On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 23:25:05 +0100, jellyfish wrote:

hi, i bought 3 hardy fuchsias early part of last summer and planted them
they thrived and flowered producing lovely flowers...come winter they
dropped all their leaves and basically became twig bushes (being a
complete novice i thought they had died) and i was gonna dig them up.
But ive noticed right at the base i mean ground level they have tiny
growths bursting from the main stem..my question is if this is normal
will this happen al over the plant or just the base?..and if so how far
if needed should i cut it back for the spring??

I have grown hardy fuchsias for many years, both in North Devon and here on
Tyneside. They are almost impossible to kill.
The text books would have you cut to the ground each spring (Leaving the
twigs overwinter may protect the shoots, but mostly it stops me standing on
them).
If you want to shape a bush and make it taller or as a standard then wait
until the 'twigs' begin to sprout then pick suitable ones to train,
--
Jim S
Tyneside UK
www.jimscott.co.uk