Great Fact
Sheets at NC University
Quote
of the Page ( I think this should apply to people too!!)
"Bloom
where you are planted."
-- Nancy R. Campion
WINTERING
GERANIUMS FUCHSIAS &
BEGONIAS
When cooler temperatures arrive in the fall, it is time to give some thought
to preparing tender plants for their winter resting place. Fuchsias and
geraniums can be saved, providing they receive considerable attention. Tuberous
begonias are easily wintered.
Geraniums and begonias must-be taken indoors before the first heavy frost or
they are apt to rot and die. Most varieties of fuchsias will tolerate
temperatures down to about 25 to 28 degrees F. before serious damage is done.
However, don't take a chance. Start preparing them for winter before the first
heavy frost.
To winter begonias, simply take them indoors, placing them in a cool,
well-ventilated room. Begin withholding water from them and the foliage will die
back. Within a few weeks you can easily remove the stem and leaves without
damage to the tuber. Next, remove the tuber from the soil, clean it off, dust it
with a complete soil dust and store it on top of dry peat moss until it is ready
to be restarted early next year.
Fuchsias and geraniums require somewhat similar conditions for wintering. Of
the many methods that can be used, the most popular one is to treat them like
houseplants all winter. This method simply requires that the plants be potted in
containers and placed either in a cool basement or garage where they will be
warm enough to keep from freezing. The plants require limited sun and only
weekly watering. Any leggy growth should be kept pruned back and the plant
should be fertilized about once a month with an all-purpose liquid fertilizer
that is low in nitrogen. These plants should be repotted into fresh soil in
January or February and continue to be treated as houseplants until it is time
to set them outdoors. After repotting, move them into a warmer room where they
will get plenty of light, and begin a regular watering and fertilizing schedule.
Over the years I have found that wintered-over geraniums and fuchsias are
generally quite slow to bloom the second year, especially geraniums. They tend
to grow taller and produce more foliage than freshly started plants, so
sometimes it is wiser to take cuttings of your plants when you bring them
inside. This can also be done in February or March.
Geranium slips are taken-by cutting just below a node. Each cutting should be
about four inches long and should be allowed to set for a few hours before being
placed in freshwater, sharp sand. This process will produce a callus on the end
of the cutting,
Fuchsia cuttings are taken about two or three inches long, cutting just below
a node.
On both the fuchsia and geranium cuttings, remove all leaves except the top
few and cut those back about halfway. Then dip the cuttings into a rooting
hormone, shaking off any excess hormone powder.
Place the cuttings in a container of freshwater sand, about two inches apart
and firm the sand around them. Place them in a cool, light room, water weekly or
as needed. Do not apply fertilizer to the tender cuttings.
After the cuttings have rooted, pot them into two and one half inch pots and
keep them in a cool, light room. When they have developed a complete root system
in these pots, repot them into four-inch pots. Water weekly or as needed and
fertilize them about once a month.
Two other ways of wintering geraniums are by hanging them upside-down, bare
root, in the basement or garage or by placing them in air-tight plastic bags
enclosed with a small quantity of moist, (not wet) moss or peat moss. I have
tried both methods and they do not work for me. However, many gardeners claim
excellent results, so it may be worth a try. Plants treated by either method
should be potted indoors, in soil, in late February or March.
Some gardeners claim good results in watering fuchsias under the crawl-space
of the house, watering about once every two weeks. Be sure plants placed in this
location are treated with a complete insecticide-fungicide dust
Geraniums that are placed in the crawl space under the house or close to the
foundation of the home often will survive a mild winter.
Any time you pot fuchsias or geraniums, they should be placed into a soil
mixture that is one-third each of garden loam, freshwater sand and peat moss or
leaf mold. A similar commercial mixture is also satisfactory.
Hobbyists often like to winter fuchsias by burying them in a trench or bin
about three feet deep. Place about four to six inches of rock at the bottom of
this trench or bin for drainage. Then add about four inches of sawdust or straw,
or a similar material. Prune the fuchsias back, as you would if you were
treating them as houseplants. Lay the plants on their side, not upright-, on the
layer of sawdust or straw. Dust the plants with an all-purpose
insecticide-fungicide dust. Then cover them and the remainder of the trench or
bin with sawdust or straw. Be sure the plants are watered during the winter.
When wintered in this manner, the plants are usually a little slower getting
started the following spring.
Whatever method you select to winter your tender plants, be sure they do not
dry out over the winter. Also remember that they should not get too wet or their
roots will rot and the plants will die. Adopt a regular watering and feeding
schedule to ensure success.
