overwintered geraniums

Janetl

Hello,
I have quite a few geraniums that have been overwintered in the conservatory and would now quite like to move them out so we can move in!
 Would they tolerate a unheated plastic greenhouse if it was zipped up and night and paper put on the lower shelf to help keep the cold out? It is getting quite warm in the conservatory and feel they ought to go out before they get to used to the heat and start to leggy too.
thanks
jan

cornelly

Ours have been in an unheated glasshouse all winter so far with no damage, even ivy leaved in baskets hanging from the roof, mind it hasn't been a really cold winter has it, don't know about plastic, as protection.

Bilje

I'm in NE England, my pelargoniums commonly called Geraniums both stock plants and 2019 rooted cuttings have been in a small plastic greenhouse with the door rolled open for the last month and that was just to keep them protected from heavy rain. They're going fine.
if you move them I think they'll be fine, keepthe GH zipped at night for a week or so.

Joyce Goldenlily

Nine have been outside all winter in  a sheltered corner, in a large pot. Ready now for a severe haircut, when it has warmed up a bit more.

B3

I left a few in the ground last year and they've survived. We've only had one light frost this year.

JoeX

B3 said:

I left a few in the ground last year and they've survived. We've only had one light frost this year.

Same here, might give them a trim and take some cuttings as Monty suggested.

Fairygirl

If they've had the protection of the conservatory all winter, you'd need to take a little while  to accustom them to a plastic greenhouse.
The temps in those plastic ones fluctuate enormously, so do a week or two of putting them out there during the day and back in the conservatory at night, until it's warmer in the plastic one at night for them. Make sure they have a bit of ventilation in the plastic one too, if it's warm.

Dovefromabove

We’ve got some low night time temperatures promised here in the east this week. 

Don’t know about where you are but there’s no way I’d be putting pelargoniums out yet. 

What’s the point of looking after them all winter and then damage or kill them in spring just because you were impatient. 😢 

Fairygirl

@Hexagon- but it depends on your location and conditions. It was minus 2 here last night - minus 3 a couple of nights ago, and 0 and 1 degree on the two days either side. It's 2 degrees right now.
Without knowing the OP's conditions, it's far better to be safe than sorry. 

Dovefromabove

Why?  You’ve been looking after them all winter ... why risk killing them now?

Fairygirl

The odd frost will do no great damage, but prolonged cold [ or worse - prolonged wet cold, though not for this instance ]- is the problem.
Glass, especially double glazed [presumably] in a conservatory, is also a far better protection than a greenhouse.  The plastic ones are far more difficult to get right, temperature wise, than a greenhouse.