Hi Tenn,
You say you have it hanging under your porch, is it an open porch? reason I ask, fuchsias must be in a position where they get good air circulation.

Keep moist but not soaking wet, preferably waterering in the mornings. Feed a balanced feed NPK 20-20-20. Dilute to a quarter strength and use every watering throughout the growing season.-Kath:)

Just a thought.
There seems to be quite a number of people who are having the same sort of trouble with newly purchased fuchsias in hanging baskets. I'm thinking that perhaps these plants have been put into the basket without having formed a good root system, and that they are struggling to cope with the new growing conditions.
Perhaps it would be wise to find a cooler place, out of draughts and direct sunlight and grow them on for a couple of weeks until they have had time to make more root and get established.
IanS

I would like to second Ian's advice, especially having lived through several Tennessee summers. I now live in coastal central CA where we have mild summers (75F is a hot day here!). Once or twice last year it got to mid-80's and my non-heat tolerant fuchsias were drooping. They recovered when I watered them and placed them in shade, however. For Tennessee I would suggest one of the heat tolerant varieties such as 'Gartenmeister Bonstedt' or a new one called 'Angel's Earrings' that is supposed to be heat tolerant. G.B. is more upright, not really for a hanging basket, but is easy to grow and will take the heat. A.E. I'm growing this year for the first time. It would make a nice hanging basket, but I can't test the heat factor over here... A week in Tennessee during August would make a good test!
Good luck!

Yes I would also agree with Ian, especially looking at Bullet's pic. (link below) Those plants look as if they have recently just come out of a 3 or 4 inch pot and been planted into that basket - Kath:)

Here is a link that might be useful: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fuchsia/msg0517265817835.html?6

Thanks to all for your helpful replies

It is under an open porch, but maybe the morning sun is too much right now.

I'm going to move it to a shady spot for a little while and see what happens.

I'll keep you'all posted.
Thanks again!

Hi All,
Just a thought. Is it possible that some of the composts used for hanging baskets are bark based and retain too much moisture and plant health suffers? I know that one commercial pellie grower reckons that bark based compost retains too much moisture for successful pellie growing, could the same situation arise with fuchsias?
Ron

Hi Ron,
Yes agree in respect of pellies (pelargoniums). Peat based soils are ok for fuchsias but one must add something to 'open-up' the soil for better drainage and less compactness, such as perlite, vermiculite, sand, horticultural grit etc. It's all a matter of personal choice and what grows best for you. Personally I add perlite and horticultural grit.

A lot of the commercial growers use pure peat for the simple reason it is very light in weight and keeps their costs down in respect of transportation and the poor old inexperienced gardner ends up with a container that is very 'soggy' or quite the opposite, a container full of a 'bone-dry' mix that is nigh impossible for water to penetrate - Kath:)

Hi Folks,
Re. the growing medium. I use a peat based compost with added perlite, about 3 to 1, but I also add clay pellets, Hortag or Hydroleca to the mix, which again keeps the mixture open. I also grow in just Hydroleca, in the semi-hydro method used by some Orchid growers.
I've just started some Fuchsias in S/H, as I had good results last year, and thought I would try several different types to see what results were achived. Another of Ian's kitchen sink experiments!
IanS.

Does this mean that the medium in the hanging pots that you buy need to be changed, and the fuchsias repotted? It seems to be very light and dusty when dry.

Donna

Hi Donna,
I just like to use a medium that works for me. I tend to go by weight and feel as to whether I should water or not. Sometimes this may mean watering twice a day, or not for a week. I like to keep a plant for a couple of days to see how it gets on. If it looks O.K, then fine, but if I'm not happy, or if the plant is not happy, then I re-pot.
A lot of plants seem to be planted in a pure peat medium. Without added perlite or similar, this can be difficult to re-wet once it gets dry.
Hope this helps.
IanS

Things are looking good. It is in a shady location and seems to be much happier.

Thanks to all for your advice.

I received my first fuschia a couple of years ago in a hanging basket. I didn't have a clue how to take care of it as the only info I had said to hang in a shady location. I hung it in front of my front porch in a inside corner where it received only filtered light. I watered it deeply in the mornings. When the container began to feel lighter I would water again after checking the soil which was a good nursery mix with lots of perlite. I never let it completely dry out. My fuschia was loaded with blooms all summer long.
Penny

I do not like the fuchsias that you buy in the larger pots with several plants in them. First, they usually plant them in those pots I call paper machae (don't know what they are). Or something just as bad. Another thing, they start those plants very, very early for Mother's day. By this time of year they are normally very pot bound and bloomed out.

I find that it is much better to buy the fuchsia starts in the small pots and work with them yourself. If I were to receive one as a gift I think I would take it out of the pot and see what the plant itself (roots) looked like and take it from ther as to whether it needed repotting, root trimed or whatever.

Just my 2 cents worth. Jeanette