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Pruning Fuchsias
Please can you help. We have a big collection of fuchsias and whilst most got pruned in the spring some were missed and have now gone woody and leggy. My husband says it is too late to prune them in July and I must wait until autumn. My feeling is that it is better to prune them NOW and then they will have reasonable growth by the autumn to help them through the winter in our cold greenhouse. The only advice I can find is that pruning in spring is best which is not too helpful to answer my dilemma.
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Definitely prune in the Spring. Don't worry about them being woody and leggy - unless you really don't like them - as if you prune them now or in Autumn any new tender growth is likely to be lost to frost.
If you prune now it's fine. S1lly1. They're in full growth mode doing them now will do harm whatsoever. They'll produce loads of new growth and a feed after pruning will see them romp away. There are plenty of plants which require specific pruning times and fuchsias ISNT one of them. It could be December or later before we see a frost so they grow until temperatures drop and that's plenty of time.
I guess the first frosts depend on where you are actually living in the UK. Spring pruning is what the RHS specify and I would rather take their advice, but maybe there is a difference between pruning and cutting back?
Much as the RHS is a wonderful organisation their advice isn't gospel and doesn't take account of some of the decisions gardeners, amateur or professional have to make. There are no hard and fast rules to gardening only experience and advice. Best practice is what the RHS advice covers and as all gardeners of any experience or age will tell you is if works for you do it.
Thanks everyone for some very interesting and quick replies. Looks like it is now or not until spring.