Are my Fuschias Dead?

[wetandcold]

Save my marriage...

Before the winter I moved my Fuschias into my (unheated) greenhouse to try and preserve them over the winter. They were doing OK at first but now they look as though they have been underwatered and the leaves have all dried and shrivelled up! :(

The soil has been lightly damp since they have been in there - definitely not to dry or waterlogged.

Do you think they are dead? Could I resurrect them?

If they die then my wife will kill me - I promised her that they would be fine...

[wetandcold]

[Muddy_Boots]

Not really that well up on Fucshias but if they are the non hardy type it may just be that they are sleeping for the winter and that the buds will come when the weather changes.  They do tend to look rather dead during their dormant period.  Don't chuck em out whatever you do!

No doubt you will soon get a reply from someone who knows what they're talking about soon!

Best of luck

Kate

[Mimi]

Hi Wetand cold,  I have loads of fuschias in my unheated greenhouse.  I tend to keep them on the dry side over the winter months,and yes they do look very dead.  Dont you worry though,come the end of february(or once you start to see signs of green shoots )cut back the stems by 1/3 plunge in water and give a good soak, and away you should go :D Keep an eye out for the signs of the dreaded vine weevil though. Lost many beauties to those little b**gers. :(

[Garden Manager]

I'd tend to agree with mimi. Half hardy fuschias are perennial (live more than one year) even though they are often treated as annual bedding. It is quite possible witha little protection to keep them going for a few years.

Though they are dormant and dont need much water, dont let them dry out totaly or they will die. Give them a little water when they look dry and try to mist over the stems every so often to keem them from drying out too.

When they start shooting start watering them properly (but not too much at first). this is also a good time to repot them with fresh compost (but dont over pot - repot in same sized pot or slightly smaller if the roots will comfortably fit without damage).

Any new growth can be used to propagate via softwood cuttings, to increase your stock or replace old plants.

Vine weevils area real menace with fuschias particularly (they seem to have a preference for them). the grubs are small white and C shaped and eat the roots. Symptoms include wilting and loss of stability in the plant (the plant becomes very loose in the pot due to loss of roots).  There is no real cure, but if you catch it in time you can save the plant by removing the plant (carefully) from the pot and washing the compost from the plant and repoting in fresh compost. And hoping for the best!  Often though once you notice the damage it is too late, and the plant is beyond saving.

Hopefully though you wont get this problem, and end up with healthy plants (and intact marriage! ;) )

Hope this helps

[The gardener]

Depending upon varieties I would guess they will be OK.

I have written a fairly comprehensive report  on Fuchsia in my website.  Might be worth a look now, as now is the time to be starting them up again.

[aquilegia]

My mum's a fuchsia freak, so I know lots about them. She puts hers in the unheated greenhouse over winter and all the leaves drop off. I don't think she waters them - they stay damp enough. They are deciduous so will go to sleep over winter. Mine have done this too, but I confident they will come back again in the spring. One of mine has already started sprouting!

I did once make the mistake of cutting one right back too early and that killed it.

[Garden Manager]

Because the climate of my garden has been so mild this winter, my half hardies stayed out intil december, hwen i brought them in trimmed them up and put one of each variety in a cool outbuilding, the rest in one of these 'mini greenhouses' by the house wall. I even have a couple still outside in wall pots fitted to the house wall. All are still fine, the ones inside are shooting already (often do when its mild), and the ones in the wall pots still have leaves on them!  All this in spite of the recent cold spell.

I have heard somewhere that in the southwest certain half hardy fuschias can survive outdoors through the winter, if they are planted in the ground and not in a pot. I havent checked but i think i have such a fuschia planted in the garden, a relic of a summer bedding display, which last time I saw it was starting to grow.

Of course in colder parts of the country it would be madness to leave such plants out, unless you didnt want them anymore. In such areas, always treat them as tender.

[teresa]

Hi WetandCold,
Your fushias will be fine but please dont water them untill the weather warms up in the spring.
They will have a better chance of surviving in dry compost through the winter this will protect the roots and the base of the main stem.
If you wait untill they start into growth repot them in new compost and then water them you dont damage the new feeding roots they will make then get some provado which is a vineweevil killer it is also good for white fly treat them twice a year and plants will be ok.
My fushias, standards and specials in semi heated greenhouse. Bush uprights in unheated greenhouse with bubble plastic and trailing boxed up in peat I LOVE my fushias I put them to bed and leave them alone seems to work fine for me. good luck

[wetandcold]

Thanks for all your help and advice - my marriage might be saved ;)

Now, must go and get on with the ironing...