With the frosts, it's time
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
With the frosts, it’s time for me to get the hanging baskets ready for their winter slumber in the unheated garage. I started by slowly withholding water.
Now it’s time to strip off all the leaves, also making sure to cleanup any fallen ones on the surface of the the soil and in the crown. This helps to ward off overwintering pests or diseases.
I won’t cut back until the spring. There will be a certain amount of dieback and it’s best to prune when the fuchsia starts to show new growth. Also, cutting back this time of year encourages new shoots, despite the chill in the dark garage, at a time when I want the plants to be dormant.
I’ll barely give any water for the same reason. Just a cupful about every three to four weeks
If it gets really, really cold outside, and the interior of the unheated garage threatens to fall below 32F/0C, I cover the resting menagerie with frost fleece or have a small heater at the ready.
Now it’s time to strip off all the leaves, also making sure to cleanup any fallen ones on the surface of the the soil and in the crown. This helps to ward off overwintering pests or diseases.
I won’t cut back until the spring. There will be a certain amount of dieback and it’s best to prune when the fuchsia starts to show new growth. Also, cutting back this time of year encourages new shoots, despite the chill in the dark garage, at a time when I want the plants to be dormant.
I’ll barely give any water for the same reason. Just a cupful about every three to four weeks
If it gets really, really cold outside, and the interior of the unheated garage threatens to fall below 32F/0C, I cover the resting menagerie with frost fleece or have a small heater at the ready.