Wintering over Fuschias

[pat Smith]

Can I winter over a fuschia plant from my garden? Should Irepot it and bring it in and place it in a sunny winter or under a grow light? It is, of course, in a haning basket outside presently.

[greenfingers]

Yes you can repot a Fuchsia and bring it indoors , keep it on the dry side watering only occasionly through the winter, it may lose leaves don't worry , when you see signs of new growth in Spring increase watering.

[pat Smith]

Many thanks for a quick response. Do I need to repot it for the winter or just spray it and enclose in a plastic bag for a couple of days and then carry on? When I bring plants in from outdoors I always place them in a large plastic garbage bag, spray with Garden Raid and tie up tightly for two - three days. Is this really necessary. We have lots of bugs about. Pat. Smith

[greenfingers]

No you don't need to spray it or put in a plastic bag , its unlikely to have aphids at this time of year , you'll be able to see any pests on the leaves and squash them . I'm not too fond of sprays.

[wvaleriechas]

You have been given good advice re your fuchsia, personally I leave mine in their existing pots & overwinter in a cold greenhouse. They always make good growthin early spring when I repot & give them a fortnightly feed & cut out any dead wood that doesn't show shoots.Val.

[krin63]

Q.  These answers are all very helpful, and I have one more question regarding the wintering my beautiful fuscia.  Last year was the second year I wintered it, and I left it in my basement stairwell where it got some light and I could keep an eye on it to water occasionally.  The question that I pose is would it be wise to clip it back a little now, or wait until springtime?  Thank you for your advise.  KT