Err, never mind. I just looked out and saw a bud!!! I'm so excited!

The fuchsia flowers approximately 6 weeks after one stops pinching.

Well, perhaps we in western Washington are just having trouble with fuschias this year. I have one that just keeps making leaves and won't make any buds. Last year it was a real producer. I cut it back and overwintered it in my garage, where it began to sprout on its own in about February. Great leaves, but no buds. Any ideas out there?
Thanks.

Hi Kate,
Don't know what your weather's been like, but if you've had a dull chilly spring it deters the fuchsias from flowering. Lots of daylight and warmth encourages them to flower and regular feeding, and of course double flowered varieties take longer to produce flowers than for instance single flowered varieties - Kath:)

Here in Northern California I only started getting buds around the beginning of June. And this is after pruning in late January, and no pinching. We had an unusually cool spring, and it's still unusually cool for this time of year.

Andy in SF Bay Area

Yes Andy,
As I said above the cool weather deters flowering, but it is good for the general growth of the fuchsia plants, don't worry, a bit of warmth and they will soon start flowering - Kath:)

My first bud is getting nice and fat, any day now it's going to burst open. I also have lots of buds forming now. Seems like the flood gates opened!

LOL! Make sure you post a pic of that flower when it opens! :-P

Mine is about to go through a 2nd round of blooms. Interestingly enough, the cool wet spring didn't affect the ability to bloom on mine. Ie., I bought it in bloom, it went through a brief rest period after all the original blooms were done, then it set another large group of buds that are starting to open now.

Yes Jenny, as long as you keep removing dead flowers and seed pods they will keep flowering throughout the summer into Autumn. Kath:)

Still waiting, this is getting tense!
How long does the bud take to form and open? It's been two weeks since I noticed the bud, about the size of a pea. Now it's the size of about a Brazil nut.

Oh Herb,
You made me smile (peas and brazil nuts). Several factors involved here. Varieties differ from one to another, e.g. a large double flower will generally take longer to open than a small single flower, then the weather temperatures of course. As a general rule anything from one to three weeks. After all this tense time when it opens, how about posting a pic. in the gallery! Then we can all share your delight Kath:)

Yeah. I want a PICTURE! That is probably the most waited-for flower of all! LOL

Well, I seem to be still "photo-posting challenged", but I'll post the picture on my web site. "Fuschia Watch 2003."

LOL. I checked it out your pics. It's getting there. :-) Checked mine this morning and it's blooming again. A bit wilty from the heat but I gave it a morning drink. Of course mine is different from yours - it's one of those ones that DanieleB dubbed as one with "clown colors". LOL

Herb, what is your website url - I can't find it - Kath:)

Kath - her website and pics are here.

Got my blooms today! And it's 96° F right now...lol

Thanks Jenny, yours looks very lush and healthy.

See what you mean Herb - big bud soon to open - Kath:)

Thanks Kath. :-) Hopefully if I follow your overwintering instructions correctly, I'll have a decent plant for next year!

Here it is!

Here is a link that might be useful: Fuschia watch 2003

Congratulations Herb,
I bet you're pleased now. It took longer because it is a double flower, but it will be worth the wait when it's fully open - Kath:)

YAY! Sorry I missed the seminal moment but I'm happy for ya! :-D

I still do not have any buds either!
There were lots last year.The plants are doing great.
Even though Spring was cooler but past two weeks were quite warm (mid 80s). Do I need to fertilize?

yes Asaini, routine is begin feeding high nitrogen feed NPK
20-10-10 from mid spring to early summer, then a balanced feed NPK 20-20-20 to end of September. A quarter strength every watering. This is for fuchsias in pots - Kath:)

Here's another look at my blooms. The one on the left First Love, still blooms all wrinkled, it never looked like a perfectly formed flower. The one on the right, Dark Eyes, looks a lot better, and the plant is covered in blooms!

Here is a link that might be useful: New fuschia bloom

Hi Herb,
Just looked at your pics. The one on the left doesn't look like First Love to me, maybe wrongly labelled. The outer petals (sepals)should be white, flushed with pink and curling upwards. The inner petals (corolla) should be clear orchid colour with marbling of pink and white - Kath:)

i am a newbie and am having problems with my plant blooming.
i got it last year,cut it back about halfway and wintered it in my bathroom (now I know better!) here it is August and not a hint of a bloom and the plant is green but has very few stems. Any suggestions? I know its probably to late for blooms this year but will it be worth it to winter the plant over the winter and try it again next year??

hi louetta,
Did you give it fresh soil this last spring? and have you been feeding it?
Give it a light trim to strengthen it, keep moist but don't overwater. What is your zone? - Kath:)

no...no new soil but i have been feeding it lightly with plant food every couple of weeks. I live in zone 5. I know what i did wrong (now) but was just wondering if it was too late to rescue it for next year. I gave it to much light this winter and didnt cut it back enough.
i hate to toss it, but dont want to put my energies into something that wont show results. Thanks!!

After you have given it a trim, make sure it is not in too big a pot, it is much better to 'pot it back' that means putting it into a smaller pot for the winter. Just so the roots fit in nicely. Also carefully remove any dead roots, leave as many of the finer white roots as possible. Keep just moist during the winter, don't overwater. Place in a room with plenty of light but not too much heat, otherwise it will go 'leggy' again - Kath :)

hi ! I bought a couple fuschsia dark eyes last year and and
a couple years back .when I bought them they were covered in flowers and now it flowers very little . I feed every month with a fish fertilizer.can you tell me why of isn't flowering as good as before?:: thanks:)

i am totally a newbie to growing these beautiful flowers! but after i transplanted mine a month ago it went dormant, but this past week after feeding it Foliage pro/Calcium acetate(mix garden lime with vinager, whatch out for the rection) but what is given off is liquid calcium/magnesium. and in my peppers it helps them to bloom, and well my fuscia has about 20+little blooms growing!