This rather crude method of protection worked to save my fuchsias. As you can see, they are sheltered somewhat by the roof, but their open side has a Northern exposure, facing West toward the trees.
These poor plants faced freezing temperatures when we first brought them home from the nursery in April, several 90 degree heatwaves in the Spring, several 100+ days in July, and a long dry August. Finally in September, they started to perk up again when the nights grew cooler and the days were not excessively warm. A nice dry and moderate October had set in to close this year's growing season -- until an early round of sub-freezing temperatures were scheduled a few nights ago.
Here's what we did and it seemed to work. We decided to leave them hanging to preserve the long and branches and blooms. Last spring we took them down each afternoon, set them on a tarp against the wall of the house on the porch and then created a small tent over them with another tarp and the porch dining chairs. Then in the morning we uncovered them and re-hung them. We did that several times over two weeks as the temperatures dipped below freezing. They had doubled or tripled in size over the summer and hubby decided it would be too difficult for our ailing shoulders to lift them too many times. So I wrapped them in plastic on the outside of the porch and layered newspapers over the plastic and around on the side facing the porch. I stuffed paper in at the top and made tent like coverings for the longer offshoots. It's a wonder what you can do with a black plastic yard waste bag, a pair of scissors, tape and a stack of newspapers. For an additional photo, please click here.
The cold snap lasted for three nights. The first night, the temperature went down to 29. The next night it was 26. But during the day, it warmed up a bit more and the third night it only dropped to about 35. Fuchsias prefer temperatures no colder than 40, but we decided to unwrap them for the third night. In the morning they looked fine and we watered them lightly.
If you have tender plants, protect them as long as you can before Nature reclaims them. We are only stewards and it's a privilege and a joy to nurture them and be a part of their lives. They give us so much for so little!
Good Luck!
8 comments:
Great idea, my garden can look kind of ghosty in the fall with all the sheets on the pots. I have brought everything in or trashed it by now.
I am glad you could save your fuschias, those frost sensitive beautiesare worth it!
Rosey
Rosey!! LOL the gardens do look rather ghostly this time of year! Yesterday while out at a slightly higher elevation I noticed most of the gardens had been stripped of veggies and all that remained were flowers that looked like they were on their last legs. I love the late summer/early fall/harvest time so much more than what's next around the corner -- bleak winter, with it's own charms, but unfortunately, not too many flowers. Must be why we have all those wonderful holidays in the bleak months. LOL Thanks for dropping by! :D
Sadly I cannot grow fushias here in Cyprus. I have lost many plants now and tried many ways. I will try your method as a last ditch attempt.
I think I'm going to take your newspaper advice to protect my bird of paradise tonight. My husband's away and it's far too heavy for me to lift up the front steps and into the house for the winter (I tried last night and failed). There's snow forecasted for tomorrow and I don't want it to die. thanks for the tip!
No chance of saving anything this year. Just a few ghosts of blooms...looking bleak even though the large trees still have green leaves. I'm anxiously looking forward to springs.
Glynis!! It would be lovely if you could grow the cool weather plant in sunny Cyprus! Perhaps this winter it will be cool enough that you will have some luck. I hope so! But of course most of the wonderful heat-loving plants that you can grow easily do not do well here -- except perhaps for a very short time in the summer months. But that's the very heat that stresses out the fuchsias!! If it isn't one thing, it's another! LOL Thanks for posting & good luck! :D
Kate!! If you are going to have snow, I think put the newspapers down first and cover them with the plastic [or a good waterproof tarp] so that the papers don't get soggy and then freeze. That's key -- keep the plant from freezing and sheltered from the wind-driven rain or snow. The snow will then serve as an insulator -- but with a tender heat loving plant it could be iffy. Check with a nursery for a good natural mulch you could use on the soil and possibly banked around the base of the pot. Then don't be afraid to add your newspaper insulation and the plastic moisture barrier. As soon as the temps warm up again to the minimum temp your plant can take, open up the tarp/black plastic bags and let it get some sunshine. I sure hope it works. And that snow -- how awful!!! I hope it goes elsewhere and skips your area. Good luck!!
SG!!! Your area got slammed big time. I am so sorry it happened and no one will be able to save anything. I think the seed catalogs will be out soon -- you will have to dig in and dream and pretty soon, spring WILL be here! I'm afraid, though, we're going to have to go through the ice, snow, freezing rain, and a genuine mess for a few months. Hubby calls winter, "Early Spring" and it seems to help him feel better about the bleak months. That starts January 1. Maybe it will help you, too! :D
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