Plant Doctor Archive

Weeping fuchsias

WHEN I prune my fuchsias in September, some really weep a lot for some time. Why do they do this and what can I do to stop it?

SAP weeping from fuchsias after pruning is a sign growth has already started, so you should prune earlier than September.

Rather than give them a hard prune in late winter, try a different approach - one that seems to work for many gardeners. Try pruning two or three times during the growing season, each time cutting just a few shoots back to the last healthy pair of leaves on the branch. As long as the plant is well fertilised and mulched, strong new growth should soon develop, followed by flower buds. This way the late winter prune probably won't need to be so drastic.

Reproduced with permission from the former Weekend Gardener magazine. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH.