PAST GROWERS
and their good advise..

 

JANUARY CHECKLIST

 

Portions of this article were taken from Volume 53, No.1, January 1981 of the American Fuchsia Society Bulletin. Chuck Hassett, the Bulletin Editor at that time, wrote the original article. Our thanks to Chuck Hassett for sharing his knowledge with other fuchsia lovers.

Winter Care. Now that the holiday season is over we can look ahead to another pleasant year of gardening. Many of those fuchsias now in winter storage will be show plants again next summer, if we give them proper care.

Most regions of the United States experience their coldest temperatures this month, of course, and only the mildest coastal areas will escape all frost. Where damage from low temperatures is possible, it may be best to put potted fuchsias in safe storage (e.g., a garage) and leave them there until all danger of freezing is past.

Many varieties will tolerate temperatures down to about 25 degrees F. provided their stems are hardened off and their root systems kept moist and healthy. You should note that some of the large leaved species and the orange flowered hybrids are the least tolerant of cold weather and should be given extra protection.

Watering is a continuing, if less frequent, task this month. The short days and low sun angle keep temperatures down and relative humidity high, but plants will eventually dry out if sheltered from the rain. Check potted plants now and then to be sure they are neither bone dry or soggy wet from standing in a dish of rainwater. Hold off on sever pruning until after the last frost is expected.

Pinch growing plants. Fuchsias growing in greenhouses or in the mildest southern regions may have been pruned back in the fall. If new foliage is emerging be sure to start a program of pinching out the tips to cause branching. A full bush or basket is much more attractive than a skimpy one. If early buds form you should pinch them off, encouraging green growth instead.

Save a few of the soft tip cuttings with two to three pairs of leaves. Root them in a mixture of moist vermiculite and perlite or some other suitable propagating medium. Fuchsias that are rooted as late as January may still mature and bloom in time for a June show in areas where spring temperatures are warm. By all means label your cuttings carefully to preserve the correct name. If you have cuttings of more than one variety in a propagating bed, keep them separated with dividing sticks.

Transplanting. Plants in the ground are least active at this time of year and can be relocated in minimum shock. Choose a time when the soil is not soggy from rain. If the ground is dry, water the plant well after transplanting.

Frozen plants. Sometimes in the mild coastal areas we experience an unusual and unexpected freeze. Fuchsias growing in the ground may freeze back to ground level but the roots will often survive. Watch for new growth from low on the main stems or from the ground, two or three weeks after the freeze. Once the plants is vigorously growing again, trim off all dead wood. Mulching through the winter, of in the ground fuchsias, is good insurance against that unexpected freeze.

 

 

JANUARY/FEBRUARY CHECKLIST

Portions of this article were taken from Volume 63, No.1, January/February 1991 of the American Fuchsia Society Bulletin. Nan Groot, then of the San Jose Branch, wrote the original article. It has now been shortened, condensed, and some very limited updating has been done, however the major portion of the article is consistent with the original.

We want to protect our fuchsias through the winter; keeping them in the best possible condition so they will "wake up" easily and perform well during the next year.

But winter means very different things in different regions. In the Bay Area, winter may bring a few (2 to 10) frosty days, usually scattered in January and February. San Jose’s lowest recorded temperature is about 20 degrees. Along the Monterey Coast temperatures are said to never drop below 25 degrees F. Inland regions, such as Sacramento, and especially more northerly places as Portland and Seattle, had best be prepared for much more severe winter weather, possibly down to near zero degrees or maybe even lower.

No matter where you live, you should learn about the microclimate on your property. For fuchsia growing in the ground choose sites that have:

  1. Good water drainage (avoid soggy soil in winter)
     
  2. Good frost drainage (avoid low spots where cold air settles and stagnates)
     
  3. Protection from chilling winds
     
  4. Radiating surfaces nearby (such as buildings, walls, banks, or ponds, all of which give off some heat after sundown)

Fuchsias in the Ground – Winter protection for fuchsias in the ground falls into several categories. For areas of light winter:

  1. .Use temporary tents to shield fuchsias on frosty nights. Remove them the next day when air temperatures rise. Tents can be improvised from old bedspreads, sheets, pieces of heavy plastic, etc., or you can even use upturned garbage cans, large wastebaskets or cardboard boxes to make temporary covers. The "tent" should not rest on the plant. Such tents will only protect against light frosts, down to about 28 degrees F. A word of warning, clear plastic, if used, should be removed at sunrise as the sun shining through the plastic can burn the plant.
     

  2. More permanent covering is available through garden supply stores. These covers consist of layers of polypropylene presses into a sheet, which can be laid on the plants. The sheet admits both light and water and can stay in place. These covers are said to protect plants down to 25 degrees F.
     
  3. Plant fuchsias deep (at least two inches). First, scoop out a shallow basin to the desired depth. Then plant the fuchsia in the center of that basin. When the fuchsia is growing well, gradually fill the basin so that the extra inches of soil become protection for the plant’s roots.
     
  4. Use mulch around the plant in addition to other methods. Mulch should be at least six inches in depth. Use sawdust, bark dust, dry peat moss, straw or similar material. If you use dry leaves use twice the recommended depth. To keep the mulch in place in the winter use a low fence around the plant or lay evergreen branches across the mulch. You may trim back the very long branches to make the plant more compact but do not do a full trimming until spring.

    For very cold winter areas, plant the fuchsias deep (up to nine inches) and increase the depth of the mulch to ten or twelve inches. In the spring you will have to cut the plant back to the ground and work with tender new shoots arising from the roots. Protect this tender new growth from slugs and snails, then shape it as it grows.

    If plants in the ground are small enough to be dug up with a ball of dirt, you could handle the plants as if they were container grown. Dig them late in the year but before freezing weather sets in.

    Container Grown Fuchsias – Fuchsias in baskets, pots, tubs or other moveable containers are much more easily protected but also more vulnerable to freezing. In areas of light winter (as in the Bay Area) it may be possible to keep the plants in place, giving them only temporary protection. Small tents of newspaper or cloth may suffice for light frosts.

    If repeated frosty days are expected, plants are likely to be damaged where they "see" too much open sky. Move the plants under some sturdy protection – a porch, sunroom, covered patio, shed or garage. Even without added heat the plants will be protected against a few degrees of frost.

    In cold winter areas, however, we must use stronger measures to insure survival of the plants. Plants should be "hardened" in the fall by withholding nitrogen, by giving the plants some potassium sulfate, by allowing the berries to remain on the plants and by gradually reducing the amount of water the plants receive. About 1/3 of the growth can be trimmed off, especially if it is very long, but the plants should not be fully pruned until spring. Store your plants in one of several ways:

    1. Keep plants in a greenhouse at 40 degrees F.
       
    2. Use a cold frame, which can be constructed from double layers of heavy polyethylene plastic.
       
    3. Bring the plants into a porch, shed, garage or basement and keep below 55 degrees but above freezing. Containers should be checked regularly and kept moist but not wet.
       
    4. In the fall, before the ground freezes, dig a trench in an unused part of the garden. It should be wide enough to accommodate trimmed plants and deep enough that the plants, when laid down on their side, are at least six inches below the frost line. Plastic sheets can be used to line the trench. Water the plants before storing them in this manner. The plants may be kept in their container or the root ball may be wrapped in burlap or cloth. Lay the trimmed plants on their side, single file, in the trench, first the large standards and shaped plants, then the large bushy kinds, followed by baskets and pots, all packed together as closely as possible. Cover it all with dry peat moss or similar material (even soil if it is light) up to ground level. Cover the trench with plastic sheets and boards for further protection and leave until spring.
       
    5. Instead of digging a trench, construct a box or bin of wood or other sturdy material. Store the bin in a protected place where it will remain cool, but not freezing. Line the container with heavy paper or plastic. Store the plants as described for the trench method. During the winter, occasionally moisten the plants so they do not dry out completely. This method is especially good in a basement.

 

 

CARE OF FUCHSIAS

It is our intent, here on our club web pages, to provide accurate and helpful information on all aspects of Fuchsia care, from knowledgeable authorities.  The American Fuchsia Society as allowed us to access their library of articles concerning all aspects of Fuchsia culture, with the condition that we identify the source and author of the articles.

The following article appeared in the American Fuchsia Society Bulletin, Volume 49, No.6, June 1977 and was authored by Don Westover, Seattle, Washington.  While the article itself is certainly dated, the information it contains is just as helpful now as it was then.

 

Care of fuchsias is simple, but must be constant.  These plants cannot stand to be neglected.  Protect them from direct sun during the hottest part of the day.

Plant them in loose, rich soil.  Leaf mold (or compost) with peat moss and cow manure is good.  (Commercial potting mixes are also good as long as they do not contain added fertilizer).

Keep them moist at all times.  Fuchsias need LOTS OF WATER to grow their best.  (But should have good drainage.  They should NEVER stand in water).  As fuchsias do not like wet feet.  This usually means watering every day, especially your hanging baskets.  Water the foliage as well as the roots but remember that leaves burn if the sun hits them while they are wet.

Be sure your plants have good drainage.  The only exception to the above recommendation about using lots of water on fuchsias is right after you have transplanted a fuchsia into a larger container.  The hair like root tips must reach out and establish themselves in the new soil.  Until they have taken hold, it is easy to wash off the tips with too much heavy watering.  Remember this whenever you transplant.  Give the new container one good watering.  Then don’t water again until the soil on top gets dry.  Then just water lightly.  When the plant has taken hold in its larger container, resume the generous watering as with your older plants.

Right here, while we are talking about transplanting, we would like to add another word of caution.  Never transplant a fuchsia of any size any deeper than it has been growing.  Never add so much soil or mulch to an old established plant that the material added covers any part of the already growing stem.  New baskets and tubs should be planted with sufficient space left at the top of the container to permit generous watering.  If you fill up this container later with peat moss or something else, thinking to help retain moisture, you may smother the roots, which lie very near the surface.  This may choke the plant to such an extent that it will be stunted in growth or will die completely.  This is most important.  (Smothering the roots with dense soil that does not drain well is often the cause of plants growing poorly or failing to live.)  In the spring you can revitalize an old fuchsia already established in its planter by applying a layer of cow manure.  But only apply it about a half an inch thick and keep it away from the stem.  (Liquid fertilizers applied at half the recommended dose also work well.)

Feed your fuchsias with a well-balanced fertilizer at least every two weeks.  Generally speaking you should stop fertilizing about the first of September.  We here in Crescent City have found that a good 20/20/20 balanced fertilizer at half the producers recommended strength  applied  every 10 days to 2 week during the growing season from the time that new growth starts to show and continue to September or October.  (The new Bayer ”All in One” the rules may change as how much and how often to fertilize.)

 

Spray your fuchsias from time to time with a good insecticide to kill pests.  (This is particularly important with the relatively recent spread of the fuchsia gall mite.  More recent information would recommend a regular schedule of spraying to prevent infections of the gall mite.)

When the plants start growing in the spring, let a couple of sets of new leaves grow on the new branches, then pinch out the tip.  This will make your plants bushy and give you more blooms.  Blooms appear about six to eight weeks after the last pinching; so if you want your fuchsias to bloom on the 4th of July, don’t pinch after about the middle of May.

You can produce new plants in a short period of time by taking tip cuttings in the spring.  These need only be about three inches long.  Place them about an inch deep in sand or some other starting medium.  When the roots are an inch or so long, transplant to regular growing soil.

 

INDEX