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Fuchsias are among the most popular pot and tub plants, which are also decorative in the garden bed. Most varieties are not hardy and require special preparation for overwintering. A few are frost hardy, although few of these can survive extreme sub-zero temperatures outside. Instructions are provided in the plant magazine Plantopedia.de and explain in detail when and where fuchsias should overwinter and how to cut back.
winter quarters
Best time to resettle in the winter quarters
Basically, the following applies to fuchsias: the longer they remain outdoors, the more positively this has an effect on lignification. For this reason, with few exceptions, frost-sensitive fuchsias should be kept until just before beginning of frost stay outside. Anyone who does not see the weather forecast every day can usually expect sudden frost from the end of October. As a precaution, the best time to move to a frost-free winter quarters is mid to late October.
Many varieties among the hardy specimens are only up to sub-zero temperatures around five or seven degrees below zero frost resistant. Since the Central European winters are getting colder and colder, you should consider moving them to a warmer place in good time or at least taking some cold protection measures by mid-December at the latest. If they are surprised by icy sub-zero temperatures, there is a risk of rapid frostbite.
Fuchsia, fuchsia
TIP: When buying, always pay attention to the maximum temperature that a fuchsia can endure in winter, because "hardy" is a long stretching term, especially with this variety, and not every frost-resistant variety is suitable for the harsh winter months.
hibernate
Overwinter young plants
When overwintering young plants, it doesn't matter whether they are hardy or not. In any case, they should be placed in a frost-free place early on in their first year of life winter quarters relocate. Here it is advisable to relocate the young plants by mid-October at the latest, because temperatures just above zero degrees Celsius could cause damage. The temperature in the winter quarters should be between ten and twelve degrees Celsius. From the second year of life, hardy fuchsias can spend the winter outside in flower beds, tubs or balcony boxes.
pruning
When pruning fuchsias, a distinction must be made between those that overwinter outdoors and those that have to move to a frost-free winter quarters.
sharp cutting tool for pruning
When to cut back non-frost hardy fuchsias?
It is best if the fuchsia is shortened shortly before moving to the winter quarters.
Exception: autumn is very humid and rainy. Then it is advisable to wait with the pruning until after the move to the winter quarters. The high humidity could keep the interfaces open longer than is good. Thicker shoots in particular are then very susceptible to fungal infestation.
Pruning Instructions:
- strong pruning by about a third promotes strong growth in the following year
- Cut off weak and kinked shoots near the ground or when they shoot
- do not leave withered flowers
- all leaves should be cut off during dark hibernation
- when overwintering in a light location, the leaves remain attached
When to cut back hardy fuchsias when wintering outdoors?
the frost resistant Fuchsia should not be cut back in autumn. Since most specimens bloom late in September or October, only the withered flowers need to be cut off. With a few exceptions, the hardy fuchsia freezes back to the ground on the wood. Here a pruning is not necessary in any case. If, for example, you have to cut before the onset of winter due to illness, you should follow the instructions below.
- If possible, do not cut off thicker shoots/twigs
- otherwise close the larger cuts with charcoal ash or special wax from specialist shops
- Always cut stems at an angle so that rainwater can run off
Important: Only use disinfected cutting tools - the risk of fungal infection is high in autumn.
time
Optimal time for pruning
The perfect time to cut back a fuchsia is in spring, when the last frost has passed and the growing season is imminent. The ice saints should usually be waited for. This ensures that renewed frost freezes a shoot, which weakens the entire plant and may have a negative impact on growth and flowering. When pruning a frost-resistant fuchsia in spring, the following should be considered.
Fuchsia, fuchsia
- shorten all plant parts that have frozen back by a few centimeters (supports growth)
- cut non-frozen back specimens by a third and cut off all frozen plant parts near the ground
Cut back after the first frost
Anyone who plants their outdoor fuchsias early in the coming flowering season growth phase If you want to send, you can cut back the varieties that do not freeze back after the first frost during the winter. This includes, for example, one of the hardiest varieties, the "Fuchsia regia ssp. reitzii". Depending on the onset of frost, it can be cut back by a third in November or early December.
Cutting young plants
As a rule, young fuchsias in the first year of life are not cut before the winter period. Each cutting means one additional burden. The young plants do not yet have a solid, strong root trunk, so pruning could weaken them too much. In the worst case, it is possible that they are after a strong pruning enter. It is therefore recommended to minimally shorten the shoot tips at the end of August or at the latest at the beginning of September. This promotes root growth or strengthens the roots until they move to the winter quarters.
end hibernation
Fuchsias that overwinter dark and cool
While fuchsias that overwinter outdoors can find their way out of hibernation on their own, the other evening primrose plants can get out of their winter quarters from a dark, cool winter quarters before the ice saints in April into the open be set. Heavy night frosts should, however, be over. As a rule, even non-hardy plants can cope well with temperatures around zero degrees Celsius without frostbite damage are to be expected. However, the prerequisite is that protection against the cold is available until after the ice saints.
The following measures should be taken accordingly:
- Location protected from wind and draughts
- Plant bedding plants at least 20 centimeters deep
- Cover the surface of the soil in the root area with leaves, brushwood or straw
- Place potted plants on an insulating base - for example polystyrene or a wooden board
Fuchsia, fuchsia
TIP: If you only want to bring the fuchsia outdoors from mid-May, you should first move it from the dark to a lighter location with slightly warmer temperatures. This makes it easier for her to move into spring with sunlight and spring-like outside temperatures.
Fuchsias that winter bright and warmer
Should be a fuchsia from a bright, warm winter quarters if vacancies are set, this can be done directly and without detours after the ice saints in mid-May. It doesn't take time to get used to it.