Question: Against my better judgement, I purchased a large fuchsia in a hanging basket. I have gotten fuchsias before, but they don’t seem to last long. Any tips on fuchsia care?

Answer: Trailing fuchsias, with their cascading stems and elegant, drooping flowers, are ideal for hanging baskets. Because they thrive in cooler temperatures, they also are well suited to summers in the Pacific Northwest.

Nonetheless, many local gardeners struggle with keeping fuchsias in hanging baskets looking beautiful (or even alive). Why is that?

Fuchsias like moist soil. Hanging baskets tend to use relatively small containers without much soil. As the plants grow, their leaf mass becomes large, demanding lots of water, and their roots fill what soil there is, resulting in even less soil to hold onto water for the plant.

To top it off, fuchsias grown in hanging baskets are more exposed to the sun and wind than those planted in the ground. For these reasons, fuchsias grown in hanging baskets dry out quickly and need frequent watering.

Fuchsias like cool temperatures and can grow in the shade. But fuchsias also need lots of light to bloom prolifically. When placed in direct sun to encourage blooming, their soil heats up quickly and dries out. The plant responds by dropping its flowers and halting bud formation.

Fuchsias flower only on new growth. As the plant grows, flowers develop only at the ends of the long floppy stems and the plant becomes scraggly with only scattered blossoms. Pinching back is necessary to encourage new growth and more flowers.

Tip time

So, what can you do to keep your fuchsia looking beautiful? Here are a few tips:

If you did not buy your fuchsia already planted in a hanging basket, plant it in good-quality potting soil, high in organic matter, that retains moisture but drains well.

Do not put too many plants in the same pot. Two or three fuchsias sold in 4-inch pots are about all that should be planted in a 12-inch diameter container. The basket might look sparse for a while, but if pinched back (see below), the plants will soon fill and spill over the edges of the container.

If you start with small plants, pinch them back early in the season, when the plants have three or four sets of leaves, to encourage branching. The increased number of growing tips will result in bushier plants and more flowers. The stems are soft and can be easily pinched using your index finger and thumbnail. Pinch back the stem to just above a pair of leaves, leaving two or three sets of leaves on the plant.

Locate your fuchsia so that it receives filtered sun all day or direct sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon. Avoid afternoon sun. Such locations provide sufficient light to induce flowering but keep the plant cooler and the soil moist for longer.

To make watering easier, consider not hanging your hanging basket but putting the container on a table or pedestal. Remove the hanger for a neater appearance.

Check the container daily to determine if your fuchsia needs water. If the surface of the soil is dry to the touch, water it. To ensure that all the soil in the pot has gotten wet, apply water until it runs out the holes in the bottom of the pot. Do not allow the plant to sit in standing water.

Because fuchsias are fast-growing and quickly deplete soil nutrients, provide a monthly application of a balanced fertilizer (a fertilizer with equal amounts by weight of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) unless you use a slow-release formulation. Liquid fertilizers work best for fertilizing the entire root ball. Follow the package instructions.

Keep ‘em pruned

Deadhead faded flowers by pinching the flower stalk where it joins the main stem. The flowers usually fall off on their own but can leave a seed pod that discourages the growth of new flowers. You can also pinch the main stem from which the flower arises to just above the next leaf junction down the stem.

If you cannot pinch off old flowers on a regular basis, consider this approach: after the first flush of flowers begins to fade, cut back all the foliage by about a third. This will encourage new growth and another flush of flowers.

Fuchsias will recover from a harsh pruning but take about six weeks to start blooming again. If you do a major pruning like this, do so by mid-July to ensure new blooms before the end of summer.

As the plant and its roots grow, a hanging basket requires even more frequent watering. If you cannot keep up with the plant’s water needs, consider setting up an automatic drip system to irrigate the plant.

You might also consider transplanting the plant into a slightly larger container with more soil. Choose a pot that is 1- to 3-inches wider and deeper than the existing container and fill in the empty space with a good draining potting soil high in organic matter.

I hope these tips help you keep your fuchsia bright and beautiful!

Jeanette Stehr-Green is a WSU-certified Clallam County Master Gardener.