newbie requires help with fushia and geraniums

Has a newbie to gardening can anyone tell me how to:
1. Store Fushia and Geraniums through the winter
2. How and when can I take a cutting of a Fushia to try and make a standard Fushia.
3. What plants can I put into my hanging baskets throughout the winter months
Any help will be than appreciated.
Many thanks in advance

 

Hi there and welcome - for fuchsias only I will leave others to advise on geraniums and winter baskets

Overwintering - if they are hardy varieties, in pots - lift the pot off the ground to prevent waterlogging, and put in a shelter position close to the house. Leave the sticks on. In the garden leave the sticks on til the last frosts are gone. If not hardy bury them in the garden, dig a trench, lay the pot(s) on the side and bury. I have not found they do well overwintered indoors - but in a greenhouse with little to no watering they will do ok.

Cuttings for standards - in the spring take soft wood straight stem cuttings - about 2-3 inches below a leaf joint, with at least three pairs of leaves and the tip above. Remove the lowermost leaves and plant in 50:50 compost and vermiculite. Cover with a plastic bag, until rooted - and then place in a sunny spot. Remove all side shoots till you get the height you want and then remove te tip by pinching and start pinching all side shoots to increase the bushiness. You will need to support the stem.

[ 22. September 2005, 09:18 PM: Message edited by: Fran ]

 

Hi Brooli2
Question 3. My Birthday is in November and last year I asked my dad to make me 2 hanging baskets up for the winter. He used winter pansy's trailing varigated ivy and a small conifer I think'
Question 1 & 2 are just the questions I have been asking my family so I hope you gets lots of advice as it is just what I want aswell.
Jacqui

 

Thanks Fran and Slugbug you have both given me something to think about.I have just bought myself a plastic lean to so hopefully my Fuchias will now survive the winter months and I look forward to spring to attempt to grow a standard Fuchia. I have hanging baskets on either side of my front door so I am now looking forward to replacing the plants in them with pansys, it would have been a shame, and it would have looked duller to take the baskets down. Once again thank you for your help

 

If you don't have space indoors for large pelargoniums & geraniums then take take cuttings for overwintering on a cool windowsill. They grow quickly and will keep their vigour whereas old plants can go woody and tired and can be disappointing.

Treasured showstoppers will possibly do OK in an unheated greenhouse depending on how hard the winter is. Give them a pretty good cutting back and remove any dead or rotting stems, give them just enough water to tick over and protect the pots with dry straw or other insulating material (hollow fibre from discarded douvets is ideal!) Once growth starts again in spring give them a half strength feed and a week or so later a dose of vine wevil killer. It's not guranteed they will make it through the winter but with luck you should have 3/4 of them survive.

 

My summer baskets are still going strong but I've spring-planted 7 more ready to hang up when they finally expire.

I've used plastic-coated wire baskets (as I fear my willow ones won't survive the winter)so I've been able to plant violas between the wires around the sides of the baskets.

In the top I've planted primroses, primulas, various different ivies and lots of miniature bulbs - crocuses,sparaxis,ixias,tete a tete daffs and red riding hood tulips.

These were tried and tested last year and produced such a wonderful display and received so many compliments that I couldn't resist repeating my success (hopefully!)

 

Hi Bluebell

I'm new to gardening and could you just clearify one thing for me please:

When you said you have planted primroses, primulas etc..Do you leave gaps inbetween the plants for when the bulbs starts to grow? or you just plant the bulbs underneath the primroses etc..hoping they will poke through somehow when it's time for them to grow?

many thanks