The Kitchen of your Dreams is waiting for you. Handcrafted here for you at our workshop. Pa Lic#16366 F U R N I T U R E , L T D. hours of light a day. The common geranium makes an attractive houseplant. Not to be confused with the true geranium, which is a hardy perennial in our area, the common geranium that everyone knows and loves is actually an annual named pelargonium. Both the upright and ivyleaved varieties can be grown indoors for their ornamental value, as well as to maintain them for re-use in the garden or container next spring. They do best in full sunlight indoors but will tolerate moderate light. There are three basic methods of over wintering geraniums: dry storage, potted or cuttings. To over winter your favorites using dry storage, carefully dig V isit our beautiful Bucks County Showroom filled with furniture and accessories. Hours:Tuesday thru Friday 10-5; Saturday 10-4:30 Closed Sundays and Mondays 911 S. Perkasie Road, Blooming Glen, PA 18911 Between Route 152 & Blooming Glen Road. Please call for directions. 215-257-5700 www.rswfurniture.com whole plants before frost, tie them in bundles, shake off the soil and hang them by the root ends in a cool basement or moist area for the winter. Storage temperature should be between 35 and 45°F, and the humidity should be 80 percent or higher. You can also store the plants in their pots in a garage or storage area, provided they won’t get below freezing. Give them limited water and allow them to go dormant. Next spring, water them well, cut off the dead tips, and they should begin to grow again. To over winter pelargoniums as houseplants, dig them up in the fall before the first frost, taking as much of the root system as possible. Follow the directions above for reducing light and eliminating pests. Use a container large enough to accommodate the root system, cut back to a height of six to ten inches, place in a sunny window or under fluorescent lights, and water them as needed, once a week or so. They will grow and even bloom during the dreariest days of winter, and even if the plants do get a bit leggy, flowers in winter are always welcome. To propagate pelargoniums from cuttings, first select containers about four inches deep and fill them with moist houseplant potting mix. Cut off shoot tips three or four inches long and remove the leaves on the lower part of the stem. Insert the cuttings into the mix about an inch and a half deep. Put the container in a clear plastic bag, They will grow and even bloom during the dreariest days of winter. twist-tie the top closed, and place the container in a warm location that receives bright but indirect sun. Check the condensation on the plastic bags occasionally, and open the tops of the bags now and then to release some excess moisture. However you choose to overwinter pelargoniums, wait until the danger of frost is past in spring, then cut plants back by about one-third before transplanting them back into the garden. Keep them shaded and well watered for a few days as they make the transition back to the outdoors. Try the cutting method of over wintering with other annuals like coleus or begonia, or even shrubs such as acuba, pussy willow, or burning bush. Have fun, and enjoy the beauty of growing plants even on the bleakest winter days. LORI PELKOWSKI, THE MIDNIGHT GAR- DENER, IS A TEMPLE UNIVERSITY CERTIFIED MASTER HOME GARDENER. 60 M O N T C O M A G . C O M
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