How can you overwinter a fuchsia so that it survives the cold season? Seven useful tips about pruning, the right place in the home and care in the winter months.
From mid-October the fuchsia will move into the apartment
The fuchsias have to move into winter quarters from mid-October to the end of October. When the weather gets cold and the temperatures drop below 0° Celsius in the evening, the sensitive plants can freeze. A sure sign that they no longer feel comfortable outside is the shedding of leaves. If the shoots begin to turn woody and the leaves turn yellow, then it is usually too late and the flower has suffered frost damage. Luckily, she can recover well if you care for her as follows:
Prune in October
Before you put the potted plants away, give them a pruning. Remove any diseased, weak or inwardly growing shoots. Reduce the leaf mass by shortening the shoots of the young plants to two thirds. Alternatively, you can cut the fuchsia back heavily, pluck off all the leaves, cover it with fleece and overwinter at 2° Celsius.
Check for pests and diseases
Removing the leaves prevents the transmission of diseases and pests in the winter quarters. To be on the safe side, you should check all potted plants for signs of infestation. Infected specimens must be treated before overwintering.
Dig up bedding plants and shorten the roots
Bedding plants are carefully dug up and then placed on a work surface. Cover the roots with newspaper and let them dry overnight. The next day you can shorten the roots if necessary and then plant the fuchsia in a pot.
Overwinter the fuchsia: cool and bright
They'll be moving from Novemberfrost-sensitive flowersto winter quarters. An unheated winter garden or a cool and bright room is ideal for this purpose. An unheated greenhouse is also suitable as long as the pots are not placed directly on the cold earth but on Styrofoam saucers.
The optimal temperature should be between 5° and 10° Celsius. The rule of thumb applies - old plants are overwintered at 5°, young plants need more warmth and should be overwintered at 7° to 10°.
The room should be ventilated regularly - ideally once a day. Good air circulation between plants is also very important. Place them at a distance of 20 cm from each other.
Alternatively, overwinter fuchsia: Cover with fleece
Alternatively, you can cover the fuchsia with fleece and place it in a frost-free but very cool place. In this case, the room temperature must not exceed 4° Celsius. The cover is periodically removed and the plant is ventilated.
Remove new shoots in winter
Sometimes when the room temperature is higher than 5° Celsius, the flower will sprout again. These new shoots should be removed regularly because they cost the fuchsia a lot of energy that it will need in spring. Simply pinch off the new leaves when you water the fuchsia.
Care during dormancy and wintering
After cutting, the plant is no longer fertilized and watering is reduced. The fuchsia needs significantly less nutrients and water in autumn and winter during the dormant phase. Not only water them less, but also less often than usual. To be on the safe side, always do a finger test, because in the winter the sensitive flowers cannot tolerate waterlogging and the roots will quickly rot.
The sensitive flower is only wintered out after the permanent frost has ended. It is very important that the flower is only brought outside at temperatures above 5° Celsius. Otherwise she could freeze to death.
Also read:Overwintering begonias: This is how the exotic tree survives the cold
