Go plant a fuschia ... or perhaps a fuchsia

My foray into growing the fuchsia plant, commonly misspelled fuschia, wasn't as successful as I had initially hoped. Sure, the plant grew okay and produced a few spectacular flowers but from then onwards it suffered at the peril of my non-fuchsia-gardening-hands.

I had bought it at a local market overflowing with blooms and brimming with optimism. The seller gave me a few tips to care for it but in the hectic marketplace missed the most important element one needs when growing fuchsias. I thought the key was fertiliser and so I would dowse it in an organic liquid solution every 2 weeks while flowering only to find that this wasn't helping. In fact, it was doing quite the opposite.

The flowers began to die or brown before they opened and the leaves were getting tinged with dead material highlighting a lack of something - but what? Maybe they needed repotting, I thought. So I exhumed them from their hanging basket, topped up the soil and carefully replanted them yet still found that this didn't make huge inroads into their growing habit.

Even pulling out my own hair had seemingly no effect.

It wasn't until I visited my sister, an avid fuchsia grower, that the reason became crystal clear. "You are watering them twice a day during these hot months, aren't you?" she asked. Twice per day! I wasn't sure I was watering them more than twice per week. How had I not noticed this?

The fuchsia plant is so delicate and obviously a heavy drinker - just take a look at the composition of the stems. They scream for water! Yet here I was barely keeping it alive by watering it occasionally rather than every day.

That story was many moons ago when I first ventured into gardening. Much has changed since and I've (successfully!) grown many fuchsias and even propagated a few. And my love for them has not changed - maybe deepened perhaps! And who couldn't love these delicate blooms that hang like jewels on a necklace?

The problem with the watering was twofold. Firstly, I grew these in shallow pots or hanging baskets that dry out very quickly. And second, our climate produces very dry, hot summer days that aid in the evaporation of any moisture at all. I've since grown fuchsias in garden beds tucked away in shaded areas and have found that watering every 1-2 days is ample but in containers these plants need the moisture regularly - once in the morning and then a replenishing drink in the evening.

Some people who garden in cooler climes grow fuschia plants as annuals while here in Oz we're able to grow them successfully as perennials. As perennials they require a little more maintenance mainly because they itch to become leggy.

I find that by pruning them in the dormant winter months - by at least a third - sets them up for a glorious spring. Then as the warmer months roll in, picking their growth down to the next set of paired leaves helps maintain the shrub's bushiness.

A light feed or blood 'n bone (bonemeal) and a liquid fertiliser at the start of spring will catapult them into spring flowering sensations but they don't require much more than that.

Just give them enough water!

Posted by Stuart on May 6, 2008 6:45 AM | Permalink | Check to Subscribe to this Comment:

Comments

They are lovely plants, aren't they? I've never tried to grow my own yet though although I'm not really all that sure why. I suppose because I used to be hung up on having color coordinated plants maybe?

Posted by: Cinj | May 6, 2008 11:10 AM

Hi - I found this interesting. Here in the UK I grow two types of fuchsia. One type are perennial and grow in the borders and like you I cut them back hard each winter/spring. The other type is more tender and has to be overwintered in the greenhouse, though it rarely gets hot enough here for me to have to water it twice a day!

Posted by: Helen | May 6, 2008 5:32 PM

We grow fuschias in hanging baskets here in Nova Scotia - an annual, of course. They're spectacular flowers and the hummers love them. A great reminder about how much water they like!

Posted by: Nancy Bond | May 6, 2008 10:34 PM

I envy anyone who can grow them in the ground. Certainly not here in Kentucky. I once visited the botanic garden in San Francisco, California and was astonished when I saw them growing shrub size in the ground and completely covered with hummingbirds - what a sight!

Posted by: Barbee' | May 7, 2008 3:34 AM

Our fuschia is thriving outside on the deck in partial sun and shade. I do water it daily, sometimes twice. My mom has never seen hummingbirds around the house until I hung this gorgeous plant out there! It does produce a fruit after the blooms fall. Is it possible to grow plants from these seeds?

Posted by: Stephani Mac | July 8, 2008 11:35 PM

As with all plants....they can be overwatered too!

Posted by: Anonymous | July 9, 2008 4:17 AM

Living in Ireland, I have a number of fuschia plants, over ten years old (or there abouts). I put them into the earth and have never watered or pruned them. They are beautiful - Perhaps I should prune them?? Given the comments?

Posted by: julia | July 15, 2008 10:52 PM

Julia - we're all insanely jealous. They sound fantastic.

Posted by: Stuart | July 16, 2008 3:24 PM

Some of my buds have turned into a berry. I broke one open and it had some tiny seeds inside. Can I dry the seed and plant them next year for new fuchsia's? This is my first year of having one. I worked in a greenhouse but I could grow anything there. I live in TN and we get cold freezing weather some through the winter so I am going to try to carry mine over til next year. Could I also prune it back and store it under my house for the winter?

Posted by: Bobbie | November 1, 2008 12:19 AM

I live in northern Illinois and have my fuschia plants as hanging plants. To over winter, is it best to leave them in the hanger in a cool place, or remove them from the dirt? If I leave them in the hanging basket, should I water them over the einter?

Posted by: Carla | November 8, 2008 12:12 AM

Question: when fuchia is cut back and set back for winter do I still continue to water.please answer asap as am cutting back and storing for winter as I speak. thankyou vary much. Richard.

Posted by: richard | November 20, 2008 3:07 AM

I live in Central Florida on the East coast. My daughter would like to grow fuchsias indoors. She has a South facing window and a West facing window with which to work with.Can anyone tell me how to do this? Thank you,
Dick

Posted by: Dick | March 13, 2009 12:13 PM

i live in sanantoino tx and i just got a fuchsiait was pertty now the leves are down one side need help can it be out side now i have it out side it is in the shade is it ok to put it in and outdoors i dont no what am diing wong

Posted by: teresa | March 27, 2009 4:18 AM

just got a fuchsia i live in san antiono tx i dont no what am doing worng its hanging the leves are down some of them ithink that i goy red spider ilooked it up can it be in and out or does that hurt it please help dont no if i should cut the leves off

Posted by: teresagonzalez | March 27, 2009 4:28 AM

I remove the pods that are left after flowering, this results in many more flowers and gives the plant more energy to grow.

Posted by: Lisa | March 27, 2009 3:42 PM

I just purchased four sprouts of Orange Queen and a hanging basket with the moss-type material...is this a good choice...do i use regular potting soil? Does the dirt wash trough this material?

Posted by: ledamarie | April 10, 2009 9:19 AM

Hey thanx for the post and pointers. I spotted a fuchsia plant at the greenhouse near my work, and fell in love! i'm just learning how to grow anything, much less a high maintenance plant, but this gives me hope for successfully growing one someday. :)

Posted by: Leah | May 2, 2009 2:00 PM

I have 2 dogs and was wondering if any part of this plant is poisonous to animals?

Thanks!

Posted by: Deniece Lindsey | May 10, 2009 10:15 PM

how much sun should a fushia get?

Posted by: CLAUDETTE | May 11, 2009 5:03 AM

Does anyone monitor this comment board? I see lots of questions that I am asking too but no answers.

Posted by: Linda | June 27, 2009 2:02 AM

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