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Overzealous hardy Fuchsia - pruning advice needed

loulourogersloulourogers Posts: 3
in Problem solving
I have a lovely hardy fuchsia that I inherited with our house. It's in a prominent position in our front garden, just in front of the house (North facing - so only gets morning sun). It was a good 2.5m high and 1.5m wide, so last March I hard pruned it down to 30-40cm. By the summer it was nearly 2m again.
If I want to keep it to a slightly smaller size am I better off pruning less?
Or pruning later in the spring?
Many thanks
Louise x

Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    Hi and welcome to the Forum. 
    Can you supply a photo?
    Devon.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    If it grew that much in the year then that’s the type of fuchsia it is.
    if it’s too big for its space you could try something else there and get rid of it.
    Not pruning will just get it growing leggy with flowers at the top.
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    I had a hardy fuchsia near my back door in my last house, it had to be cut back as much as you did every year, and grew as big , so yes it needs a good cut back, but no it will grow that big every year. In between cutting will just loose flowers, not size.
  • loulourogersloulourogers Posts: 3
    This is today. The fuchsia was up to the height of the top of the window before pruning
  • loulourogersloulourogers Posts: 3
    Lyn said:
    If it grew that much in the year then that’s the type of fuchsia it is.
    if it’s too big for its space you could try something else there and get rid of it.
    Not pruning will just get it growing leggy with flowers at the top.
    To lovely to get rid of 😁
    Just wondering if such hard pruning encouraged more vigorous growth and whether less dramatic pruning would curb some of its vigor?
    Or if I prune in April/may, rather than March, whether that would shorten the growing season and therefore result in less growth?
    Only guessing as I'm a novice 😊
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Take cuttings to grow on and plant somewhere where its size is a virtue, not a problem.  Move the entire plant next autumn when it's gone dormant and the soil is still warm and you can give it the space it needs or, if the cuttings have taken, offer it to a friend or neighbour.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • the tidy gardenerthe tidy gardener Posts: 591
    Cut it right down to a few inches and it will sprout back much happier later on.i do this to my dad's really old fuschia and they respond very well to a good hard prune.
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    I have a hardy fuchsia which I cut down virtually to ground level each year and it still gets to about 4ft high with 6ft spread.  I actually thought I'd dug it all out but it obviously hid!
  • shane.farrellshane.farrell Posts: 207
    You could try growing cuttings in a large pot which may restrict size. I have a lively pink one that's the same. The canes are so long I am using them for sweet peas this year. I cut mine to the ground and expect it to be just as big (7-8 foot tall) this year. I am lucky to have the space though.
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