Fuchsias are one of the most beautiful, exotic-looking plants in the world. However, many people have put off the idea of growing them in the belief that they are tender, demanding, and that they must have special growing conditions.
While this is true to some extent, there are now certain specially cultivated fuchsias available that are far easier to grow, even in environments where their delicate ancestors would have suffered.
But can you grow fuchsias on a balcony? You haven’t got any actual soil to plant them into, after all, so surely it’s impossible? Well, we’re here to dispel this myth and tell you that yes, you can grow fuchsias on a balcony!
Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about growing fuchsias on a balcony. We’ll take a look at some of the best fuchsia varieties for balconies, what you can grow them in, and how to keep them strong and healthy.
All of this will help you fill your balcony with these gorgeous, vibrant plants!
Selecting The Best Fuchsias For A Balcony
When it comes to growing fuchsias on a balcony, choosing the best type of fuchsias is the most important step.
The plants you choose will need to be able to tolerate some of the extreme weather conditions that most balconies are subjected to throughout the year. This includes extreme heat, high winds, and torrential rain.
But, just which types of fuchsia are capable of withstanding these conditions? To make the selection process easier, we’ve put together a list of the best fuchsias for balconies below.
1. Fuchsia “Army Nurse”
This is a hardy fuchsia that is ideal for growing on balconies as it’s suited to containers and it has an ultimate spread of 50cm x 50cm. This means that it won’t take up too much space and leave your balcony feeling overcrowded.
This smaller size doesn’t mean that anything is sacrificed in terms of beauty, though. Fuchsia “Army Nurse” is a truly stunning variety with red sepals and semi-double purple flowers.
It also has a long flowering period and will fill your balcony with color from June to September.
2. Fuchsia “Alice Hoffman”
If you’re looking for something slightly larger, Fuchsia “Alice Hoffman” would be an excellent choice.
It has an ultimate spread of 60cm x 60cm and is more than happy being planted in a container. It also doesn’t require full sun like some fuchsias, so it’s a good choice if you have a partially-shaded balcony.
Placed in the right position, this fuchsia will treat you to a display of semi-double flowers in shades of pink and yellow throughout the summer. It also has interesting, bronze-tinged foliage that brings a little extra boost of color.
3. Fuchsia “Lady Boothby”
Bred from a Brazilian species, Fuchsia “Lady Boothby” is a climbing fuchsia that is ideal for training up a balcony wall. You could even train it across the front of your balcony to create some natural screening.
As this is a climbing fuchsia it does get quite large and has an ultimate height of 3-meters. It is fully hardy though, so there’s no need to worry about protecting it over winter.
And, throughout the summer months, it will put on a display of bicolored flowers in shades of deep purple and pink.
4. Fuchsia “Dollar Princess”
This is a smaller type of hardy fuchsia with an ultimate spread of 45cm x 45cm. It’s also happiest when grown in a pot, making it the ideal choice for a balcony.
As if that wasn’t enough, one of the best things about Fuchsia “Dollar Princess” is that it has an incredibly long flowering season.
From June to November you can expect an abundance of double flowers in a shade of dark purple, which contrasts beautifully with the bright pink sepals.
5. Fuchsia “Bella Evita”
Fuchsia “Bella Evita” was specifically bred to be grown in containers and window boxes, making it the perfect choice for a balcony. It also has an ultimate spread of 40cm x 45cm, so it won’t take up too much room within a limited space.
Its long flowering season of June to October also makes it highly appealing, and the pale pink flowers and contrasting dark pink sepals are guaranteed to brighten up any balcony.
The only thing to be aware of is that Fuchsia “Bella Evita” is half-hardy. This means that, depending on where you live, you may have to provide some protection over winter.
Containers
Once you’ve decided which type of fuchsia is the best choice for your balcony, you need to think about how you intend to plant it. Most balconies don’t have ground that can be planted directly into so, instead, you’re going to need to think outside the box a little.
One of the best ways to grow fuchsias on a balcony is by using containers. These come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and some are really decorative. One excellent tip when it comes to planting fuchsias in containers is to choose a planter in a darker color.
The reason for this is because fuchsias are vibrant, and the dark background will allow their natural colors to really stand out. These wicker planters are an excellent choice for this, especially if you have wicker furniture on your balcony.
Or, if you’re looking for something a little more modern, these v-resin planters also make a fantastic choice. They even feature a divide halfway down, so you don’t have to worry about filling them with compost to the bottom and adding more weight to your balcony.
Window Boxes
If you’ve already got a few containers dotted around your balcony, you can utilize the space you have left by growing fuchsias in window boxes. This allows you to make use of your available horizontal space without taking up any floor space!
Window boxes are also much easier to install than most people think. Some, such as this hanging window box, come complete with brackets that can be easily attached to the back.
Once in place, all you have to do is hook it to your balcony’s ledge. It’s also frost-resistant, so there’s no need to worry about it getting damaged over the winter months.
Hanging Planters
Have you used all of your available floor space and your balcony’s ledge? Don’t worry – you can still grow fuchsias by making use of any available space given by an overhanging balcony.
Hanging planters are ideal for this. Simply fill them with a little compost, plant your chosen fuchsias, and hang them from the underside of the balcony above yours. These are especially good if you’d like to create privacy with trailing fuchsias and, over time, you’ll have created a living curtain!
These hanging planters from VIVOSUN are some of the best available.
They are available in four different colors and they even contain a self-watering reservoir, so there’s no need to worry about them drying out if you forget to water them.
Watering
The self-watering contained in the hanging planters we’ve just discussed leads us seamlessly into the next important step in growing fuchsias on your balcony – watering!
If you’ve tried growing anything on a balcony before, you’ll be aware of how difficult it can be to keep all of your plants watered properly.
Luckily, there are a few different ways you can water plants on a balcony, but the easiest way by far has got to be using a watering can.
There are a couple of reasons for this. First of all, you don’t have to worry about connecting to a faucet like you would with a garden hose.
Secondly, they take up hardly any room. Some watering cans, such as this Psukhai Watering Can, are small enough to store neatly underneath your kitchen sink when you aren’t using them.
Even better, using a watering can allow you to get the water where it needs to be – at the base of the plant. Garden sprayers and hose pipes have a tendency to get the leaves wet, but leave the soil virtually untouched which, in turn, means that the fuchsias aren’t able to drink up the water and put it to use!
Feeding
This is something that many people forget about, especially when it comes to growing plants on a balcony. When you plant a fuchsia (or any other plant, for that matter) directly in the ground, it has almost unlimited access to nutrients.
However, when a plant is grown in a pot, it’s only able to take in as many nutrients as the compost you planted it in has. Once it’s used up all of those nutrients, it needs more!
The best way to make sure that you’re able to keep giving your potted fuchsia those much-needed nutrients is to feed them. This All-in-One Rose and Flower Care from BIO ADVANCED is ideal for this.
Not only will it feed the fuchsia growing on your balcony, but it will help them resist diseases and pests.
You might be wondering why it’s important to feed your fuchsias. Put simply, it will help them establish a root system that is strong enough to survive the winter months and come back fighting next spring and summer.
Even the hardiest fuchsias need to be fed. Without it, you may get some growth but you won’t get that dazzling display of exotic flowers you’re longing for!
Pruning
If you’ve chosen a standard fuchsia for your balcony, you’ll need to give it some pruning in late spring when the new growth starts to appear. Don’t worry, this is a fairly simple process.
All you have to do is cut each stem down to the base of the plant and, as new shoots begin to reemerge, pinch these out from the top down to the next set of leaves.
This may seem counterintuitive and almost harsh, but it’s totally worth it. When you prune a standard fuchsia in this way, you’ll stimulate the growth of side shoots. These will carry more flowers and, as such, you’ll have a longer-lasting display through the entire flowering season.
Training
If you’ve chosen a climbing fuchsia such as Fuchsia “Lady Boothby”, you’ll need to train it as it grows. Again, this is very easy to do.
Start by allowing the stem to grow upright, pinching out any side shoots as they emerge. Don’t confuse these with the leaves growing from the main stem – you want to hold onto these as they’ll help the fuchsia grow healthily.
As the plant continues to grow, tie the main stem to a support such as a bamboo cane
or coir pole.
Once it’s standing at a height that is 8-inches taller than you intended for it to grow, pinch out the main tip of the stem. You can do this using your fingers but, for a super-clean cut, we’d recommend using a pair of sharp secateurs.
Once you’ve done this, the climbing fuchsia will start to develop new side shoots at the top of the plant. Allow these side shoots to continue growing and at 6-inch intervals, tie them into a support such as a trellis.
After a while, the entire fuchsia will cover the area and you’ll have created a beautiful natural screen.
Over-Wintering
Hardy fuchsias are the best for growing on balconies as they require practically no over-winter protection. However, if you’ve purchased a half-hardy variety or the temperatures are set to fall very low, you’ll need to offer some protection.
The easiest way to do this is to bring them indoors until spring. However, if this isn’t an option, you can create a thick mulch using bark chips.
This will stop any frost from getting to the roots and keep them insulated until the temperatures start to rise again in the spring.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, it’s perfectly fine to grow fuchsias on a balcony. In fact, it’s incredibly easy! There are just a few things you need to do before you start.
The most important of these is to select the right type of fuchsia for your balcony. It should be hardy and remain compact, even when it’s reached maturity.
Once you’ve determined which fuchsias are best for you, it’s a simple case of picking a container, window box, or hanging basket to grow them in.
Water them, feed them, and prune or train them, and you’ll be treated to a dazzling display of flowers throughout the summer. Some varieties will even help you welcome in winter with a much-needed display of color!