Treatment of fuchsias before winter.
In some countries, fuchsias need winter protection from the cold and damp. Here, although the hardy varieties will grow outdoors near the coasts, and even if they are cut down occasionally during a particularly prolonged cold spell, they will produce new shoots again in spring, we do have to protect our tender varieties in the cold, wet months. Fuchsias will have put on a lot of growth during the summer months and will need to be cut back to bring them to an easier, more manageable size. This is done by cutting them back by about a third each autumn.
Remove all leaves and spray the plants with an organic insecticide. Remove any debris from the top of the plant and wash the sides and bottom of the pot to remove any pests. They can then be brought into a greenhouse or another dry, frost free place. If you don’t have somewhere to store under cover, they will benefit from the shade of a hedge or if put standing in a sheltered place against a south-facing wall of the house. They will appreciate being covered with some layers of horticultural fleece during heavy frosts. All these plants may not survive, but some will. In countries where the winters are more severe than those we experience in Ireland, all fuchsia plants are placed in slightly heated cellars or other heated or frost-free areas.