To make it easier to see what is going on I have de-leafed first. Each leaf has been cut, not pulled from the branches and whilst it may seem an arduous task it is a necessary one as the plant needs to be as clean as possible. The middle picture show the framework built up during the summer whilst the one on the right shows it after roughly one third has been trimmed off including any weak growth.
Again cutting back to a good inch or more above a leaf joint or where the leaves where this is where the new growth will come from. The same method applies to whatever fuchsias you have been growing. If they have been in hanging baskets with lobelia, etc then dig them out remove most of the old compost and re-pot them into fresh compost in a pot big enough to take the root ball. Trim roughly a third off and de-leaf them. One way is to take a cardbox box lined with several layers of newspaper, put 3 inches of moist peat in the bottom, place your fuchsias on their sides into it still in their pots and cover them with more peat.
The polystyrene boxes used by fishmongers are ideal for this. They should now go into a shed or garage or an unheated greenhouse. They have to be accessible as they need to be checked out on a weekly basis to make sure they have not dried out, water should be given sparingly making sure the root ball is just moist.
More fuchsia are lost through the winter through over or under-watering than through frost. To check they are still alive scrape the bark, if it shows green underneath then all is well.
They will be far too warm and, because of the lack of light levels, will produce long leggy growth which is of no use at all. As an added protection, use foam pipe insulating on the stem, wrap the pot in bubble wrap and cover the head with horticultural fleece.
I say if possible because the last 2 winters were so severe that it was a case of considering the cost of keeping the electric fan heater running against the cost of restocking in spring, which I ended up doing. The problem is, because we are losing fuchsia nurseries, it becomes harder to find the varieties needed for the showbench, so this year it is fingers crossed for a milder winter.
Before doing away with your beautiful plant, read below to learn how to winter your Fuchsia flowers to keep them coming back. They will simply not continue to bloom in the winter. There is not sufficient enough sunlight for them to thrive.
Your best bet is putting the Fuchsias into dormancy, which is sort of a resting state for plants. In this resting state, the Fuchsia will look dead, but it is basically just taking a winter nap. Another option is to keep them semi-dormant, but this is only for gardeners who happen to have a moderately heated greenhouse that stays between 42 and 45 degrees F.
This enables the plant to have slow growth through the wintertime. The first step in wintering your Fuchsia is going to be bringing them inside your house. New shoots in the wan light of winter will be weaker and just sap the strength of the plant. Be patient. Just enough to keep them in suspended animation. Once a week maybe? Every couple of weeks? How much really depends on how cool they are. Or how large the pot or planter is.
Is it porous clay or impermeable plastic? A smidgeon twice a week for a small clay pot? Monitor them. That part anyway. There will be some dieback and keeping the branches intact helps protect the lower, inner parts as well. Prune in the spring When the days get longer and warmer, you can bring the plants back out. Maybe about a month before your regularly scheduled last frost. Sooner of you have a nice greenhouse. Now is the time to prune all the old branches back. Aim for shapely form and balance.
Fuchsias will send out new growth even from old wood. Repot in fresh soil Lift the plant from the pot and knock off a good amount of the tired old compost.
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