ASK DIARMUID

QI have a fuchsia outside the front door which I have had for nearly 30 years. It’s quite big and covered in flowers at the moment. Is it OK to prune it back after flowering?

Max

A

Hi Max. Fuchsia is a great late flowering shrub. The best time to prune is in late spring or even later if you are somewhere very cold, ideally when frosts have gone.

Cut back each stem to just above a pair of leaf buds – you can cut back quite hard to just four or five inches above the ground. This will stimulate fresh growth that will flower later in the year while keeping the bush to a size you wish.