Cold weather and the first fall frost, signal the end of many beautiful summer flowers, including geraniums. But it is possible to hang on to those geraniums until next year, both saving the expense of buying new plants and allowing you to get an early start on the season next spring. This can be done by overwintering the original plants, or propagating new plants from cuttings.

Overwintering Geraniums
Another overwintering technique is to dig large geraniums from the garden before the first hard frost and plant them in pots large enough to accommodate their root system. Cut the top of the plant back to 6 inches in height, and place in a sunny area such as a heated porch. The plant will continue to grow slowly throughout the winter.

Another method of overwintering geraniums is to dig the plants before the first frost, knock the soil from their roots, and hang the plants upside down in a cool, moist basement with 80% humidity and temperatures between 35 & 45° F where they will not freeze. Once or twice a month during the winter take them down and soak the roots in water. In spring, take the plants down, cut off 1/2 to 3/4 of the top growth, and replant outdoors.

One thing to keep in mind, although geraniums can be overwintered, this may result in carry-over of diseases and insect pests from year to year. In that case, it would be best to purchase new plants each spring.

Propagating Geraniums by Cuttings
Begin the process of propagation by choosing a good rooting media and buying a rooting hormone. Sand, perlite, peat moss or vermiculite are all components of a good rooting media, especially when mixed up in a 50/50 combination mixture; sand-perlite, perlite-peat moss, sand-peat moss, sand-vermicullite. The rooting media should be porous, well drained and heavy enough to firmly hold the cuttings upright. Rooting hormones can be purchased either as a liquid or powder. Several common brands are available through nurseries and garden centers. Also choose a rooting container for the cuttings in that has drainage holes and is small enough a gallon sized Ziploc bag will fit over the top.

To begin propagating, cuttings should be taken from the parent plants in late summer before the first killing frost. Cuttings approximately six inches in length should be taken from the growing tips of the plants. Remove all leaves from the lower half of the cutting, remove any flowers or flower buds, dip the cut end of the cutting in rooting hormone and then push the bare stem of the cutting into the rooting media. Don't allow any leaves remaining on the cutting to lay on the top of the soil; they will begin to rot. When placing the cuttings in the container, place them far enough apart so that their leaves do not touch or overlap. Leaves that touch during propagation also frequently rot. Once all the cuttings have been put into the rooting media, moisten the soil and put the plastic bag over the top of the container. This will create a high level of humidity inside the bag, keeping the cuttings from wilting while new roots are being formed.

Place the container in a warm location that receives bright, but indirect sun. Avoid excessive heat or humidity buildup within the bag; if water droplets form on the inside of the bag, remove it and allow it to dry out for several hours before replacing it. Check the rooting medium for moisture every week. It usually stays fairly moist for several weeks before additional water is needed. Plant the cuttings into small individual containers filled with a coarse, well-drained soil mix, when new roots are 1/2 to 1 inch long; this will usually take 3-4 weeks. Pot the cuttings at the same depth in the new container as they were in the rooting medium. Gradually move the plants into more direct light, watering and fertilizing them as needed throughout the remainder of the winter.