Overwintering Fucia and Bergonias

antw23uk

Hi All
Is anyone on here overwintering Fucia and Bergonias?

I am off on holiday shortly so have started mine now as it will be sods law that whilst im away we will get frosts!

So last night i lifted all the Begonias and put them on a tray in the conservatory to dry out for the week im away and then i will take the foilage off and box them up for the winter in a bit of dry soil ready for next year.

Getting the Fucia's ready was slightly heartbreaking as i took them out of the pots and hanging baskets, put them in smaller plastic pots and then cut them back about 1/3 (above a leaf node of course) and then stripped off all the leaves and any remaining flowers

These will then go in the conservatory but remain with slightly damp soil for the winter.

Any useful tips or suggestions appreciated :T

Meadows

Can't offer much help on this really other than to say my Fuchsia all stay in pots or the ground all year around and then just trimmed back before the Spring regrowth.
As for Begonias again they stay in pots and have come back the following year unless the Winter/Spring has been really harsh.

Any plants I put out in the ground (including bulbs) or pots stay out and are never lifted, dried or protected for next year and flourish quite well from year to year.

I guess this has to do with where you live, how warm it is in winter and how protected plants are from wind and frost, we get relatively mild winters so nothing suffers greatly.

Davesnave

To be honest, where you are it's unlikely any frosts in the next week would be enough to harm fuchsias, even fancy ones. I used to let the frost hit, then protect, rather than remove the leaves myself.

The most important thing with fuchsias, begonias and similar is to make sure vine weevil grubs aren't overwintering with them. Bit late for nematodes, so a chemical solution for fuchsias perhaps. The begonias will be cleaned-up, so you'll see any grubs on/inside them.

antw23uk

Davesnave wrote: »

To be honest, where you are it's unlikely any frosts in the next week would be enough to harm fuchsias, even fancy ones. I used to let the frost hit, then protect, rather than remove the leaves myself.

The most important thing with fuchsias, begonias and similar is to make sure vine weevil grubs aren't overwintering with them. Bit late for nematodes, so a chemical solution for fuchsias perhaps. The begonias will be cleaned-up, so you'll see any grubs on/inside them.

Vine weevil is my ongoing battle in the garden. I think i play host to half the population of the little !!!!!!s!! :mad:

harrys_nan

I always store my fuchsias in a cold greenhouse over winter (no heating), I bubble wrap the g house and lay fleece over the pots as well.
One word of warning though, check your fuchsias for fuchsia gall mite, as a few of mine have developed this.