Keeping fuchsias alive over the winter

12 years ago

I've got a bunch of Dollar Princess fuchsia I'd love to keep alive til next year, and I'm not sure what the best approach is. The variety is listed as hardy by the Northwest Fuchsia Society site, but they also list it as an upright variety, and mine haven't grown to be particularly shrubby. Should I be protecting them somehow? Transplanting them into pots to keep in my garage once they're dormant? Is there a decent chance of them surviving if I leave them alone or just mulch them a bit? Right now they're planted in a raised bed a couple of feet up so they should at least get good drainage and not be subjected to the cold air that would accumulate in low spots.

Comments (6)

buyorsell888
12 years ago
Were they planted deep when you planted them? If so, you don't need to do anything special to them.

I have hardy fuchsias all over my yard. Don't prune them until late spring when they start growing really well and even if they freeze low they come back.

You can mulch if you want to. I have them survive in pots too.
oliveoyl3
12 years ago
We have Dollar Princess, too and love it. Just wish it would bloom earlier. It's on the PNW hardy list, but if in the ground & not deeply planted DON't transplant now, just mulch well. The NW Fuchsia society info is very helpful and will answer a lot of questions about how to overwinter them.

In my early years of gardening I made all sorts of mistakes with plants and did plant some fuchsias deeply on the north side of the house just because I didn't know better & they lived. They'd do better with more sunlight though. Others I planted in later years "properly" didn't make it because I didn't plant deep. Oh, the learning curve... Then I found tips from Monnier's Country Gardens & I followed them, but the website is disabled now.

I had this saved on my computer from their site, but didn't have the drawing:
When planting add 1/4 cup of an all purpose fertilizer like 16-16-16 and 1-2 cups of organic matter (compost or alfalfa pellets like we use). To help make your fuchsia "Hardy", they should be planted deep like a tomato. We recommend sinking the crown 4-6" below the soil surface (See Fig #2)or 1/2 the plant height on your smaller plants (See Fig #1). DO NOT FEAR THIS! Your fuchsias will be happy you gave them the extra protection.

Here is a link that might be useful: NW Fuchsia Society website
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buyorsell888
12 years ago
I visited Monnier's multiple times before their closure. They sold/gave their stock to a nursery in the Salem area but I can't remember now what their name is.

Yes, Hardy fuchsias want a lot more sun than the hanging basket types and they should be planted really deep. I followed those instructions after seeing Monnier's on Garden Time years ago and haven't lost any.

I do find hardies sometimes in the mix that Fred Meyer has cheap every April. I have had them live in pots too with no protection at all.

I love fuchsias, they bloom for such a long time. I just wish I had more open soil without tree roots because they don't seem to do well with root competition.
aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
12 years ago
I ordered from Monnier's several times when they were in business, they were one Fuchsia nursery that would ship to Canada. I think but not sure their fuchsias went to Fry Road Nursery in Albany OR.
Merilia
Original Author
12 years ago
Funny you should mention the cheap Fred Meyer fuchsias, because I got most of mine there on that sale weekend last spring. Sadly I did not plant mine deeply at the time--they were tiny plants in 4 inch pots and I didn't know what I was doing. I guess I will find out if hilling some mulch around them now is enough. Unfortunately they're saying we'll get another La Nina winter this year...
buyorsell888
12 years ago
Yes, I think it was Fry Road Nursery in Albany not a Salem nursery.

Mulch should help. Don't prune off any dead stuff until late spring. Late frost will kill them if you do. I learned that the hard way. They do look dead for a long time and then green sprouts finally appear.

Keeping fuchsias alive over the winter

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Keeping fuchsias alive over the winter

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