How I Grow Fuchsias

      There are two basic techniques of growing fuchsias that I use. Growing from early Spring  (or possibly late Autumn) struck cuttings called the biennial method or by growing from plants which had flowered and were shown, which I then cut back keeping a nice framework and bring them back into leaf for overwintering.

       Biennial.

     This method, is used to produce a large plant in its second year, the  greenhouse is kept  around 35 to 40 degrees f. through the winter. The time to take the cuttings for my biennials is autumn or early spring. Cutting material is readily available (or easily purchased) and the cuttings will root easily. Once rooted I try to select the ones that have even growth and obviously some have more vigor than others.The cuttings are rooted in my cutting mix and to help to prevent the cuttings from being attacked by botyritis (damping-off), the cuttings are allowed to stand for half hour or so in a dish of water containing a systemic fungicide but only if I have the time. I do not use hormone rooting powder but I have been sealing the bottom of the cutting with Tippex as the cuttings seem to root quicker. At least a few hours before severing the cutting material, the stock plant is watered thoroughly so that the cutting is turgid when it is taken. I use small Polystyrene cells or 2'' pots to root the cuttings in, even for multiplants  (3  cuttings   per  pot  or  cell)  and  they are placed in a propagator and as soon as they show signs of rooting they are put on the bench, when they are well rooted I pot the best of them on 1 inch at a time.

I have also been rooting cuttings in a very fine Perlite in a container with no holes in keeping the Perlite quite wet with very good results.

      click thumbnails for larger photos

              cutting                              propagater                       3 in one cell                     potted on

    When potting on I always tease away a little compost especially at the bottom and tease the roots out also putting the plant lower in the next pot thus burying some stems and keeping the leaves close to the rim of the pot.

     Cuttings that have very even growth are used to take more cuttings if needed so that I keep good stock plants if not the cuttings are stopped before being potted on.

       After the first stop at two or three pairs of leaves the plants are stopped at every pair of leaves to keep a stocky plant with many branches but short jointed varieties can be stopped at two or three pairs of leaves. Pot sizes for the first summer are 3''- 4''- 4.5'' and about mid April the plants are put outside but are covered with fleece if there is going to be a frost but if a severe frost is forecast I put them back in the greenhouse .

      The plants are not allowed to flower the first summer, but are stopped to keep a small bushy plant. In September the plants are removed from their 4.5'' pots and the roots are washed off and then the plants are re potted back to a 4'' pot and stopped to shape then sprayed for pests then put back into the greenhouse which has been thoroughly cleaned.

      When stopped the top most leaves tend to grow large creating a canopy which shuts out the light I remove these leaves and a hole is revealed so I hook and or stake branches into position to fill the hole also it allows air to circulate through the plant thus helping to prevent botyritis. When the pots are full of roots the plants are put into 4.5'' pots and are over wintered.

    In January some of the compost is removed and any stakes and wire hooks are also removed and the plants are potted lower into 5'' pots burying some of the bare stems and trying to keep the plants leaves close to the rim of the pot as possible.

                                   

canopy of leaves            leaves removed                wired                     hole filled                     potted down                 ready to stop

                                           exsposing hole

    By the end of March  they are potted up into their final pots teasing away some compost and potting them as low as possible. After potting into their final pots I start using Provado watering it in at six to eight week intervals as per instructions on the packet making sure the plants are done at least four weeks before show day as this avoids the need for spraying. Since doing  this I am not troubled by any pests including thrips and capsid bugs.

    I like to get the fuchsias out of the greenhouse by April standing them on gravel, the smaller plants are put on a bench outside, bringing them all back into the greenhouse at night only if a frost is forecast but normally I cover them with fleece if only cold. The plants plastic pots are stood inside Clay or large plastic pots to stop the sun burning the roots. The clay pots are held by a metal Ring with a single stake  pushed into the gravel sometimes I push them into the Lawn if I run out of space on the gravel.

     Some of the early Autumn cuttings especially multiplant cuttings will be shown in 4 or 5inch pots the first year. Stopping (pinching out the growing shoots) Mostly I stop at 1 pair of leaves just removing the small tip but for a short jointed or a slow growing variety I will stop at 2nd or even the 3rd pair of leaves so as to get a larger plant. Triphyllas are stopped at 3 pairs of leaves. The pinching out or stopping of the growing tips is discontinued at a suitable time and is determined by the time I want the plant to flower.(the plants would have been in their final pots 5 or 6 months) For the last stop I count back from the show date and I allow,

 Triphyllas   16 weeks

      Singles        10  weeks

      Doubles      12 week

I have a growing calender and mark the stopping dates on it  for each show

But I get to know my plants and I always make a note of how long a variety takes to flower as some doubles I grow will flower in 10 weeks and some singles will take 12 weeks and some 9 weeks  even the weather     will make a difference.The penultimate stop is important as I must have the plant with enough growth to be able to do the last stop ,so from the last stop I count back a further 5 weeks and make sure that all the shoots are stopped.I grow about 3 plants of each variety and stop them at weekly intervals to make sure I have plants in flower for the show.

       Two weeks before the show I start selecting the plants for showing and I start removing all fully open blooms as these will be dead by show day, I allow 12 days for doubles and 10 days for singles before show date, I also remove any seed pods, but on the Species seed pods must be left on, all dead and damaged leaves are removed and the plants are put into clean pots,

      Growing from show plants

       After the show I cut back the best of the plants and try to keep a nice shape and lay them on their sides this helps to stop the sap running down the stems creating die back. Once they have sprouted new growth  I pinch back the new shoots keeping the shape. If any stems are in the wrong place spoiling the shape I wire them into place. I then remove all the compost by hosing it off, when the roots are clean I put my cutting compost around the roots it sticks to the wet roots easily then I pot the plant into a 4.5inch pot with my compost mix which has the fertilizer and Provado in it to over winter in the greenhouse.I water the plants as needed but never let the plants dry out and I don't feed the plants unless the pot is full of roots and only then if  I think they need it. Stopping and potting is then the same as biennial growing.

      I treat my basket fuchsias by removing the compost back to the original 12" size. Then I plant back  into the same size size basket. I always use 12" baskets to start with and put them into 16" the second year then the after that it is easy to remove the old compost from 16" to 12" thus keeping the original 12" shape so it is easy to plant back into the 16" using fresh compost

     Feeding and Watering

    I use vitax 1-1-1 or Chempack no. 3 as a balanced feed. Vitax 3-0-1 or Chempack no.2 for a high Nitrogen feed. For High potash I use Chempack no.4 but I rarely use no.4 on Fuchsias. A balanced feed is used mostly and a high Nitrogen feed is only used in early spring or if I feel a plant needs a boost.

         When feeding plants get one full feed per week, when watering twice a week I use half strength thus making a full feed and when watering daily the feed is given at a quarter strength every other day.  I don't feed until the pot is full of roots and only then if I don't have time to pot on, so feeding really starts when the plant is in it's final pot and is full of roots.I do not feed in November or December but I will water the plants if needed and in early January I start using a high Nitrogen feed as the light levels are better. In the winter I make sure the water I use is not cold when watering the plants by adding some hot water to it.      

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