If you are growing fuchsia for the first time then one question you will certainly have is when to plant fuchsia? Should you plant in spring, summer or autumn? Let’s have a look and find out.
When to plant Fuchsias?
If you are planting a hardy fuchsia that will stay outside in the ground all year round then plant it in early summer once the weather has really started to improve. Rather counter-intuitively I actually advise planting half hardy fuchsia out a little earlier around may time once all risk of frost has passed.
Hardy Fuchsia
Plant hardy fuchsia out in early summer. The first year for any hardy fuchsia is really important which is why we don’t want to risk the cold at all and can afford to wait until a little later in the season before planting it out.
Make sure you choose a good spot for your fuchsia as they absolutely detest being moved once they are established in place. They like cool damp roots and partial shade although they do flower better the more sun they get. As long as they don’t get too hot and the roots aren’t allowed to dry out then they can thrive in full sun.
Half-Hardy
As I said before, it sounds a little counterintuitive but I actually advise planting out half-hardy fuchsia before hardy ones. Just make sure the risk of frost has passed before planting them out, so around may time give or take a few weeks depending on your whereabouts in the UK.
We can take a little more risk with half-hardy fuchsia as their entire future doesn’t depend on how well they do in their first year as much as it does with hardy fuchsia.
Also getting them into position a little earlier will help you get more growth on the plant before summer fully arrives. You have a shorter growing season with half-hardy fuchsia which is why I like to plant them a little earlier.
More on Fuchsia
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.