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[Pennyfarthing]

Not sure what to do.  I have two massive window boxes probably 10-12 FT wide.  This year I had geraniums in them and they have been lovely.  We are in December and there are still flowers and new buds on them.

I think I'd do them damage by lifting them out and I'm wondering whether to just leave them in.  We haven't had a frost yet and they are in a West facing position.  Should I cover them with bubble wrap and just leave them?  I'm thinking a good frost will kill them.

[CLKD]

A good frost will kill them.  They really need to come inside.  You could take cuttings, that is snip off several branches, remove flowers and put into soil indoors.  Keep them on the dry side once they have been watered.  On a frost free window sill you then have new flowers for next year should you get a bad frost.  Fleece is such a phaff and encourages mould!  They are Mediterraen plants I think  ………

What did you layer your boxes with to stop water running through?  I have tried geraniums and succulents in ours but they died due to drying out  ………

[bramble]

A good frost will kill them. But so what , if you replace them every year. If you want to keep them, pot up each plant and put into a frost free and light place over winter. Water carefully. Come March time, take and root cuttings from them. These will then give you new plants for the summer. Dump the 'old' plants.

Bramble

[Pennyfarthing]

Thanks girls?  WOuld the bubble wrap work?  If not, The boxes are big and very heavy but maybe hubby and I could lift them and put in a shed as they are?

I know I can put new ones in next year but these have done so well and feel like my babies.

[Hurdity]

Hi Pennyfarthing

Well the answer to that is depends on where you live and the sort of winter we get!

I live in rural SW England and our last few winters have been very mild. We have had frosts though - and "good" ones. However all my pots (some of them are to heavy to move and also have a small but heavy clay window box thing too) but are against an East facing wall of our cottage and get sun (in summer) from first thing until about 2 pm. I never move them. When the frosts begin or are here for a while my husband covers them over with a sheet of polythene (not very attractive I must admit but I haven't got around to getting fleece!) and then in spring some of them have always survived. OK somne of the shoots are a bit blackened but I cut them back and you can see the new shoots sprouting. Several of the plants I have now had over-wintered for several years and will do the same this year. I had a few spare plants this year which are in smaller pots so I will move these - but will probably forget to water them in winter! Quite a few of the other "basket" plants survive and sprout each year - like Diascia and Nemesia - does save a lot of money and they look really healthy once they've overwintered and the dead bits are cut back

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

I would never try to lift a box, with all the earth, stones, worms etc. they are always heavier than envisaged.  If you can get to the plants easily then lift some and place into smaller pots to encourage new root growth, water sparingly and keep out of the cold.  Dad had a standard which grew to 11 feet over the years and flowered continually 

[bramble]

There isn't an easy way. Either take your chances and leave them outside or pot up individually and put in a light frost free place for over winter. Or split your chances - pot up a few and take into the house, leave the rest outside to see if they survive and then take cuttings in the spring from the ones inside.

B.

[Dorothy]

As Hurdity says, it depends on where you live and what type of winter you get.  I used to live in Wiltshire until earlier this year - I was out in the country and my garden was very exposed - any geraniums left outside had died by the end of October.  But in the village 2 miles down the road, they would keep flowering in sheltered spots until December and sometimes survived for another year.

I would either lift them out of the windowboxes and pot up into smaller plastic pots for winter or get a thick layer of fleece to cover them and hope the winter is a mild one.  For future years, your best bet would be to take cuttings at the end of September and overwinter those inside, then you can use them to replace the previous year's plants.