Save My Fuchsia

April 11, 2023 3:18 PM

I bought a big hanging basket fuchsia way too early. How do I keep it alive until it warms up? Coastal PNW.

I fell for a big supermarket sale and bought a huge hanging fuchsia for the front porch. Unfortunately, they need night temps in the 50s and we're barely getting daytime temps in the 50s right now - north Oregon coast. Overnight lows are in the high 30s, low 40s.

I moved it to the back courtyard, which is somewhat sheltered, and put it right up against an uninsulated window in the hopes that enough heat was leaking out to keep it alive. Is this enough? Should I bring it inside? Problem: there's not enough light in the courtyard and there's going to be even less if I bring it inside, plus it's going to be significantly warmer, which might be a shock. It's also really heavy and I'd rather not move it around twice a day if there's any way to avoid it.

posted by mygothlaundry to Home & Garden (4 answers total)

As long as it doesn't freeze, and isn't beaten up too badly by wind, the courtyard should be fine. My take on these is semi-shade is OK. They often hang just under rooflines on the edges of porches. They say dappled light, under 80°, cool nights.
posted by Oyéah at 3:51 PM on April 11, 2023

Many fuschias are pretty tough. I left mine outside all winter last year (in Portland). They came back last year and they are outside now. Granted, I didn't have a gorgeous plant I had just purchased a bit early in the season, but I think they'll probably be okay in the courtyard.
posted by bluedaisy at 4:34 PM on April 11, 2023

If you're really worried about it, or temps take a dive, wrap a sheet around it at night. I do this with 'matoes I put out as early as possible.
posted by BlueHorse at 6:16 PM on April 11, 2023

When I lived in San Francisco, I had all sorts of outdoor fuschias. They never received any special considerations and always bloomed eagerly. If anything, the stress from the cold might encourage them to send out new growth as the days lengthen and warm up. As per the suggestion above, a gentle wrap to protect them from cold wind might be a happy medium and a benign way to insure against the potential for local patches of frost even when the regional temperature is above freezing.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 12:55 AM on April 12, 2023