranium needs a lot of space to grow
A vigorous pruning is carried out before repotting
During the winter, dry, weak shoots often grow, which must be cut back before repotting. They only rob the plant of unnecessary strength and will not produce flowers anyway. You should also remove any dead and diseased branches, although you should be careful: older, lignified shoots can also look dried up at first glance, although they are not. If in doubt, you can carry out the finger test: take the shoot in question between your thumb and forefinger and gently press. Dead and diseased shoots feel soft and yielding, "rotten".
The roots must also be cut back
The root system must then be pruned back vigorously. Remove long and thin, weak roots as well as diseased and dead root parts. This pruning is important so that the roots are stimulated to vigorous and new growth, so that the plants can grow and thrive all the more lushly above ground.
Repot geraniums in pre-fertilized soil
Now you can repot the geraniums, which have been cut back by about a third, into a clean planter with fresh substrate that has been pre-fertilized if possible. Use a mixture of 1 part compost or potting soil, 1 part coarse sand and 1 part perlite (€37.51) or similar clay granules. You can also add a handful of horn shavings (€32.93) to the substrate for better nutrient supply. The plants should be placed 30 to 40 centimeters apart in balcony boxes (€109.00) or other planters, but they can also be planted individually or together with other summer flowers.
- Water the freshly repotted geraniums vigorously.
- Keep them bright but not too warm (not directly above a heater for example)
- Begin fertilizing gently about four to six weeks after repotting.
- From about the middle to the end of May, the plants can finally go outside.
tips
Overwintered geraniums should be brought out of hibernation in March / April at the latest by repotting.