Overwintering annuals for next year possible ?

muckyhandsmike

i have what may be a daft question. Some of my hanging basket annuals are still going really well and it crossed my mind that I could perhaps move them into my garage and pot them up in fresh compost in the spring for another summer. Does anyone do this or am I being daft ? I also have some geraniums in pots still in full flower which I’ve moved into the porch .. will these come back next year if overwintered in my garage ?
ps I do know that annuals aren’t supposed to be perennial ...

Fairygirl

Pelargoniums [I assume that's what you mean ] can certainly be overwintered, and you can also take cuttings. I'm not sure a garage is suitable though. Somewhere frost free with decent light is what they need. 

Some annuals are indeed borderline perennial, but it would depend on what you have, and what facilities you have for overwintering them. Most would need warmth and light. 

JessicaS

It depends what they are... ive overwintered geranium, non hardy fushia, nemesia, bacopa and calibrachoa in the past. Its worth a try!

muckyhandsmike

Well fg my garage does have a window but isn’t heated .. I suppose I could but them on a bedroom window sill. calibrachoa is one of those I’m thinking of Jessica so that sounds promising !

Fairygirl

It depends how dry the garage is too. Damp conditions aren't good for plants - especially ones like pelargoniums. 
Maybe I'm just used to having damp garages though! 

A porch, or similar, is better if you don't have a greenhouse, but you'd just need to judge it and keep an eye on them. I'd need to have them in the house here, on a window sill that wasn't too warm   

Dovefromabove

Some plants that we in the UK use as annuals are actually perennial but not frost hardy, so they will be cut down by the UK winter.

We can overwinter them in a frostfree greenhouse or similar, but some are so simple to grow that we just treat them as annuals and scrap them, then sow new ones in the spring. 

Some garden centres call plants like antirrhinum ‘annual bedding’ but they’re not actually annuals… they will overwinter but many folk just pull them up at the end of summer 😢 

Others are actually true annuals … growing, flowering, producing seed and dying in one year. 

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/articles/graham-rice/perennials-and-bulbs/10-hardy-annuals

Find out which yours are and you’ll  know what is possible 😊 

Bilje

I overwinter pelargoniums successfully in a brick garage with a window, mainly rooted cuttings, . I’ve a broad shelf under the window and a narrower one across it. The garage is dry, I do have a cold greenhouse but that seems to have far more condensation and pelargoniums don’t do well. 

Fire

My pelargonium are fine on an indoor windowsill. I've also overwintered them in a cold frame and they were fine.

Nanny Beach

Pelargoniums aren't annuals,I would definitely keep them either in the porch,or garage, with some bubble wrap over the top,if it's the garage. I don't waste anything,I try to overwinter as much as possible.

Fairygirl

This is why your own local climate comes into play. Damp conditions are no good generally for small plants and cuttings. It's also about light. That's why porches are often ideal. More protection and light.
Winters are longer here, and it's damp and cold, so inside the house is always a better bet if there's no porch. In drier, milder areas further south, it can be quite different. 

Worth experimenting, as is often the case,  to see what works  

muckyhandsmike

My “geraniums” are:
grandeur classic salmon and grandeur classic violet ... as they are still flowering well in my open porch I will put them in the garage (along with the calibrachoa and brachysome blue) and see if they will go again in the spring .
im sure me old dad used to do that when he was still here.
thank you for all your responses - much appreciated !