If you are planning on or have just bought your first fuchsia you may be wondering where to plant it in your garden. Do fuchsia plants like sun or shade? or maybe a bit of both?
Well, worry not, today I will be giving you all the tips you need to position your fuchsia to help optimise its growing conditions.
Where to plant a fuchsia
Fuchsia love to be in partial shade, avoid planting in direct sunlight as this can lead to issues such as leaf burn and even the death of your fuchsia plant if the conditions are extreme. Partial shade is preferred as this way your fuchsia will still get some sun but not too much.
If you don’t know what areas of your garden are sunny, shady or partial shade then taking the time to figure this out is highly advised. Next time you get a sunny day in the garden take note of sunny and shady spots at different times of the day. All plants have different tolerances to sunny or shady conditions and getting this right will really improve your garden.
It is also important to consider the wind when planting your fuchsia. Those beautiful flowers that fuchsia are known for are delicate. Grow them in a windy spot and you may just find the flowers all simply blow away in the wind.
So a sheltered, partially sunny spot is perfect. But what about soil?
Soil Type
Fuchsia can deal well with most common soil types so this is not much of an issue. What is more important is the drainage. Fuchsia do not like to be overly wet, particularly the roots.
If your roots are waterlogged you will end up with an unhappy, unhealthy plant. On the flip side of this, they also don’t like being overly dry. Try to find a moist but not waterlogged area of the garden.
When planting up your fuchsia into the garden I always advise adding plenty of organic manure into the hole before planting. This will give your plant a good start and encourage strong root growth.
Fucshia don’t like being moved so choosing the perfect spot is more important here than it is with a lot of other plants, so take your time and make sure you find the perfect spot.
Do Fuchsia Like Shade?
Yes, unlike a lot of flowering plants which love to be out there in the sun shaking their stuff Fuchsia plants actually prefer partial shade. In fact, too much sun can actually damage them and cause issues like leaf burn.
More on Fuchsias
Fuchsias are a staple of British gardens, these perennial shrubby plants are found everywhere. Grown for their bright flowers, which with a little attention can flower all summer, and hardiness for those cold British winters.
The first written description of a Fuchsia comes from 1690 by the French monk Minim after he discovered them on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. There are over 100 different types of Fuchsia, most of them originating from South America. With a little care and attention, they can look good year after year in UK gardens.