Overwintering fuchsias without heat

If you don’t have a heated greenhouse it is still possible to keep your fuchsias alive over the winter. Where space is short, plants can be put into a cardboard box and stood off the ground, ie on bricks, in a shed or garage. Surround the plants with some sort of insulation such as scrunched up newspaper and cover with horticultural fleece. Put an old blanket over the box when there’s a frost warning.

If you have an unheated greenhouse or conservatory then you can cover the plants with several layers of horticultural fleece – the manufacturers say this should keep out five degrees of frost.

Plants could also be put into a spare room, but turn the heating off in that room as fuchsias like it cool. If you put plants on a window cill, make sure the plants are pulled away form the glass of the window when you draw the curtains at night.

However the plants are stored, never let them dry out as they are still alive, but don’t get then too wet either as this will encourage mildew or botrysis.