Hi Whiskey26,
Great question, and one I get asked every single autumn. The honest answer is that it depends entirely on which Fuchsia you have, because the name covers everything from tough shrubs that shrug off a Lancashire winter to delicate basket plants that sulk at the first frost. Let me split them out so you know exactly where Ballet Girl sits.
Hardy Fuchsias: the tough garden shrubs
At the hardiest end you have Fuchsia magellanica, the species you see used as flowering hedges along the coasts of Cornwall, Wales and the west of Ireland. It is rated RHS H6, so it will happily stay in the ground year round across most of the UK. Varieties such as Fuchsia magellanica 'Riccartonii', 'Mrs Popple', 'Hawkshead', 'Genii' and 'Tom Thumb' fall into this tough group too.
Even these can be cut to the ground by a hard frost, but they regrow from the base in spring. Plant them a few centimetres deeper than they sat in the pot, give the crown a good mulch in autumn, and leave the old stems on over winter as extra protection. Then cut them back to a pair of fresh buds in spring once you see new growth appearing.
Tender Fuchsias: the hanging basket and patio types
At the other end are the trailing and showy bush Fuchsias sold for baskets, pots and summer bedding, such as 'Swingtime', 'Marinka' and 'Pink Marshmallow'. These are tender perennials, usually rated H2 or H3, so most people treat them as annuals and replace them each year. They will not survive a typical UK winter outdoors.
If you want to keep them, bring them into a frost free greenhouse, porch or cool spare room before the first frosts. Keep them barely moist through winter, then start them back into growth in early spring with a little more water and warmth.
Where Ballet Girl fits in
Ballet Girl is a lovely old double bush Fuchsia, but it sits in the half hardy camp, around H3. In a sheltered spot in the ground it might come through a mild winter, but in a pot I would definitely give it some protection. Roots in containers are far more exposed to frost than roots in the ground, because the cold gets in from every side.
Should you prune now?
I would hold off on any hard pruning until spring. The old woody stems help protect the crown over winter, and cutting back now can encourage soft new shoots that frost will simply blacken. A light tidy to remove dead or damaged growth is fine, then prune back to a pair of healthy buds around March or April once you can see where the new growth is breaking.
If you want a bit more detail on timing, my winter plant pruning guide explains what to cut back and what to leave alone over the colder months, and my January pruning calendar is handy for planning the jobs ahead.
How to protect them over winter
Moving the pots up against the house is a really good start, as the walls give off a little warmth and shelter from wind. A thick mulch of bark chips over the compost helps, but on its own it is not quite enough for a potted half hardy Fuchsia. I would raise the pots on pot feet so they do not sit waterlogged, wrap the pots themselves in hessian or straw to insulate the roots, and keep some horticultural fleece handy to drape over the top on frosty nights.
Better still, if you have an unheated greenhouse, porch or cold frame, pop them in there from November until the frosts are over. Keep the compost just slightly moist, as soggy roots in winter are just as likely to kill them as the cold. I go through all of this step by step in my guide on how to protect container plants from winter frost.
Why they may not have flowered well
Poor flowering in potted Fuchsias usually comes down to a few things: a pot that has become too small, too much shade, drying out in hot spells, or not enough feeding. Next spring, pot them on into a slightly bigger container with fresh compost, give them a spot with morning sun and afternoon shade, and feed every week or two with a high potash feed such as tomato feed from late spring. That should give you a much better show next summer.
Hope that helps!
Lee Garden Ninja
Hi Whiskey26,
Great question, and one I get asked every single autumn. The honest answer is that it depends entirely on which Fuchsia you have, because the name covers everything from tough shrubs that shrug off a Lancashire winter to delicate basket plants that sulk at the first frost. Let me split them out so you know exactly where Ballet Girl sits.
Hardy Fuchsias: the tough garden shrubs
At the hardiest end you have Fuchsia magellanica, the species you see used as flowering hedges along the coasts of Cornwall, Wales and the west of Ireland. It is rated RHS H6, so it will happily stay in the ground year round across most of the UK. Varieties such as Fuchsia magellanica 'Riccartonii', 'Mrs Popple', 'Hawkshead', 'Genii' and 'Tom Thumb' fall into this tough group too.
Even these can be cut to the ground by a hard frost, but they regrow from the base in spring. Plant them a few centimetres deeper than they sat in the pot, give the crown a good mulch in autumn, and leave the old stems on over winter as extra protection. Then cut them back to a pair of fresh buds in spring once you see new growth appearing.
Tender Fuchsias: the hanging basket and patio types
At the other end are the trailing and showy bush Fuchsias sold for baskets, pots and summer bedding, such as 'Swingtime', 'Marinka' and 'Pink Marshmallow'. These are tender perennials, usually rated H2 or H3, so most people treat them as annuals and replace them each year. They will not survive a typical UK winter outdoors.
If you want to keep them, bring them into a frost free greenhouse, porch or cool spare room before the first frosts. Keep them barely moist through winter, then start them back into growth in early spring with a little more water and warmth.
Where Ballet Girl fits in
Ballet Girl is a lovely old double bush Fuchsia, but it sits in the half hardy camp, around H3. In a sheltered spot in the ground it might come through a mild winter, but in a pot I would definitely give it some protection. Roots in containers are far more exposed to frost than roots in the ground, because the cold gets in from every side.
Should you prune now?
I would hold off on any hard pruning until spring. The old woody stems help protect the crown over winter, and cutting back now can encourage soft new shoots that frost will simply blacken. A light tidy to remove dead or damaged growth is fine, then prune back to a pair of healthy buds around March or April once you can see where the new growth is breaking.
If you want a bit more detail on timing, my winter plant pruning guide explains what to cut back and what to leave alone over the colder months, and my January pruning calendar is handy for planning the jobs ahead.
How to protect them over winter
Moving the pots up against the house is a really good start, as the walls give off a little warmth and shelter from wind. A thick mulch of bark chips over the compost helps, but on its own it is not quite enough for a potted half hardy Fuchsia. I would raise the pots on pot feet so they do not sit waterlogged, wrap the pots themselves in hessian or straw to insulate the roots, and keep some horticultural fleece handy to drape over the top on frosty nights.
Better still, if you have an unheated greenhouse, porch or cold frame, pop them in there from November until the frosts are over. Keep the compost just slightly moist, as soggy roots in winter are just as likely to kill them as the cold. I go through all of this step by step in my guide on how to protect container plants from winter frost.
Why they may not have flowered well
Poor flowering in potted Fuchsias usually comes down to a few things: a pot that has become too small, too much shade, drying out in hot spells, or not enough feeding. Next spring, pot them on into a slightly bigger container with fresh compost, give them a spot with morning sun and afternoon shade, and feed every week or two with a high potash feed such as tomato feed from late spring. That should give you a much better show next summer.
Hope that helps!
Lee Garden Ninja
Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
