Question - How do I prepare standard fuchsiases for winter?
I have several upright fuchsias in containers outside...do I prune them for the winter? How do I prepare them for the winter, etc.?
Patricia Nelson USA 21st September 2000
Answer
In autumn the head should be trimmed back by two-thirds. Repot the plant into a size smaller. Shake the old compost off the plant roots and repot with fresh compost so as not to overwinter pests as well. If the plant is not hardy keep in a greenhouse or porch with a minimum temperature of 0 degrees C. Even hardy standards may be killed back to ground level over the winter period so they too should be kept in a frost free greenhouse or porch. Keep the compost just moist so that it does not dry out. Pot on as necessary in the following spring.