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winter over annuals


Question
Please give me instruction on how to winter over my New Guinea Impatien and my Fushia

Answer
Your Impatiens are a little easier to bring indoors.  They are tolerant of dry winter heat and don't demand an impossible amount of light.  You can grow them on a windowsill.  The biggest problem you'll run into is spider mites, which will turn the leaves pale and weaken the plant.  Don't spray anything on those plants except water and in the spring, when they go outside, get yourself some ladybugs.  The ladybugs will devour every last spider mite in a matter of days, and a few will hang around for leftovers.  By then, your impatiens will have recovered.  But expect a spider mite problem.  It is inevitable.

Fuchsia is a little more involved.  For the instructions on this, I refer you to the D&B Fuchsia Nursery (www.effectnet.com/dbnsy/care.htm) which posts some clear and complete steps to care for your Fuchsias through the winter.  They will need a little more moisture than the Impatiens, but are likewise not fussy about how much light you give them.  Again, expect spider mites to descend on your plants.  You can deter them with a few good regular sprays of water, since spider mites cannot thrive in humidity.  In fact, a humid room, if you are able to get them that, will protect any plant from spider mites through the winter.

They will bloom all year and that's really a welcome site in the darkest winter days of January.  Good luck and let me know if you have any more questions.

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