Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Fuchsia 'Pink Marshmallow' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Pink Marshmallow fuchsia, double trailing fuchsia (Fuchsia 'Pink Marshmallow').

More about fuchsia 'pink marshmallow'

About Fuchsia 'Pink Marshmallow'

Fuchsia 'Pink Marshmallow' · also called Pink Marshmallow fuchsia, double trailing fuchsia · flowering

Fuchsia 'Pink Marshmallow' is a vigorous trailing cultivar renowned for its exceptionally large, fully double flowers in soft white flushed with palest pink. Its dramatic blooms make it a showpiece basket plant. It requires cool, bright conditions and regular feeding to sustain the energy needed for its large double flowers. Not listed as toxic by the ASPCA.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Short flower life in heat: Large doubles collapse quickly above 22°C. Hang baskets in cool, shaded positions in summer.

The reasons fuchsia 'pink marshmallow' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming fuchsia 'pink marshmallow' traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding fuchsia 'pink marshmallow' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get fuchsia 'pink marshmallow' to flower

Maximise sun. Give fuchsia 'pink marshmallow' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for fuchsia 'pink marshmallow' and get the feeding right with the fuchsia 'pink marshmallow' fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Fuchsia 'Pink Marshmallow' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full fuchsia 'pink marshmallow' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Fuchsia 'Pink Marshmallow' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my fuchsia 'pink marshmallow' flower?

Fuchsia 'Pink Marshmallow' blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make fuchsia 'pink marshmallow' bloom?

Give fuchsia 'pink marshmallow' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does fuchsia 'pink marshmallow' normally bloom?