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Fuchsia experts - advice for over wintering

mandyroberts99mandyroberts99 Posts: 235
in Problem solving
Hi
I'm sure we have a few fuchsia experts here.
Last year I over wintered some semi-hardy fuchsia I had grown from plug plants. I kept them in a frost free green house but didn't know how to care for them so my end result was a bit random. I don't know what variety they are but grew to about 15" high/18" wide and have been doing well all summer. They are in patio pots.

Two of them got too wet a few weeks ago when we had that continuous rain and lost loads of leaves (the pots were in saucers, i know now that was a mistake). I withheld any water for a while and they are now in the greenhouse (except on warm days). They have lost all leaves and I have cut them back quite hard (about 3 weeks ago). Will they recover?

The others are all still outside (I think I will put them in the greenhouse for a couple of days while its so wet), but I have been reading up on overwintering. The advice is clear and consistent in terms of best overwintered in dormant state, frost free but don't let them dry out.
The conflicting advice is when to remove leaves, when and how much to cut back.
Hopefully one of our experts can clarify for me?

I have bought a greenhouse heater to make sure I can keep it frost free if/when it gets really cold.


Posts

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I haven't grown non-hardy fuchsias for ages but I used to treat them much like hardy ones - let the leaves fall naturally, and cut back in spring when they start to grow. But if space is tight in the greenhouse you could cut them back once they've gone dormant.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    I've kept my barely hardy microphylla (lost previous one to a hard frost the year before) in the summer house last year and it thrived and stayed in flower all winter. I wouldn't think you'd need heat if they are dormant, and having full control of how much water it receives is also crucial to keep it in good condition for next year. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I don't do anything other than move the pots into th epolytunnel for winter but then it is big enough for me to do that.  I certainly don't go about removing leaves and I leave any pruning till after winter when I can see what is dead and what's alive and ready to go.

    If you're short of space you could cut them back to allow them to snuggle up better but I would try and root those cuttings in water and then grow them on on a bright but not south facing windowsill - not above a radiator - for winter.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
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