| Which fuchsias belonging to the winter hardy types were
used in the field trials in Velp? |
| . |
| The
'garden fuchsia' - Before the year 1990 in the professional horticulture in
The Netherlands F.magellanica was nearly the only hardy fuchsia in the gardeners
commerce assortment. |
|
The best
known by the Dutch professional growers is the 'garden fuchsia' or the F.magellanica
'Riccartonii' . Also growers use the F.magellanica gracilis as a
'garden fuchsia'. Fuchsia
lovers leave their fuchsias in the garden during winter, however only those that according
the book 'The checklist of
species, hybrids & cultivars of the genus fuchsia' (author Boullemier) are shown under the code H-3. A simple
explanation is given as 'Plant is winter hardy and can left in the garden's soil
during winter'. A further explanation about districts where this type is winter hard
isn't mentioned. Nor is any mention made of the protection that the gardener must place
for instance around the base of the plant. In the description of the fuchsia mention is
made that the plant is winter hard in the south west of England (USDA-zone 9). |
| . |
| What other type of award exist in England for winter
hardies? |
| There excists a list 'Royal Horticural Society Hardiness Award'
which lists the names of winter hardy fuchsias. In the Checklist from Boullemier is
recorded an early list of issued awards, namely in the period 1928-1931. The best of the
types received an Award of Merit (AM) or were 'Highly Commended (HC)'. A second list 'RHS
Hardiness Awards' concerns those awards that were issued from 1972 till 1978. |
| These
types have the quality 'mark', from high to low: 'First Class Certificate' (FCC), 'Award
of Merit' (AM) and 'Highly Commended' (HC). Also is indicated that the Royal Horticultural
Society (RHS) together with the British Fuchsia Society (BFS) planted several fuchsias on
trial fields in Whisley and tested these for winter hardiness. There were three trials,
these covered the periods 1960-1962, 1963-1965 and 1975-1989. For each cultivar or species
three plants were used. The climatic conditions of Whisley are typical for the South of
England and Wales, but they are no means a guide for other parts of Britain nor of other
parts of Europe. A more detailed description of the three awards is not provided. The British Fuchsia Society developed
a smaller, more permanent trial at the Harlow Carr Gardens near Harrowgate. In these
trials fuchsias with possibly winter hardiness status, were planted in borders. |
| English
testing ground (H3)hardy fuchsias - In Harlow Carr Gardens near Harrogate
(USDA-zone 9) protected plants behind high hedges (picture from june 1992). |
| Dutch
testing ground (Ned-H3) hardy fuchsias - On nursery Overhagen in Velp near Arnhem
(USDA-zone 7), not protected for a cold wind in winter and not protected for fierce
sunshine in summer |
|
| The climatic conditions for this trials were less favourably than at
Whisley. The BFS published in her Summer Bulletin 1989 the 'BFS Hardy List', made up
from qualified winter hardy fuchsias, these are shown on 'The British Fuchsia Society 1988
Hardy List' |
The result of a
trial on this testing ground, during a rather colder winter than normal (1990/1991), can
be found in a report named 'Fuchsia Trials at Harlow Carr'. One of the above pictures
gives an impression of these trials. There is a noticable difference to be seen, compared
to the testing ground in Velp. The trials in England were conducted behind high protective
hedges. Also can be concluded that there are differences in temperatures between the south
of England and at Velp in Holland. During 1990/1991 minus 10°C (+14°F) was recorded in
England (severe conditions), whilst at Velp the thermometer stopped at minus 17°C
(+2,6°F) during that same winter (see 'Quality winter B').
We have read on the
internet several catalogues issued by English growers. They subdivide cultivars into 'half
hardy' and 'fully hardy'. On Yvonne's Plants Nursery I read the following
explanation of these sub-classes:
| Half
hardy - minimum temperature 0°C (+32°F) |
| Frost hardy -
minimum temperature -5°C (+22°F) |
| Fully hardy -
minimum temperature -15°C(+5°F) |
|
| For any of the in that catalogues mentioned cultivars,
designated as winter hardy would it be possible to for them to receive the Ned-H3 awarded? |
. |
| Insufficient
(Ned-H3)hardy - A number of tested fuchsias - such as - 'Caledonia' -
did n't go through the 'Reference Standard winter Quality A or B'. Still many fuchsias
with supposed hardiness the research group did n't collect timely before the testing
ground becomes removed end 1994 |
|
At the
end of 1994 we had to cease our trials at the request of the owner of the testing ground..
Up until then we had tested some 200 cultivars. Out of these 120 received the Ned-H3
award, the others remaining insufficiently winter hard or they could not survive
transplanting due a too small rooting system, etc.. A major problem for the trials team
was the collection of winter hardy fuchsias. If the trials had been able to be continued,
then it would certainly have been possible to test whether winter hardy fuchsias under
(south of England) conditions could have receive the status of Ned-H3. For the period
1995/2001 the winters in Holland were too mild, and were unsuited to test for winter
hardiness!. A few
publications with test results of recent trials in Switzerland and Austria (not tested in
the same manner as Velp), showed that in the same climatic USDA-zone 7 several other
cultivars (for example 'Norway' ) re-sprouted after the winter had
finished. |
| . |
| How can one judge a winter? |
. |
| First one can evaluate the average temperatures for a year. In Holland,
the 30-year average between 1950 and 1980 was 9,2°C ( 50,4°F), but the average
temperature during the winter season was 2,8°C (37°F). This method of comparison gives a
somewhat distorted picture, simply because a month of severe cold conditions can be
overshadowed by a month of mild temperatures. Another way of judging the suitability of a winter, is one devised by F.
IJnsen, that is the calculation of the 'frost number'. In The Netherlands this
number is determined at The Royal Metrological Institute (KNMI) in De Bilt, during the
period 1 November til 31 March. The frost number is based on the number of frosty
days, 'ice days' where during the complete day the temperature for the whole remained
below freezing point, also 'very cold dayd' when the temperature remains continuously
below -10°C (14°F). Refer
'The 'Frost number' is in part
dependent on the quality of the winter'. All winters from 1850 to 1990 have their frost number recorded
in the graphic shown below. |
Graphic
'frost number' of the winters from 1850 to 1990 |
| On internet
http://www.kelley-graphics.com/
shows eight maps of various parts of Europe, showing the European Hardiness Zones.
These are classifications for winter hardiness of zones 3 to 10. These are the so called
USDA-zones, which were set up by the US Department of Agriculture. There is shown for
instance that the English west coast and part of the south coast belong to USDA-zone 9.
They have average night/day temperature of -7°C/-1°C, that is 9,4.°F/30,2°F). Holland
belongs as do the other parts of Britain to USDA-zone 8 (average night/day temperatures of
-12°C/-7°C, that is 10,2°F/ 19,4°F). The eastern part of Holland, thus where Velp is
situated is more in the more German USDA-zone 7 (average night/day temperature
-18°C/-12°C, that is -0,4°F/10,2°F).A French trial field in the coastal regions near
Nantes is in the USDA-zone 8. |
|
| Zone 5 : - 29°C / -
23°C ~ - 20°F / - 10°F |
| Zone 6 : -
23°C / - 18°C ~ - 10°F/ 0°F |
| Zone 7 : -
18°C / - 12°C ~ 0°F / + 10°F |
| Zone 8 : -
12°C / - 7°C ~ + 10°F / + 20°F |
| Zone 9 :
- 7°C / - 1°C ~ + 20°F / + 30°F |
USDA-zones
in Europe |
|
| The conclusion may be
drawn the testing ground in Velp is in the case of USDA-zone 7, is well located. For that
reason are the Velp results of benefit to Germany and parts of Switzerland, Austria and
Scandinavia. In relation to the fields in England and France, is the Dutch testing ground
in a more severe (freezing) area. |
November 2008
