I have several hardy Fuchsias that are quite large, about 4 – 5 feet tall, that bloomed profusely this year. The leaves are gone now, but when should I prune them? How far back should I prune? Is there anything special I need to know about pruning Fuchsias?
Fuchsias are pretty tough shrubs, especially once established. You can prune just to tidy them up, but it is best to wait until the leaves begin to grow (between March and June).
Here are two links to more detailed information:
From Rainy Side Gardeners,
“Some years when we have an exceptionally cold winter, Fuchsias will die down to the ground. Before pruning in spring, wait until leaf buds swell, then prune out dead twigs, or prune down to the ground if winter knocked it completely back.”
Another site is the Hardy Fuchsia List from the Northwest Fuchsia Society.
My fuchsias have gall mites. Will a horticultural oil control them? I would prefer not to use a more toxic pesticide.
Several resources I consulted confirm what you thought about using horticultural oil to control the gall mite problem. The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control (ed. by Ellis and Bradley, 1996) says to spray dormant oil or lime-sulfur on dormant plants.
University of California, Davis’s Integrated Pest Management site has a page about this gall mite, recommending that gardeners “plant only resistant fuchsias and consider replacing susceptible plants. Prune or pinch off and destroy infested terminals. If damage cannot be tolerated, pruning may be followed with two applications of a miticide, applied 2 to 3 weeks apart. Soap or oil sprays provide some control, but cannot kill fuchsia gall mites enclosed in distorted plant tissue.”
According to a May 2004 article from the American Fuchsia Society, “to be effective, [horticultural oil] must come in contact with every live gall mite and smother every gall mite egg. The only way oil products can be effective in killing gall mites is for you to remove the leaves.” Link to this article.
A list of the best books, articles and websites on fuchsias.