By Jcoframsgate
United Kingdom 
I have an "ordinary" fuchsia in the SW corner of my small garden, sheltered by a wall and an ever-spreading St John's Wort bush. It is getting swamped and I'd like to move it, but I don't seem to do too well with new plantings, and I'd hate to lose it. What would be my best course of action, please?
I should have said "The St John's Wort bush" . . . And also, how would I reduce the size of the big bush - it seems to spread from new shoots at the base, as well as just growing longer branches.It had the top cut off a couple of years ago, and is now about 5ft across and 6ft6in high.
1 Jun, 2014
Answers
I'm assuming your hypericum is Hidcote? You can cut them back at the end of flowering if you want to as they flower on new wood. If you want to move the fuchsia best leave it until the autumn and move it when its dormant. Moving it now as above is possible if you absolutely must and get a really good root ball if the bush has not been there for more than a year or two, but waiting is much safer if you can. Myself I would not move one now except in a dire emergency. In the meantime you can cut off the branches of the hypericum that are actually shading it for now.
1 Jun, 2014
Thanks, both. The fuchsia had been in position for at least 5 years (since I moved in), and flowers last into Nov/December - I have a photo of a frost-coated flower. If I move it then, how would I protect it from winter weather while it settles in? Would it be better to place it against a west-facing wall or an east-facing fence, or keep it under the north-facing wall and just move it sideways, away from the hypericum (which name I had forgotten, though I'm not sure about the Hidcote)? Thank you again.
2 Jun, 2014
take some cuttings from young non flowering slips, pull off the lower leave and put into a sharp sand soil covered with a plastic bag , they root very easy. just to be sure
2 Jun, 2014
If your fuchsia is hardy, and it seems it is as its been there for five years, you do not need to worry about protecting it from the winter if you move it. Wait till October if you can, then dig it up, with a good sized rootball, and replant in another position where you've already prepared the ground by digging it over and possibly adding garden compost or some other humus rich material. Replant the fuchsia at the same level as it is now, and water in well. You may need to water every few days with a gallon or two if October turns out to be warm and dry, but otherwise, it'll be just fine. Topgrowth on hardy fuchsias frequently gets killed back to the ground in more severe winters, but they regrow from the roots if that happens.
2 Jun, 2014
Thank you again. I'll put on my patient hat, trim the hypericum and trust in some warmish weather in October.
2 Jun, 2014
pruning some plants only makes them grow faster. you should cut the soil around the fuchsia and pull it out with the soil so the root ball wont be affected. it might droop a bit because of the stresses and strains of being moved but nothing serious.
1 Jun, 2014