Yes, do it now, if it’s anything like my hardy fuchsias it will be 4/5feet this summer. Yoh hard prune them every Spring, I do mine end of February, by summer they’re above the windows. Make sure you get all that ivy off from its roots, and keep it well watered if you haven’t had rain. The conifer behind could take all the moisture out of the ground.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
I agree with @Lyn re the pruning and I would also give it a Nitrogen feed straight after pruning - I used tomato feed. I would also give it potash at the end of March and again at the end of April. Other than that, I don't feed mine at all.
@Lyn@justflowers thank you very much. I will do all you have suggested :-) In terms of the feed, would either grow sure plant feed slow release tablets or bone meal work? I’m very new to all this Nd bought them when planting my clematis a couple of weeks ago... otherwise I think I have a small tomato feed somewhere :-)
I've never used grow sure and don't know what's in it - I wouldn't use bone meal as it's not high in nitrogen or potash. Tomato feed is my 'go to' feed where nitrogen is needed, though I'm told there are better alternatives - old habits die hard!
Just watched a video and the man was saying cut off all the dead stalks but ours are very much alive with little leaves appearing... I can’t see any new growth on the ground like in his video... do I still cut it all down? 🧐
You can cut it down as little or as hard as you like. If you cut off the new shoots it'll sprout some more lower down, but if you want to you can leave a low woody framework. It depends which look you prefer. It will grow and flower even if it's not pruned at all.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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Yoh hard prune them every Spring, I do mine end of February, by summer they’re above the windows.
Make sure you get all that ivy off from its roots, and keep it well watered if you haven’t had rain.
The conifer behind could take all the moisture out of the ground.
In terms of the feed, would either grow sure plant feed slow release tablets or bone meal work? I’m very new to all this Nd bought them when planting my clematis a couple of weeks ago... otherwise I think I have a small tomato feed somewhere :-)
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border