Spring is busting out all over, so this thread may take a nap till next fall....
Here are my cherries in bloom with Gypsy Prince underneath and a few abutilons in the back.
Cold Hardy Fuchsias
That is very pretty. You are lucky now. We are having wind, rain and snow showers and it is quite nippy.
Hi Willowwind2, glad to see someone is watching this forum! I keep hoping to see the fuchsias people have in their yards.
We are going to have more rain also, I am looking forward to it. I have lots of seed started and it will be good for them to sprout in.
By the way, all of the cuttings you sent me are doing great. Do you have any idea whether the tiny one is microphylla or minutiflora? They are starting to bloom. But my camera doesn't have a macro lense, so I am going to see if a friend can photograph thme for me. Then I will try and get some help on identifying the three varieties you sent.
One of the magellanica types is blooming also. I think it is the standard F. magellanica, right? And the other one with the smaller leaves is the one we don't know the name of?
Hi, I don't know the name of any of them. We had such a hit of cold that everything quit growing. Several of the older branches died. Someday it will warm up.
I'm lurking but not posting but I thought I would take a pic of my fuchsia trees and they have definitely have restarted from the bottom. We had a very mild winter but that was after a killing freeze in November that really took a toll.
I was worried that the damage that occurred last fall when I had some pruning done but plants untouched by the event took a hit as well...........but as gardeners we are all kinda living on the edge.
When that happens the new growth is never as vigorius as the first growth was on mine. Maybe it just takes years.
I'll have to take a new photo of my magellanica molinae, it was almost destroyed by my teenage cats about the same time as Azorina's sustained damage. It has put out huge new branches rivaling anything it has ever done before. And it is about 15 years old with old wood about 5" in circumferance. Occasionally it will also throw out huge new "canes" from the base. So I bet the others are capable of doing the same. What has really surprised me this spring, is my Mood Indigo. Is putting out a big thick shoot that is just incredible! Bright green and as big around as my thumb and heading for the sky!! I had no idea it could do that!
Any suggestions? I'm wondering if this would be a good time to divide them since I need to cut the old trunks to the ground. Or just wait and see what happens. Last year they were at least 12 feet my DH is 6 feet.
Azorina, that is one masive hary fuchsia, good luck dividing it. I hope you don't shock the heck out of it, cutting it up. I've heard it can be done, good luck, Jim
I agree with Jim, I would not want to have to do that to any of my fuchsia bushes. And I am wondering why you need to cut the old trunks to the ground. Because everything above seems to be dead? I'd wait and see what puts out new growth first. I've see big trunks suddenly put out growth all along their length, just when I am showing up with the big loppers.....
I am in no hurry but I have scratched the cambium layer and found no green.........everything above ground seems to be pretty much dead. How fortunate, (or clever) you are to be living in a place where these beautiful plants thrive without all these threats.
Ha! If I could, I'd move up north in a heartbeat!!!!!
I wouldn't mind having a winter off now and then. I used to live in Colorado, so I do know snow...
Yes, it is quite wonderful here. And so expensive that I will be lucky if I don't have to work until the day they plant me in the ground.
Last November I put 52 fuchsias into my garden shed for the winter. They all got covered with a mildew that was VERY nasty. Some were never watered and some were over watered. Long story-big mistake.
Of the 52, 6 lived. I consider these 6 very hardy. They had no heat all winter and survived a mildew that was very nasty.
San Pasqual
Golden Marinka
Zulu King
Prosperity
Wentworth
Winston Churchill.
I sprayed them with Neam about a month ago and this weekend re-potted them in clean soil and clean pots. These 6 are winners in my book. They took terrible abuse and survived. Not only the cold but also the mildew.
Ouch!! What a disaster! I am so glad you have troopers who survived! I have never seen four of those on your list. I will have to go look those to up. Hopefully we will see your success photos soon.
mstish
So sorry to hear you had trouble with your fuchsias! What a shame you lost so many! Hope your survivors are doing well and enjoying the great weather we are having!
I have not posted in awhile, so sorry. I do have a report that most all of my fuchsias survied the Winter and only lost two. Whew!! They are really taking off now that the weather is warming up and hope to take a few pics today so I can share with you all.
Happy gardening everyone...Looking forward to seeing everyone's fuchsias.
Here is 'Sharkie' I just took the pic before it began to rain.
Sharkie has really grown quickly this Spring and it's truly a Hardy fuchsia.
I noticed it's beginning to set some buds also.
Edit
Forgot to say Sharkie is the one to right of the clay pot against the wall.
This message was edited May 30, 2010 4:48 PM
Electric Lights is hardy in zone 9. (according to its label)
Are their any cold hardy fuchias that will survive ZONE 7 central Va. If so which ones. If not how could I over winter them indoors ?
Thanks in advance for your expert replies.
Keith
Sometimes it is hard to find information on fuchsias for your zone. But allot of people have been growing them in your zone and colder ones! I have learned allot just by reading the notes people write on each variety in the Plant Files. And hummer_girl started a few threads here about very cold hardy fuchsias. Here is a link to one of her threads:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1048634/
You can also go to her member page and look up her other threads.
I believe there are two camps. Plant them deep and bury them with mulch come winter or bring them inside. And then some people induce a dormant state, while others let them continue to grow. I did that last winter and they did fine. In fact, there is a bonsai fuchsia I am growing indoors and I am going to post an update on it today.