WINTERIZING FUCHSIAS

Phyllis Knutson of PK Growers in Langley, B.C. offers the following advice on wintering Fuchsias:

To all those of you that do not have heated greenhouses, there are ways of wintering the regular fuchsias, if you have a garage or basement that does not go below 40 degrees F. You water the plants sparingly, but you do not want to let them dry out. Do not overwater either, as there is the possibility of mold which will ruin the plant. Leave brances on the plant until spring, at which time you can trim and shape the plant to your specifications.

If you have no other way of wintering, you can dig a trench about two feet wide and as long as you need, laying the pots with plants in straw or peat. You can lay them side by side and end to end. Cover them with leaves then sand or peat in a mound over the trench. If the plants are well buried, the frost cannot reach them.

In the spring, when the ground has warmed, lifting them should be easy and plants should be ready for cultivation.

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