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Deanneart
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| | Posted on Wednesday, December 08, 2004 - 07:55 am EST : |   
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Hi there, this is my first winter to attempt wintering over my plants and I've got all the leaves stripped and the stems cut back. I pruned them quite a bit. I've put them into my frost free basement in the dark and temps stay around 50 degrees F. I've only just been watering them every two to three weeks when they seemed completely dried out but I must have given them too much water? They are putting out quite a bit of new growth at the moment and I was wondering if I should leave them alone, or strip off the new growth. Also just how often do you water them? I'm assuming that is the key to getting them through the winter safely.
Deanne New Hampshire Zone 5 |
Fbonsailady
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| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2004 - 05:39 am EST : |
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Hi Deanne,
The temperature is a bit high to store them in the dark, this is the main reason that they are starting to shoot again. Yes I would keep removing the new growth, if you leave it on you will get very 'leggy' and weak growths.
Giving them a little water, just enough to keep the roots moist every 2/3 weeks sounds fine. Are they standing on the floor or on a shelf? If on a shelf move them to the floor (coolest place).
Don't worry too much about the 'regrowth', but in the spring when you bring them back into the light make sure you give them fresh soil. You can also prune them back a bit more to strengthen them. At that time you can remove completely a third of the bottom soil, just cut through the old soil with a knife. Tease out some of the old soil around the edges of the remaining root-ball and remove any thick old roots, then you can plant back into the same size pots if you wish.
Hope this helps you, if not please come back 
Kath Zone 8b UK |
Ruth
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2004 - 09:24 pm EST : |
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Hi,
I was going to overwinter my phals and dendrobiums by putting them under lights or as close to windows as possible. Is this wrong? Many of the phals have decided to send out flower shoots. Ruth
Ruth Ontario Zone 6B |
Fbonsailady
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| | Posted on Saturday, December 11, 2004 - 04:30 am EST : |
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Hi Ruth,
I'm ever so sorry, but I know nothing about orchids.
Go back to 'Topics' and post your question in the 'Orchids in the Garden' Forum, I'm sure you will get lots of good advise over there
Kath Zone 8b UK |
Gardenfiend
My Weather
| | Posted on Saturday, December 11, 2004 - 06:01 am EST : |
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I've got a similar question for our expert , so I'll add it to this thread.
This is the first full winter of our glassed-in veranda (double-glazed), so for the first time I'm trying to overwinter fuchsias - and pelargoniums - in there without cutting them back. They are still blooming, lightly, and I've been watering them sparingly but still keeping them moist.
Normally the temperature in the veranda will stay around 8°C, sometimes warmer when the sun is strong. No danger of frost. Do you think I can keep the fuchsias growing all winter? Or should I cut them back? And what should I do with them in the spring?
Isn't it great having our own expert to consult  . Thanks so much for your help, Kath.
Mara Germany zone 6-7 |
Fbonsailady
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| | Posted on Saturday, December 11, 2004 - 11:34 am EST : |
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Thank you Mara, your glassed-in veranda at 8c/45f is ideal for keeping fuchsias 'in-the-green' as we say here. Just remember if the sun shines and the temperature rises, open a vent or a window, reason for this, air circulation is as important as warmth. Stagnant air can cause botrytis (fungus) to form, especially at night when the temperatures fall. This leads to another topic
'watering'.
If necessary, water in the mornings, fuchsias like to go to bed at night with their feet on the dry side = soil and roots. I assume that as they are inside you have a plastic saucer or tray underneath them to stop water going onto your floor. If this is the case, water via the saucer/tray, the water then goes directly to the roots and keeps the top half of the soil in the pot dry. The thing that kills most in the winter is a pot of soaking wet soil. Try to keep everything just moist just enough to keep them alive, with no leaves and no flowers the plant only needs a little water to keep the roots alive.
I know it seems a shame if they are still flowering to have to cut them back, but if you wish to have strong healthy plants for next year, they need cutting back. Even if you are keeping them 'in-the-green' they need a rest period and this happens when you cut them back. I of course do not know the size of your plants, so for example if they are only 6 inches/15cm high, from soil level, cut them back by a third, if they are 12inches/30cm high or more, cut them back by half. After that carefully remove any remaining leaves and flowers and any debris laying on the soil,
You can if you wish 'down-pot' after cutting back, reason, takes up less space over the winter period and helps to promote new white feeder roots.
Down-potting means, remove one third of the bottom of the soil and roots, this can easily be done by just cutting through the soil and roots with a knife, it won't harm the plant. Tease out a little of the soil around the outer edge and top of remaining root ball, remove any tap roots (large, thick brown roots), these are not 'feeder' roots but grow to hold the plant upright, more so when growing in the garden.
Place a bit of new soil in bottom of a smaller pot, place plant so that it fits comfortably into the new smaller pot and fill around the edges. Don't press soil down with fingers, give the pot a couple of hards taps, this is enough to settle the new soil, water sparingly.
If you wish you can wait until early Spring to do re-potting, but if you are growing them in-the-green' it is easier to do the basics now, then you run no risk of breaking any foliage.
If you have 'potted-down' at this time of year into a smaller pot, and if the new roots are appearing through the drainage holes in the Spring, you can then carefully 'pot-up' into the next size pot. Never 'over-pot' fuchsias, they do not like it.
Do not feed during the beginning of the winter, wait until early spring when the daylight hours become longer, then the first month, once a week with a full strength high nitrogen feed for one month eg. NPK 20-10-10. After that feed HALF strength with a balanced feed eg. NPK 20-20-20. As the weather warms up and they need more frequent watering feed with a QUARTER strength balanced feed NPK 20-20-20 at every watering.
Some people go on to a high potash feed, I personally do not do this, as it makes the fuchsia stems even more woody than they are naturally.
Give a spray against any lurking pests, if you do not like using chemicals ie insecticide then use a soft-soap spray, not detergent. If Stergene or Woolite is available to you (used for hand washing woolly jumpers/sweaters) 2 drops into the water of a 1 pint/550ml size hand spray, give a shake and spray. If you have problems with vine weevil larve lurking in pots, water once with Provado, ingredients of this is imidacloprid, kills the larvae and also deters white fly.
According to the variety, after 2 or 3 weeks they will start shooting new leaves again. After 2 pairs of leaves have formed on each new stem, pinch out the growing tip. You can keep doing this throughout the winter, then come early summer you will have a beautiful 'bushy' plant. This applies to uprights as well as trailing varieties, but remember this in late Spring:
Single flowering varieties = pinching the growing tips delays flowering between 4 to 6 weeks.
Double flowering varieties = pinching the growing tips delays flowering between 6 to 8 weeks.
Triphylla and species types should not be pinched out so frequently = pinching the growing tips delays flowering between 8 to 10 weeks.
Above is a general guide, different varieties and in different climates will affect the flowering times.
The pinched out growing tips can of course be used for new cutting material.
Remember this is overwintering if you can keep your fuchsias 'in-the-green', overwintering fuchsias at 0c/32f in the dark is different.
Hope this helps Mara, and of course anyone else who is in doubt. Of course the above procedure applies to people like Mara and myself who live in frost prone climates, living for instance in California with all that lovely sunshine is much easier
Kath Zone 8b UK |
Gardenfiend
My Weather
| | Posted on Saturday, December 11, 2004 - 12:47 pm EST : |
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Kath, that was the definitive textbook!! Thank you very much! I've copied it and will follow your instructions - though as you say it will be painful to cut them back while they've still got flowers.
You've made everything very clear, so I hope I'll do it all right. I've just one further question.
From what point in time on does pinching back result in delayed flowering? I'd rather sacrifice a certain amount of bushiness for a longer flowering period, so when should I shop pinching back?
Mara Germany zone 6-7 |
Fbonsailady
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| | Posted on Saturday, December 11, 2004 - 02:00 pm EST : |
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It varies Mara, according to the variety of fuchsia and hours of daylight.
The best time for them to start flowering is when all our frosts have gone and night temperatures allow for them to be outside 24 hours per day. Am I assuming correctly that this is about the end of May for you in Germany? If so stop pinching at the beginning of March. This will give plenty of time for flower buds to form and develop.
Everything depends on the weather, if you have a lot of dull, dreary days in Spring that means less good daylight hours and this also holds them back.
I know people who have used lights to counteract this, but it's not a good idea, it encourages lengthy growth and weak flowers, which in turn is defeating the work of the winter to get strong bushy growth and good quality flowers
Kath Zone 8b UK |
Gardenfiend
My Weather
| | Posted on Saturday, December 11, 2004 - 02:09 pm EST : |
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Thanks again. I don't remember experiencing frost here in May at all, but certainly towards the end of May there would be no possible danger. So I'll stop pinching back by the end of February.
Mara Germany zone 6-7 |
Gardenfiend
My Weather
| | Posted on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 06:35 am EST : |
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I've done the deed. The fuchsias are cut back, and leafless. I kept telling them it was hurting me more than it hurt them.
I know this isn't your "field of expertise", but do you think the pelargoniums should get the same treatment? Not just the zonal Ps, but the ones with fragrant leaves?
Mara Germany zone 6-7 |
Fbonsailady
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| | Posted on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 07:45 am EST : |
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I usually cut my pelargoniums back, all types, in late Autumn and use all the tops of the 'cut-back-material' for cuttings. Cutting immediately under a node with a sharp knife, resulting in a 'clean-cut' with no jagged or torn edges, this helps to prevent stem rot. This is the only time I use hormone rooting powder as it contains a certain amount of fungicide.
After the initial watering I keep the soil of the planted cuttings on the dry-side.
I don't re-pot the original plant until the Spring, but do treat with Provado before placing in the greenhouse.
Kath Zone 8b UK |
Gardenfiend
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| | Posted on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 09:48 am EST : |
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But do you also remove all the leaves? Do they also need a rest, like fuchsias? In past years, when I've overwintered them in a cool room with daylight, I've left the leaves on.
Increasing pelargoniums during the growing season really is easy. I generally just stick the cuttings into pure gritty sand and keep them moist till I see growth, then remove the whole thing, including the sand (not to disturb the roots) and plant it into soil. I've not had any fungus problems so far - maybe I've just been lucky. Finally I compost most - because there are far too many for me to keep!!
Mara Germany zone 6-7 |
Fbonsailady
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| | Posted on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 10:00 am EST : |
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Yes agree Mara pelargonium cuttings take very easily during the growing season when there is more warmth and daylight hours, and also planted into pure gritty sand. I think that's where a lot of people go wrong by planting the cuttings into 'peaty' soil = no drainage and stays far too wet. That's my experience anyway.
After I've cut the plants down, I'm left with approx. 10cm length of stems. If there are still any old leaves on I remove them, but if there are young or new leaves forming on these stems I leave them on. By cutting them back it automatically gives them a rest period in respect of the plant not having to feed a lot of leaves and flowers
Kath Zone 8b UK |
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