When your plants arrive

• Unpack your plants immediately and check the compost to ensure it has not dried out in
  transit. Water with a fine spray, or sit the plants in a tray of shallow water if the compost is
  dry.
• Pot on plants as soon as possible (preferably within 24 hours) after they have had time to
  settle.

Potting on and planting out

• Handle each plant by the plug root ball, rather than the stem to avoid damage.
• Pot each plug into a 7.5cm (3in) pot using a good multi-purpose compost or a
  container compost.
• Grow on for a few weeks in a greenhouse or a bright, frost-free place, but avoid
  direct sunlight.
• Keep moist but do not over-water. If very cold weather is forecast, cover with a layer
  of fleece.
• Once there is no more danger of frost, the plants can be moved to their permanent
  position.
• Harden off your plants before planting them out by placing the pots outside during
  the day and bringing them back in at night. After 7-10 days, the plants will be ready
  to plant out.

How to care for Fuchsias

• Plant fuchsias in partial shade, in a well-drained soil or in pots filled with a good
  multipurpose compost. Fuchsias need shelter from strong winds which can damage
  the flowers.
• Pinch out the tips of young half-hardy fuchsia plants in spring to produce bushier
  plants with more flowers, cutting just above a leaf joint where new shoots are
  visible.
• Water regularly, especially in dry periods.
• Once fuchsias start to flower, feed fortnightly with a high potash liquid feed such as
  tomato feed.
• Mulch hardy fuchsias with a thick layer of garden compost or well-rotted farmyard
  manure in autumn. As well as improving soil structure, this will help protect the
  roots against frost.
• Prune hardy fuchsias in spring when new growth is visible, cutting back to buds low
  down on the stems

How to overwinter tender fuchsias

• Move tender fuchsias into a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory in autumn.
• Cut back by approximately half their height and reduce watering to encourage the
  plants to go into a dormant state.
• Once the plants have dropped their leaves, they can be stored in a frost-free shed
  until spring. Water very sparingly, just enough to stop the compost drying out
  completely.
• In spring, repot the plants into fresh compost and keep them in a frost-free
  greenhouse or conservatory until the frosts are over.

Pests and diseases

Fuchsias may be prone to the following pests and diseases. Read more about how to control
common plant pests and diseases here.

• Pests
• Aphids
• Vine weevils
• Glasshouse red spider mite
• Diseases
• Rust
• Grey mould