Overwintering geraniums & fuchsias

We have now finished planting out the Wallflowers and Sweet Williams grown here at my work place, they're doing really well at the moment as it is quite warm here in Essex.

I have removed all the summer annuals and have kept quite a few pelargoniums and fuchsias. We have a large amount of glass house space that I can keep them in. Is it best to let them dry out wrapped in newspaper (as has been suggested by a colleague) or plant them up individually and perhaps keep under a bench? I would like to take cuttings from all the plants, is it ok to do this now for both species or wait for spring growth? I do have access to a couple of large propagaters for warmth.

Thanks for your help.

 

With the Fuchsias I would recomend cutting them back taking all foliage off them, pot them up and keep just damp. You can keep them outside untill a frost is forcast then bring inside. They will start to grow and you use this new growth for cuttings. If you can keep them frost free growth will be quick in comming. Use bottom heat for rooting but not in direct sunlight.

Hope this helps you can look at this website

www.bcfs.org.uk

Trevor

 

With Geraniums, if you take cuttings now there are 2 benefits:-

1. The cuttings will develop over the winter period and be "Plant ready" earlier.
2. If the parent plant succumbs over the winter you will have preserved it.

In addition you can also take more cuttings in the Spring.

 

Thank you Bluedun and gcc for your advice, I'll let you know how I get on.

 

Well, I've managed to get over 80 pelargonium cuttings keeping their toes nice and warm in the propagator and have some new growth on all of them. |I've been pinching out the flower heads too. They are being kept at 20 degrees at the moment.

Would it be best to keep them at this temperature for the whole of the winter or reduce the temp gradually and just keep the cuttings in a frost free environment?

Thank you for your help.

 

If they seem happy Jenni just now I would leave but in due course reduce the temp.

But fuchsia cutting really get a better change earlier than this to grow in to good stock plants.

 

Thanks for the good advice, Scotkat. I'll leave them be at the moment. They seem to like the warmth and are doing well. I lift the lid on the propagator in the morning (8am) to dry out the roof and lift the bubble wrap then close the lid at about 2.30pm so they are getting quite a bit of light through the day when I'm here.

I've not had much success with the fuchsia cuttings, they all died on me but I have managed to save about 40 mother plants that are sitting on the bench but are covered with fleece at home time. Will the leaves still drop and the plants die back as they are overwintered? I don't want to throw anything away if they might have a chance.

 

Just a quick update on the pelargonium cuttings, all of them (120) have settled in well. We cover and close the propagator in the late afternoon and open it to dry the lid in the mornings. I have now turned the bottom heat down to 15 degrees but please could you advise me on the heat I should maintain through the winter months. We seem to have differing opinions here.

Thanks again for your help.

 

Regarding Fuchsias - I found this the other day - may be of some help.

How to over-winter Fuchsias in the greenhouse

 

I am having a real issue with keeping any of my cuttings warm enough.
a few have got black rot coming up from the bottom, I dont have many and i am
getting really upset with it all. OH wont let me use the electric 2k heater i used to use, says cost to much- I am going to try the soil warming cable in a large bed of compost etc on top of the bench, and hope that will stop the rot. I have a polycarbonate g.house and i have covered it in bubble wrap.
If i keep getting failure i am going to have to do some propergation when it gets warmer.
I feel deflated about it all and i have been away for 10days with a friend keeping an eye on them, i just hope she has not drowned everything in water otherwise i will loose the lot!!