Geranium: did I just kill them?

I have had my geranuim for almost a year, kept inside. Yesterday it was realy nice out so I put them outside in the sun and forgot to bring them in before the cold came. When I brought them in they were serverly wilted. I have been keeping them inside in the sun today and they seem to be doing a little better. Any suggestions to get them to perk up again? Thanks for any help, I really don't know much about this but am sad I hurt them.

Geranium: did I just kill them?
Geraniums are fairly hardy plants, and they should be OK with what you have done, it's said in some of my old gardening books : Geraniums like to be kept fairly dry, over watering will kill them, if any shoots seem to be dead, after a few days it would be a good idea to cut the down to the base.
Reply:You might have sunburned them. Or they just got dehydrated. If just dehydrated, a good watering will snap it back to life.





Plants that are not used to being out in the full sun (even if they get full sun through a window) can get sunburned if they aren't acclimated to the full, direct sun over time (you can even sunburn a cactus that way). The sun actually damages the chlorophyl in the leaves, turning them kind of whitish in the affected areas. They eventually turn brown and drop off.





But, a sunburned plant can be nursed back to health. Keep it in the shade, in indirect light for a while. Don't try to fix it with excessive watering. That will hurt it more. Eventually the leaves will come back. Then you can get it reacclimated to the sunlight.
Reply:Don't overwater or fertilize. Plants under stress don't do well with fertilizing.


I think they will fine soon.
Reply:Geraniums are pretty sturdy and hard to kill. I say fertilize them as a treat! :) It will help them get a perk!