Fuchsias originally come from the rainforests of the South American Andes, where they thrive at altitudes of up to 3000 meters. As typical rainforest dwellers, the plants like both moisture and a high nutrient density - fuchsias are real heavy consumers who must be fertilized frequently and, above all, sufficiently. If there is no food, fuchsias only grow insufficiently and often do not bloom or only bloom a little. In the following article you will learn what you should pay particular attention to when fertilizing sensitive plants.
Fuchsias should be fertilized regularly with liquid fertilizer
Better to fertilize less and more often
In principle, it is sufficient to fertilize fuchsias every three to four weeks with commercially available flowering plant fertilizer (10.47€) - ergo according to the dosage instructions. However, it is better to supply the hungry plants with nutrients in a lower dosage, but much more frequently - it is ideal to add liquid fertilizer to the irrigation water about once or twice a week. Many an experienced fuchsia gardener even fertilizes with every watering.
When should you fertilize?
Fuchsias are fertilized throughout the growing season. Start giving as soon as the first new shoots appear in March / April at the latest. However, do not start with the full dose right away, but start slowly and gradually increase the doses. Fuchsias are fertilized until the beginning / middle of September, after which the fertilization is completely stopped. In this way you prepare the plants for the winter break.
What else you should consider when fertilizing
There are also other points to consider when fertilizing fuchsias:
- Never fertilize on dry soil.
- Freshly repotted fuchsias are not fertilized for a few weeks,
- because commercial substrate is usually pre-fertilized.
- Do not fertilize diseased plants.
- These are often unable to absorb the nutrients.
- Instead, the excess fertilizer can damage the delicate roots.
- Even at temperatures above 30 °C should not be fertilized.
Why you should refrain from fertilizing when it is very hot
Fuchsias like it warm, but not necessarily hot. At temperatures above about 30 °C, the plants stop growing and therefore do not need to be fertilized. By the way, at such temperatures, fuchsias often drop their leaves, but this is not necessarily a sign of a lack of water. Therefore, always test the moisture content of the substrate with your finger before watering.
tips
Instead of fertilizing regularly with liquid fertilizer, you can also use depot or long-term fertilizer.