GENERAL CULTIVATION & CARE

This page and the links to other pages from here are written by a fuchsia fanatic. The one thing that I have learnt over the years is that there is no right or wrong way to grow fuchsias. These pages are about how I grow my plants both for shows and for the garden. The one thing that my show destined plants and the plants for garden decorations have in common is that they are all given the same treatment and grown to the best of my ability. The one important aspect is that I enjoy my hobby to its fullest.

I have 2 greenhouse one 10 x 8 and one 8 x 6, both with electricity and water in. The benches are covered with gravel which is kept dry from September to mid March, and varying degrees of moisture (Damp to sopping wet) during the summer months. Moisture is essential in the hotter months to gain extra humidity which fuchsias thrive on, although most of the plants are normally outside from Mid May onwards anyway. During the winter months I keep the greenhouses as dry as possible to help keep botrytis at bay. On mild sunny days I open the vents and doors if possible to let fresh air circulate. Heating is by electric fan heaters either Parwin or Hot Box, both of which are thermostatically controlled and are both excellent. They are kept running constantly 24hrs a day to keep an air flow around the plants. Temperature is set to a min of 42degrees until Mid February when I gradually increase to about 45/46 degrees. I know that this is expensive but its my hobby and I get a lot of fun out of it. Anyway a round of golf these days is a small fortune so its a small price to pay I think and is well worth it.

During the early part of the season when the plants are in small pots, (up to and including 4" pots) I stand them on saucers and only water from the bottom. I am a bit heavy handed when it comes to the watering can and this method prevents me over watering them at the most vulnerable stage of their development. More plants are lost at the start of a season by over zealous watering than any thing else, so if in doubt don't. I fill the saucer and leave the plant to take up what it needs for 10 mins and then discard the rest. I test for re -watering by the weight of the pot. You soon get used to the feel of when a plant is light and needs a top up.

Cuttings are taken from the propagator and placed into 2½" pots. The next move is into either 3½" or 4" pots depending on the cultivars or species. I then like to move all plants (other than those really vigorous ones) into 5" pots preferably by mid April and certainly not later than the end of April. For current years plants this is their final pot for the year. All species and most triphylla's will go into clay pots. I find they are much happier in them and because these are the plants that will be out in the sun the most where overheated roots would be a problem. Clay pots keep much cooler and allow the roots to breathe. They are also much more porous and allow excess water to escape into the clay. This is a boon with my heavy handed watering. My general cultivars are kept in plastic pots and will be kept in a shade house from Mid May on, or in a heavily shaded greenhouse with most of the lower panes of glass removed.

Compost: Over the years I have tried many different composts and mixes and variations thereon but have now reverted back to the formula I was first taught by Peter Simmons of Warrenorth Nursery whom I still think grows some of the best fuchsias ever. The formula I use is 9 x 7" (27 litres) pots of good quality sphagnum peat like 'Shamrock', 'Levingtons' or 'Arthur Bowers' etc to which I add 1½" x 7" (4½ litres) pots of Chichester grit, 1 x 7"(3 litres) pot of perlite, 1 x 2½" pot of osmocote and 4oz of calcified seaweed. I have found that this mix is suitable for every thing except cuttings when I use sieved peat and perlite only.

Feeding: I use the Chempack range of feeds starting with No2 (high nitrogen) early and very late season and changing to No3 (Balanced) from the final potting stage. I never ever use No4 because I feel it gives the plants an excess of potash when as an old gardener once told me "The sun is liquid potash and should be all you need." I feed at every watering at ¼ strength, except each time the plants are potted up when all they get is clean rain water for the first 2 weeks. As I live in a hard water area I also feed with Maxicrop with iron once every 2 weeks in the main growing season. Remember also to turn your plants at regular intervals. I turn mine once a week and find that using the label as an indicator I can quickly and easily see any plants I have missed. Failure to turn your plants will result in them being very one sided as plants always grow to the light.

Pest & Disease Control: I have 2 problems, rust and whitefly. Whitefly on the triphyllas and rust on the general cultivars. As I write this I can honestly say that I have never had a problem with vine weevil, so I suppose I must be grateful for that ,but rust is by far my biggest problem. I live close to a wooded area where the Rose bay willow herb is prolific. I have not as yet found a suitable cure but seem to manage to keep it to reasonable levels using 'Rose Clear'. Some plants are much more susceptible than others so I try to steer clear of ones I know are most risky. From Mid April on I have a spray programme which I stick to even if they is no signs of infestation where I spray alternate weeks with Rose Clear for the rust and usually 'Polysect' or 'Nimrod T' for the whitefly. This year I shall be trying out the new 'Pravado' insecticide which you just water onto the compost, it will be interesting to see the results. During the coldest winter months I avoid spraying as I don't want too much moisture around. Here I use smoke cones.
Incidentally the 'species' and most triphyllas seem immune to rust, which is one of the main reasons why over the years I have gradually grown more and more of these and less of the more general cultivars.

There are times when I think I must be mad. Like in the height of summer spending an hour or more watering my plants before going to work, and then rushing home lunchtime to water again and then again in the evening. But then when the plants are in full flower in the garden and I feel the buzz and excitement at show times whether we win or lose; then I know that all the time and effort is well worth it. Every year is different: new challenges, new ideas, difficult plants that grow wonderfully, weather patterns that change, easy plants that I've always grown refusing to grow well. Ah well that's half the fun.
Remember as George Bartlett (Past President of the BFS) said 'Have fun with your fuchsias'.