What compost for fuchsia 'alice hoffman' in the UK?

Use peat-free multipurpose compost. Excellent drainage is important, especially over winter when the plant is most vulnerable to waterlogging. Add grit to planting sites with heavy clay soils. In UK garden centres this is sold simply as "compost" — the bagged growing medium, not garden-made leaf-mould — so match the description above rather than a brand.

Yes. A good peat-free multipurpose compost is exactly right for fuchsia 'alice hoffman'. For a large or long-term pot you can mix in some John Innes No.2 or No.3 (loam-based) for extra weight and staying power.

Yes. Sales of peat compost to home gardeners are being phased out in the UK, and the RHS recommends peat-free for environmental reasons. Modern peat-free multipurpose composts grow fuchsia 'alice hoffman' perfectly well — they dry a little faster at the surface, so check moisture by feel rather than by the look of the top.

Not essential, but a couple of handfuls of perlite in the mix improves aeration and guards against overwatering — useful on a cool, damp British windowsill where compost stays wet longer.

Always a pot with drainage holes. Fertile, well-draining peat-free compost or garden soil enriched with organic matter. Stand it on a saucer, empty any water that collects after watering, and never leave the pot sitting in a full outer cover — waterlogged compost in a cool UK room is the commonest cause of root rot.