Fuchsia Plants Are Tailor-Made For Container Growing, But Don’t Scrimp On The Pot Size
Reviewed By COLIN SKELLY
Colin is a Horticulturist and Horticultural Consultant with experience in a range of practical and managerial roles across heritage, commercial and public horticulture. He holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture award and has a particular interest in horticultural ecology and naturalistic planting for habitat and climate resilience.
Contributions From GAIL BARBER
Gail Barber is the Secretary of the Sutton Coldfield Fuchsia & Gardening Guild with experience of more than 50 years in the garden. Gail even has a cultivar of Fuchsia named after her.
Terry is a member of the West Yorkshire Fuchsia & Pot Plant Society and has been growing fuchsias for a few years. He developed his passion for these plants over lockdown and in 2022, entered 5 of the 7 national fuchsia flower shows - including a 2nd place finish at the BFS National Championships.
IN THIS GUIDE
Fuchsias are a wonderfully varied genus, encompassing plants in very many combinations of plant type, habit, height and spread, hardiness, and foliage type.
However, all fuchsias feature complex flowers in the form of coloured bracts that frame an even more vibrant corolla from which conspicuous stamens emerge.
However, fuchsias are not easy plants to care for, as most are not hardy, and all are quite sensitive to heat.
When growing them indoors, it is the same story.
A dry atmosphere and low humidity, cold drafts or lack of sunlight, which is the norm in most homes, tends to hit fuchsias harder than most other plants.
Nonetheless, with some TLC you can delight in the brilliant blooms of this sub-tropical flower even if you live in the UK.
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Equipment Required | Ericaceous potting mix, fuchsia plants, pots or hanging baskets |
Can You Grow Fuchsia In Pots?
Absolutely. In fact, it is preferable for British gardeners to grow fuchsia in pots.
Doing so offers a lot of flexibility in caring for this plant, which is so sensitive to weather fluctuations and extremes.
Also, the trailing types of fuchsias are verily tailor-made for hanging baskets – a brilliant adornment for a sunlit corner in the living room.
“Fuchsias growing in pots are particularly useful, as they can be placed into borders when other plants have finished their display for the year,” shares Gail Barber from the Sutton Coldfield Fuchsia Society & Gardening Guild.
“In fact, I grow most of my fuchsias in pots, as this enables me to keep colour and interest in key areas of my garden throughout the season.”
Choosing A Container
Bushy and upright fuchsias are best planted in a traditional half-conical or half-pyramid pot whilst trailing and mat-forming types in hanging baskets will be a treat for tired eyes.
As fuchsias require excellent drainage, any container must have drainage holes.
Pots should be made of terracotta.
Bushy and upright fuchsias range in height from 0.4m to 3m, so the pot size will be determined by the height of the plant.
Fuchsias are fast-growing plants and also absorb a lot of soil nutrients, so I’d suggest that, given your particular plant’s size, the size of the pot be one size greater.
“Don’t scrimp on the pot size as Fuchsias grow fast and look best when flowering in profusion,” shares Horticultural Consultant Colin Skelly.
“Upright cultivars create both height and volume and mat-forming cultivars also tend to create a spilling effect due to the pendant nature of their flowers.”
As for trailing and mat-forming varieties, a regulation 30cm hanging basket will accommodate 5-6 fuchsia plants.
A rattan or cane hanging basket should be the preferred choice.
Choosing Compost
Fuchsias thrive in rich, fertile and moist but free-draining soil.
A multi-purpose potting soil from a reputable manufacturer will be very suitable.
Where fuchsias are concerned, there can be no compromise on drainage, so start with a bottom layer of pebbles and grit and amend then the compost with perlite, grit and sand.
You can also make your own soil.
Mix well-rotted manure, organic compost and a little moss in a 1:2 ratio with sandy, chalky loam. Amend as above to achieve excellent drainage.
The best soil pH for fuchsias is in the acidic range.
Positioning The Container
A sheltered spot that has an aspect other than northern and gets morning sunlight is ideal.
Otherwise, filtered or dappled afternoon sunlight will work out well.
If the plant is kept indoors, a normal room temperature between 14-22°C will suit it very well.
However, most homes are not sufficiently humid for fuchsias, so indoor plants should be misted every two or three days.
It should be a fine mist and should be carried out before noon.
A potted fuchsia should not be exposed to cold drafts, high heat or dry weather.
Even though it certainly won’t curl up and die if subject to these adverse conditions for a short time, its growth will suffer, flowering will be reduced and it may well wilt.
A mild climate, gentle light and humidity are the conditions in which fuchsias flourish.
Varieties To Grow
For a plant that is not easy to care for in the UK, it surely comes as something of a surprise that upwards of 50 fuchsia varieties have been awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit.1AGM Plants April 2023. (2023). Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf
The following varieties are not only AGM winners, they are hardy to H4 and are very readily sourced:
- ‘Snowcap’
- ‘Princess Dollar’
- ‘Mrs. Popple’
- ‘Hawkshead’
- ‘Genii’
- ‘Tom Thumb’
- ‘Lady Boothby’
Potting Up & Transplanting
Fuchsias are fast-growing plants and they are also heavy feeders, so it would be a good idea to pot up the plant every year.
Choose a pot that is two sizes up unless you plan to keep the plant to a tidy size by methodically pruning it.
How Many Can You Plant Per Pot?
You should plant one upright or bushy fuchsia per pot.
You could, of course, put multiple plants in a planter, but I would not recommend this, as the shape and form of fuchsias mean that the aesthetics will be negatively impacted if they are housed in a planter.
The number of trailing or mat-forming varieties you can plant per hanging basket depends on both the spread of the varieties and the size of the basket.
Ongoing Care For Potted Fuchsia Plants
“Plants growing in pots are reliant on you for food and water, so getting into a regular habit will pay dividends,” says Gail.
Be sure to water your fuchsia plant religiously during the growing season.
All through this period the soil should not be allowed to dry out and stay dry.
As for the flowering season and during hot weather, the soil should be kept continuously moist and you may even need to water daily.
However, the soil must never be soggy.
During the active season, feed these plants monthly with a liquid formulation or an organic fertiliser.
A balanced formula during spring and a high-potash formula during the flowering season would be ideal.
I suggest that you dilute the fertiliser to about 75% of the strength recommended by the manufacturer.
Pour the liquid near the edges of the container and then water it in.
To maximise flowering, be sure to prune your fuchsias.
These plants positively erupt with blooms when pruned and to top it off, pruning fuchsias is a very simple task.
Be aware that fuchsias are very susceptible to various pests including aphids, mites and weevils.
Fortunately, these pests can be treated with biological (predators) and organic controls.
