How to winterize fuchsia, thorn apple and oleander

The winter is coming and you need to take care of your balcony plants because the very first frosts could seriously damage them. So, do not hesitate and winterize them as soon as possible. Winterizing requirements are very similar for various types of balcony flowers and we shall take a look how to properly winterize individual types of plants. However, there is a one rule that applies to all: spray them against pests and diseases before winterizing to make sure pests do not multiply and get ready for the spring!

Bougainvillea

This exotic plant looks great on terraces or in outdoor gardens. It is usually a small tree with a higher trunk. It comes from the subtropical zone so, you must winterize it properly. Cold temperatures can damage its roots. Place bougainvillea on a Styrofoam mat to insulate it. If you don’t, the roots, may start rotting slowly and you will be able to notice it only in the spring when the plant stars forming buds and therefore it will produce little or no flowers at all. Choose a bright spot where the temperature remains around 10 °C. You should also shorten long shoots by a third or even half ..

Photo: Pixabay

Fuchsia

Fuchsia also needs to be winterized. It does not matter whether you grow a tree or grow fuchsia in a flowerpot you need to shorten overgrown shoots by about half. Leave fuchsias in the same flowerpot for the winter. Again you need to choose a bright spot (insufficient light makes fuchsia lose leaves… it will not die but you don’t want the plant to lose its leaves). Be careful when watering. Fuchsia deals with temperature variations well, so there is no need to “monitor“ the room temperature but it should not exceed 18 °C.

Durman

When outdoors, durman produces many green leaves. And how should you winterize it properly? In autumn, remove damaged and diseased branches. Wait until the spring for trimming. As with the two previous plants you need to provide enough light during wintering, otherwise it will lose leaves. An interesting fact. If you expose the plant to temperatures slightly below freezing, it will flower better next year… Go figure.

Oleander

Oleander also needs plenty of light during the winter. The ideal temperature is around 12 °C. Do not trim or cut it before winterizing. You do not need to rush. Wait until the first frosts have passed. By the way, the same is true as for durman. Low temperature will make it flower better the next year – but the temperature must be just a little bit below zero! On the other hand, if you put it in a warm room for the winter, it will not bloom the next year.

Fruit trees and shrubs

Those of us who grow trees and shrubs on a terrace or even balconies know that you need to put them inside too for the winter. These are mostly dwarf varieties of apple, pear, rowan, raspberry or blackberry trees or bushes. However, these dwarf varieties are much more delicate than their big cousins. So, you need to winterize them properly. Winterizing these plants is very easy. Just choose a bright spot with a lower temperature and water from time to time.

Preview photo: Pixabay