How to Care for a Fuchsia Flower Year Round

Notable for both its exotic, brilliantly colored blooms and its incredibly finicky nature, the fuchsia plant is sought after by many gardening enthusiasts. Many of the problems associated with the care of this plant are surprisingly easily eliminated with proper care, which deviates from the standard care of most other garden and container bound plants. Following a few simple rules will keep your fuchsia blooming for seasons to come.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fuchsia
• Potting soil
• Fertilizer
• Water
• Pruning shears
• Shovel
• Cool storage location

Caring for Fuchsia During Active Growing

1. Place the fuchsia in proper sunlight. Fuchsia plants prefer locations in indirect or partial sunlight. Over exposure leads to burning and plant death. In the garden, layer them with tall, shade-giving plants or in areas that receive early-morning sunlight.

2. Feed the fuchsia often. Fuchsia is a voracious feeder, and requires weekly forms of fertilizer. This can be organic material from a compost heap or chemical fertilizer. Select one day per week to feed the plant to avoid forgetting.

3. Water the fuchsia often. Container-bound fuchsias require twice daily watering. Garden-bound fuchsias may be watered once a day or every other day. Do not miss a watering, as these plants are very sensitive to the availability of water.

4. Prune the fuchsia sparingly during the growing season. Using your shears, remove any dead growth, or damage branches. Dead head any spent flowers. Prune only as much as you must to keep the plant healthy.

Caring for Fuchsia During Dormancy

5. Prune the fuchsia for dormant storage. In the early fall, prune the fuchsia back to one third its original size, including the main branches and canes. Cut each branch back at an angle.

6. Move garden fuchsias to containers. If you live in an area in which the ground freezes, your fuchsia will need to be moved to a container, and stored over winter. Dig up the plant and place in a container large enough to accommodate the root ball. Cover with potting soil. Container fuchsias must be re-potted into fresh soil, as these plants absorb nutrients from the soil at a very quick pace.

7. Place the fuchsia into cold storage. A basement, garage or garden shed serves well as a storage location. The area should be dimly lit at the least, and should keep the temperature above freezing, preferably around 40 degrees F.

8. Water the fuchsia sparingly. Supply only enough water to keep the wood of the plant from shriveling--every two weeks to once per month depending on the individual plant.

9. Maintain the plant until late spring after danger of frost and transplant it, or return it to its location.

References

• Fuchsia Plant Care
• Over Wintering Fuchsia
• Fuchsia Tip Sheet