I have a tender fuchsia that surprisingly survived the winter in a pot on my patio. It looked a little worse for wear so in March I pinched the branches and gave it a boost of fish fertilizer. It has developed well and is a full-grown healthy plant but refuses to develop any sign of buds. Any ideas of what I may feed it to get it to bloom?
what is the N P K ratio on the fertilizer you used? generally fish fertilizer is high in Nitrogen (lots of green leaves) but you need the middle number Phosphorous for flowering - that is why when you look at the garden center - there are fertilizers that specifically say "flowering" etc maybe that is what your plant needs ps - I had a "blue eyes" tender fuschia live over the winter - outside! Poor thing - tho it looks great now. I shall have to check for buds on it.
Yes it was the fish fertilizer that is high in nitrogen that I gave to the fuchsia and it obviously did the trick. The plant is lush and green. I have since given it a more balanced fertilizer but there is no sign of wanting to flower. Maybe I just need to be patient? I have wondered if there may be some little trick to get the plant to want to bloom. Perhaps repotting it into a more confined space? ? would root-pruning help? I'm obviously grasping at straws.
i think if it is one of the "tender fuschias" - i would not fuss with it - let it be and see what happens - in other words, I know that there is lots of selection right now in the plant garden center for 1.99 or less each - that you could choose several more and plant them up now if you want immediate bloom - then your winter survivor might come in to bloom later in the season remember - it lasted all winter outside - so it's not going to be ready to bloom yet - the ones you see out there now at the supermarket garden center have been raised in artificial climate - in a heated greenhouse, so are ahead of what your winter survivor might be at right now. i'd say leave it as is and see what happens. and then let us know, ok?
good idea - it will be fun - when the super-fast greenhouse ones are feeling tired - your winterized one will be hopefully providing some late summer color for you and the humm-birds. one time - I sowed viola (Johnny jump up) and they grew - slowly - yet surprised us with lovely fall color when the greenhouse version were all tired and overheated by that typical dry hot coastal late summer time of year.
Yes, and I live in an area which gets the cool spring winds off the ocean so my annuals are always a little behind those of other folks. They usually come into their best later in the summer. I guess I had hoped that the fact that the fuchsia is already a well-developed plant would mean I would have blooms earlier. Not so. Again, patience is the key.
One gallon "hardy" fuchsias at local independent garden center still in early stages of bloom. Presumably the growers had them under cover so they wouldn't die during the winter - yet they are just showing some color, and not very tall. Similarly a Magellan fuchsia (the most hardy kind) in a local collection I have been inventorying was just getting started this past week, with maybe at most two or three flowers opening up. And this is a year when a bunch of June-blooming stuff came on in May - fuchsias are the kind of thing where really the main season is normally July-October in cool climates with cold winters.
Some of my hardy fuchsias, which died back to the roots, as usual, vary from no flower buds showing to flowers almost ready to bloom, depending on the variety. So there is a good chance that your fuchsias will bloom eventually. My plants received no winter protection.
This is a tender fuchsia, not sure which one as I had several last year. Could be Jack Shahan. And I have a confession to make. Last evening in a moment of frustration I went out and took it out of its pot. I found its roots to be plastered against the side of the pot so that it was difficult to extract. Soaked it in some transplant solution and repotted it with fresh compost and bone meal added. I expected it to be weepy and sad this morning, but it looks as bright as ever. Either I have set it back immeasurably, or have started it out on its right footing for the summer. Will let you know. Thanks for all your advice.
that's funny I am sure if you keep it in the shade today (sunny and hot at coast today?) - it will greet you happily soon. sometimes I too have those fits of "esprit du jardin" - usually at dusk or dawn - my nice work clothes and shoes - and garden gloves ; ) take a photo before and after and let us know progress
Hi again about a month and 1/2 after my entry concerning my not-blooming fuchsia. The plant surprisingly survived my impulsive attack in which I pulled it out of its pot and put it into new soil. It held its own in the shade for about 2 weeks until I could put it back into some sunshine. I have been watching it impatiently and lo and behold it FINALLY is covered in tiny buds. What a relief!. A little late, but August should give me a good show. Have I learned a lesson in patience? I doubt it, but it was a good experiment.
