How should I treat a standard fuchsia?
QI have a standard fuchsia ‘Lady Boothby’ which is in a large container. It is roughly 60in (152cm) tall and the spread is roughly the same. When should I cut this back and how far down should I go?
AFuchsia ‘Lady Boothby’ is described as hardy so should be able to survive temperatures down to -6°C. However, its ability to survive cold snaps will depend largely on its growing conditions.
It is worth noting that pot compost will freeze more quickly, and stay frozen for longer, than the soil in the ground so if your garden is prone to frost, or we have a bad winter, it is worth giving some protection during the colder months.
A cold greenhouse or a temporary covering of horticultural fleece would be fine but if there is a danger that the compost could freeze, it might be worth wrapping the pot with a blanket, Hessian sack or similar.
Although the leafless stems look unsightly in the winter it is best not to prune them down too soon as they help to protect the roots from some degrees of frost and are therefore beneficial.
The stems themselves may survive, in which case you will have a sizeable plant very quickly the following year, but even if the top growth is killed by cold weather, the plant will likely re-grow from the roots.
‘Lady Boothby’ should be pruned in spring when new growth starts to appear and when the danger of serious frosts has passed. Depending on the state of the stems, pruning can be as little as just removing dead growth or as much as cutting all the stems down to ground level to make way for new growth from the base.