Growing On

Fuchsias enjoy growing conditions that provide plenty of fresh air, humidity and some shade. If you want to be successful with fuchsias you need to know that it is necessary to grow them in conditions as near as possible to where they grow naturally.

A fuchsia will naturally grow upwards (or sideways) on one stem, however you grow your fuchsias be it in tubs, hanging baskets or in a border, they will need pinching (the growing tip taking out) to produce a bushier plant which will produce lots more flowers than if left alone to do its own thing.

Fuchsia flowers are classified as : 

                                                Singles - flowers with only four petals.

                                                Semi-doubles - are intermediates the flowers have five to eight petals. 

                                                Doubles - flowers with layers of eight or more petals.

Don't begin to pinch until roots and top have made good growth. When the plant has developed two or four pairs of leaves remove the central growing tip (be careful not to damage the side shoots in the leaf axils under the growing tip) which will encourage lateral growths. When these newly formed branches have developed two pairs of leaves they should be pinched, further similar growths will develop from the leaf axils. Every time shoots are pinched the branching potential of the plant is doubled therefore improving flowering. After four /five stops you should have a nicely shaped plant.