You can propagate fuchsias at most points in the growing season, although spring is ideal as you should be pinching out shoot tips to encourage plants to bush out; you can strike these stem tips as cuttings in seeds and cutting compost.
Garden Knife
Any flowers or flower buds should be nipped out and the cutting needs to be around 4in. (10cm) long. Use a pair of sharp secateurs, scissors or garden knife and trim the base to just below a node (leaf joint). Carefully remove the lower leaves so you have a clear section of stem and one or two sets of upper leaves. You can dip the base of each cutting in hormone rooting powder or liquid if you believe it'll help your chances, although fuchsia cuttings strike very easily without it.
Use a Dibber
Fill a 5in. (13cm) pot with compost, firm it and use a dibber to make up to five holes around the edge of the pot before inserting the cuttings. Make sure around 1-1.5in. (2.5-3cm) of the stem is inserted in the compost but also make sure the leaves aren't touching the compost or they'll rot.
Heated Propagator
Water well using tap water, not rain water. Enclose the pot in a clear polythene bag and place on a well lit but not sunny windowsill, or place the pot in a heated propagator. Roots should form within a month - don't tug at the cuttings but keep an eye out for stem growth. It's a sure sign that roots are growing.
When you think your cuttings are sufficiently rooted (they may even be producing flower buds, although these are best removed to focus the plants' energies into making roots) you should pot them on. Gently tip them out of the pot, supporting the top of the upturned compost with one hand while you remove the pot with the other. If there are no signs of white roots replace the pot and leave for a fortnight. Otherwise gently tease each new plant from the compost, making sure enough soil is still attached to the roots, before potting each plant into its own similarly sized pot, filled with either multipurpose compost or John Innes No1.
Feed With Fertilizer
Continue to pinch out developing flower buds for another month, while the roots develop. After this time you can allow them to grow unhindered and plant them out into the garden, but should also begin feeding on a weekly basis with a general liquid feed, as the food in the compost will be running out. Pinch out side shoots if you think the plant is getting too lanky - this will help it to become more rounded.
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