My fuchsia is sad. How do I make it happy?
November 15, 2011 10:56 AM Subscribe
My fuchsia is sad. How do I make it happy?
Here is the fuchsia in question.
The little plastic stake in the pot says:
Fuchsia Hybrida
DOLLAR PRINCESS - Db. (Up)
Corolla - Purple to Rose.
Sepals - Scarlet.
None of which is anything like "I like full sun!" or "I get a certain size." Which makes it hard to know what to do with this plant. Internet searches give conflicting information (some sites say it gets 6 feet high, others 18 inches). Should I put it in a bigger pot? In the ground? If I put it in the ground, will deer try to eat it (we have lots of deer)? How much water should it get?
I would like it to get bushy and green with pretty flowers, but I'm not sure what to do.
I am in coastal central California (Santa Cruz County).
Here is the fuchsia in question.
The little plastic stake in the pot says:
Fuchsia Hybrida
DOLLAR PRINCESS - Db. (Up)
Corolla - Purple to Rose.
Sepals - Scarlet.
None of which is anything like "I like full sun!" or "I get a certain size." Which makes it hard to know what to do with this plant. Internet searches give conflicting information (some sites say it gets 6 feet high, others 18 inches). Should I put it in a bigger pot? In the ground? If I put it in the ground, will deer try to eat it (we have lots of deer)? How much water should it get?
I would like it to get bushy and green with pretty flowers, but I'm not sure what to do.
I am in coastal central California (Santa Cruz County).
Did it get really dried out? This will make a fuchsia jettison all its leaves, much like your picture. If that was the case, be patient and it should start to grow new little buds near the joints on the branches. You can trim off any straggly ends that don't bud.
It could also just be going dormant for the winter. In that case, trim about a third from the branches and make sure it gets just enough water to keep it the roots from drying out (don't leave it where it will get waterlogged, though.)
It could also need some fertilizer, just be sure never to fertilize dry roots.
Hope this helps!
posted by bunji at 11:24 AM on November 15, 2011
It could also just be going dormant for the winter. In that case, trim about a third from the branches and make sure it gets just enough water to keep it the roots from drying out (don't leave it where it will get waterlogged, though.)
It could also need some fertilizer, just be sure never to fertilize dry roots.
Hope this helps!
posted by bunji at 11:24 AM on November 15, 2011
I personally would write off that fuchsia as a lost cause and wait for spring to buy a new one. If you try to save that one, you're only going to get a pretty blooming plant in a matter of years, not next spring. If you really want to save it, probably your best bet is planting it in the ground and supplementing with fertilizer. Don't worry about fertilizer too much over the winter -- maybe once every month or two -- but when the weather starts to warm up you should ramp it up to once a week. In the spring you should prune it back pretty hard, say, to 6 inches or so off the ground. Fuchsias like partial sun and a lot of fertilizer.
Searching for that variety confirms 18 inches as a normal growing height, but fuchsias can big with advanced age. Here is a general fuchsia growing guide from a gardener I'd trust.
posted by emyd at 11:32 AM on November 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
Searching for that variety confirms 18 inches as a normal growing height, but fuchsias can big with advanced age. Here is a general fuchsia growing guide from a gardener I'd trust.
posted by emyd at 11:32 AM on November 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
Fuschias definitely do not like full sun. I nearly killed mine that way. It was much happier when I moved it to a partially shady spot.
posted by gnutron at 11:50 AM on November 15, 2011
posted by gnutron at 11:50 AM on November 15, 2011
I agree that moving it to a partially shady spot could do it wonders. It might take a while to come back but it still looks like it has life in it.
posted by trishthedish at 1:59 PM on November 15, 2011
posted by trishthedish at 1:59 PM on November 15, 2011
Remember that Fuschias grow wild in the hedgerows in southern Ireland, near Cork. You want to replicate that climate as much as you can. Partial sun and lots of water.
posted by LN at 1:59 PM on November 15, 2011
posted by LN at 1:59 PM on November 15, 2011
Stick it in the ground in a frost free area (under another tree is good), it will likely bounce back. Morning to early afternoon sun in Santa Cruz is ideal; you really just want to avoid hot afternoon sun. Fuchsias enjoy coastal conditions, but not severe cold, though even those that die to the ground will send up new shoots in spring here. I had one that raccooons snapped off two inches above the soil that is now enormous.
Dollar Princess an upright fuchsia that grows to around two feet. Fuchsias are generally considered deer resistant.
Watering depends on your soil. It should not dry out completely, but it should not sit in a wet spot. The general rule of thumb is to water when the top 2-3 inxhes of soil are dry, but you need to be sure to be looking at the condition of the plant and checking the root ball itself when newly planted.
posted by oneirodynia at 6:28 PM on November 15, 2011
Dollar Princess an upright fuchsia that grows to around two feet. Fuchsias are generally considered deer resistant.
Watering depends on your soil. It should not dry out completely, but it should not sit in a wet spot. The general rule of thumb is to water when the top 2-3 inxhes of soil are dry, but you need to be sure to be looking at the condition of the plant and checking the root ball itself when newly planted.
posted by oneirodynia at 6:28 PM on November 15, 2011
It looks like it may be root bound and badly in need of re-potting into a slightly larger pot. Use good quality potting mix with time release fertilizer. Trim all of the branches back from the tips to the last leaf producing node. Partial sun or shade should be fine for it in Santa Cruz.
posted by X4ster at 7:51 PM on November 15, 2011
posted by X4ster at 7:51 PM on November 15, 2011
Response by poster: So based on your suggestions, this is what I've done so far:
Replanted it into a slightly bigger pot. I didn't want to put it in the ground because the best places I have to put it are sunny. I could put it somewhere out of the way that's shadier, and then maybe it would recover in a year or two, and then I'd have a pretty plant way up in the back of the property or something. Also, as was mentioned, the plant is going to take a while to recover, and it'd be nice to not dedicate garden space to it in the meantime.
So it's still in a pot, but a bigger one. I also moved it from the back deck (sunniest part of the house) to the front deck, which is in the shade most of the time. I watered it and gave it some fertilizer.
Most of the reason it looks so bad is because of getting cooked on a few really hot days this summer, and not having recovered. I'm going to leave it on the front porch through the winter, and if it's making good progress next spring, then I'll try and find a place in the ground for it.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 11:10 PM on November 15, 2011
Replanted it into a slightly bigger pot. I didn't want to put it in the ground because the best places I have to put it are sunny. I could put it somewhere out of the way that's shadier, and then maybe it would recover in a year or two, and then I'd have a pretty plant way up in the back of the property or something. Also, as was mentioned, the plant is going to take a while to recover, and it'd be nice to not dedicate garden space to it in the meantime.
So it's still in a pot, but a bigger one. I also moved it from the back deck (sunniest part of the house) to the front deck, which is in the shade most of the time. I watered it and gave it some fertilizer.
Most of the reason it looks so bad is because of getting cooked on a few really hot days this summer, and not having recovered. I'm going to leave it on the front porch through the winter, and if it's making good progress next spring, then I'll try and find a place in the ground for it.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 11:10 PM on November 15, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
This seems to be the variety you have, if the tag doesn't lie. Your best bet is to plant in in the ground, in partial shade. You're in zone 9 or 10, so it should be fine temperature wise. I don't know about the deer, but that plant's not going to be too happy in a pot. In the ground, there's a chance that it'll recover and send out more shoots in the spring.
posted by lydhre at 11:21 AM on November 15, 2011