Hardy fuchsia
nightgarden
Posts: 112
in Plants
I have a quite large hardy fuchsia that, according to the books, should be cut down to 1" above the ground in March.
It is old, woody and spindly with a lot of thick dead wood in the centre and is just starting to show new leaf growth on thin stems that are mostly bare with tufts at the top... it looks quite a mess but I'm not sure what to do.
I have cut back the obviously dead stuff but it doesn't look that much better, to be honest I feel it needs a major crop to the ground but is it too late to do now?
The weather was too harsh, snow, ice etc to cut back in March.
Any advice welcome.
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mine are the same i will wait until the shoots are a bit bigger and take cuttings and ditch the old plant
Thanks I think I'd do both!
I cut an old one (Mrs popple i think) down to the ground last year. It grew 4 feet and flowered till the frosts. I'm going to do the same again. I murder buddlejas every year too. Cut right down to the lowest shoot.
I too cut buddlias down quite hard and I agree that works very well - except this time I accidentally did the same to a b.globosa and then remembered they are best done after they have flowered - I'm wondering whether it will flower this year, it has lots of new growth but maybe won't flower till next year
I always do my big hardy fuchsia late, it just flowers a little later and after all we are around 5 weeks behind this year according to Beechgrove team.
Hi Nightgarden
I am not too strict on the pruning of my fuchsias, sometimes i do it in autumn and other years in the spring, the plant will have no problem at all. I cut a 5ft hawkshead down early spring this year and it is leafing now to the dismay of my nan as she buys one every year and it never comes back.
thanks everyone