?Fuchsia Basket - Outside ?

I am growing trailing fuchsia baskets for the first time . I am also , like 90% of us , running out of room in the greenhouse. As the night temps are pushing 7°c now , is it safe to hang the baskets outside in a very sheltered location . They have been planted up for 3 weeks now

 

I'd say it should be ok but you'll need to keep a close watch on the weather just incase but don't take it for gospel....i'm constantly shuffleing plants about with this crazy weather

 

If you can be bothered with the "faff" they can be indoors overnight. They don't need light at night, of course, so garage / shed is fine. Only if it is forecast to be cold though.

Shiney put the ones he was raising under his carport I think, and that must have been fairly early as he grew loads ... hopefully he'll pitch up with an answer shortly

 

Cheers Kristen but I am a faff free gardener . They are either inside or outside
I'll put them out middle of next week when the night temp gets up around 7°c . Unless Shiney advises different

 

And here in Scotland my baskets will not go out untill 1st week in June always

 

Hi Harry
I would be cauious on putting fuchsias out yet . Certainly varieties will tolerant lower temperatures,where as some will show signs of stress , in the form of curling leaves and blueing of the foliage .They will survive but never be quiet get over the stress .As already mentioned bring in at night would be favourable ..

Dave

 

Either way, don't just put them out and leave them out, they need to be hardened off - so out during the day, in at night, for a week and then leave them out when you get some mild nights and bring them in if you get a particularly cold one, after the second week (i.e. a week out at night on mild nights) they will be fine, but a late frost is liable to kill them, or knock them back so much that you would wish that you had brought them in!

 

Thanks Scotkat , Dave , Kristen
Point taken , they will remain in the GH until mid May. I thought fuchsias were quite hardy - luckily GC comes to the rescue again !

 

Ah ... there are Hardy varieties, but they are not normally what are sold for Summer Colour (I've questioned that in another thread: I thought he Hardy ones had pencil-think blooms, and none of the fancy colours, but that isn't the case, so I think it would be worth trying hardy varieties so that they CAN be put out early, plus I think they would make larger bushes (season-on-season) and thus look more spectacular.

Who knows? Maybe the varieties you have ARE hardy, and the advice you got here was worth exactly what you paid for it!!

(although ... not sure if there are hardy + trailing Fuchsia varieties)

 

Whenever I decide to put things out a little bit early, a sharp frost hits us without much warning . However, I have found that many things, including fuchsias, can withstand a bit of frost and bounce back from any superficial damage. It's prolonged cold weather which does the real harm, unless you're growing very tender plants. Obviously in an ideal world you'd keep everything safely tucked away until there's no danger of a cold night. But I don't have the space. My lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora), which can't quite stand the winter cold but doesn't need too much cosseting, has been outside since the middle of march and - touch wood - is fine. I put some half-hardy passion flowers outside at the beginning of the month. They're a bit bedraggled at the moment but they don't like my conservatory either, so I think they're better outside unless the weather takes a real turn for the worst.

 

Hows about Blueberry Fizz ? I was allowed a "slip" last Autumn and have grown it overwinter and it is cushty in the unheated mini grenhouse right now. BUT, Googled info. says it's:
a) trailing(well semi-ish)
b) hardy

It's a big blousy looking thing but I quite like it.
Whadya fink?

 

Hi Jenny .
Sorry Blueberry Fizz is not listed as hardy ..but you are right as it being a trailer ,well semi-ish .

Dave

 

Well my fuchsias are staying in the GH for another 3 weeks at least . Would it be OK to move my Pelargoniums outside to a very sheltered spot I do need to make some room !

 

I wouldn't risk it just yet HarryS...

 

I don't trust this weather for long enough to go and make a brew of cha. Ask yourself "would I like it outside overnight right now?"