It's far too cold outside in winter for fuchsia. If the picturesque shrubs are granted a suitable winter quarters, the lavish flower festival will be repeated in all its splendor next summer. Read this guide on how to properly overwinter fuchsia.
How do I overwinter fuchsias correctly?
In order to overwinter fuchsias successfully, you should prepare them in autumn, cut them before putting them away and then store them dark and frost-free, ideally at temperatures between 2-12°C. Watering sparingly and not fertilizing is important during wintering.
Preparation in autumn – instructions for pots and beds
Stepwise preparation from early autumn sets the stage for overwintering. How to prepare your fuchsias for the coming winter:
- Beginning of September: Stop fertilizing fuchsia in beds and containers
- Mid-October: water more sparingly
If there is continuous rain in early autumn, please place fuchsia in the pot under a canopy.
Cut fuchsia before putting away
Before putting them away for winter quarters, give your fuchsias a thorough pruning. The effort is worth it in two respects. During the winter, the subshrubs shed their leaves anyway. At the same time, diseased and pest-infested shoots fall victim to secateurs. How to do it right:
- Best time: before the first heavy frost (in most regions of Germany at the beginning of November)
- Pruning: thin out sick, weak branches, cut back he althy branches by a third
- Defoliation: strip off all leaves
- Dig up: Dig up the fuchsia in the bed and put it in a pot with unfertilized coconut soil
Fuchsia in a pot can overwinter in the container and are spared the stress of transplanting.
Winter fuchsia dark and frost-free
Because fuchsias do not have their leaves, the summer sun worshipers can overwinter in a low-light location. Alternatively, a bright overwintering is possible, but there is a risk that your fuchsia will become exhausted by growing long horny shoots. The rule of thumb applies: the darker, the cooler. The following options are shortlisted:
- Basement and windowless garage with temperatures from 2° to 8° Celsius
- Winter garden, staircase, bedroom with temperatures from 3° to 12° Celsius
Are all potential winter quarters in the house occupied? Then you can overwinter your fuchsias in a special tent with a frost monitor (€42.00 on Amazon). The translucent construction is made of UV-resistant greenhouse film and is available in various sizes. There is also a place here for other cold-sensitive flower beauties, such as Dipladenia or Mandevilla.
Tip
The care program is on the back burner if you overwinter deciduous flowers, such as fuchsia. Without the leaves, the water requirement drops to a minimum. Water the plants in small sips when the soil is noticeably dry. Please do not give fertilizer.
