| I have an upright (not hanging) fuschia on my patio that did beautifully and bloomed like mad all last summer. It's under the patio roof so it's shaded for most of the day. Now, in February, it's looking pretty long and spindly. How should I prune it to encourage blooming and keep it looking nice? Thanks. |
| There are hanging fuchsias which are usually grown as annuals, and there are shrubby perennial fuchsias. Sounds like yours is the shrubby type. You can cut the stems all the way down to the ground (new flowering stems will grow this spring). If that seems a bit dramatic, cut some stems down to the ground and cut some down by one-half to on-third. This will encourage the growth of new flowering stems. (Fuchsia's flower on new wood so it's important to prune out old wood so new wood will develop.) My perennial fuchsia has a nice fountain shape and is full of flowers from spring through summer. I prune hard in late winter and periodically throughout the growing season to promote new blooms. Enjoy! |
