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Lena
Frequently Asked Questions about Fuchsias. (unofficial FAQ)
How do I find all these different fuchsias?
There are nurseries specializing in fuchsias, selling only fuchsias. There
are lots of these nurseries in the UK, Holland, USA, Germany and Denmark
as far as I know, but I'm sure such nurseries are to be found in many other
countries too.
The easiest way to find fuchsias is to join a local
fuchsia society. Its members will surely know where to find fuchsias
and the members will sell or give away cuttings at an alarmingly enthusiasic
rate...
How often should I water my fuchsias?
You can never say how often you should water a plant. It depends so much on where the plant is located, how well rooted the plant is in its pot, the temperature. what kind of plant it is and ....
What I can say about fuchsias is that they should never be allowed to dry out or they will drop both flowers and buds and might even die BUT just as many, if not more, fuchsias die from overwatering. People have plates/saucers under the pot when they have fuchsia pots outdoors and that can drown a fuchsia even if you"empty the saucer every day". Never have a saucer under the pot outdoors. Promise?
If you see to that the drainage in the pot is working and that the compost in the pot is not to compact and waterlogged, it's hard to kill a fuchsia by over-watering.
On a hot breezy summer day you might have to water 2-3 times, but be careful, Heat can make the plant look rather sad not because of lack of water around the roots but the roots just can't keep pace with the evaporation. Don't water but rather mist the plant and wait for the cool evening. If the plant doesn't recover then you might have to water.
A newly potted plant or cutting should not be watered too much because the soil that doesn't have any roots in it might get too soggy and the roots will never grow into it. Repotted in vain!
Where do fuchsias come from originally?
How much sun do they want?
They don't want any sun at all. But they do want intensive light. As for potted plants they can stand an hour or so in the sun but a whole day or days in the sun is not their cup of tea. Filtered sunlight, through a tree or a mesh or so is the best location. Pastel coloured varieties are usually more sensitive to harsh sun, mostly because the colours get blurred by lots of red to protect against sun burn. Red/blu and red/white cultivars usually tolerate sunlight (but not heat) better.
Notice that fuchsias grown as perennials can be planted in full sun. If not they are late to bloom.
What do I do with my fuchsias during winter?
How do you get the plants so big?
First I always follow good hints and tips on how to grow them and secondly and more importantly I choose the right cultivar. As said before fuchsias don't just come in tens of thousands of different colour combinations but also in tens of thousands of characters. Each cultivar has its own habit. I have a plant of Countess of Aberdeen that I have had for about 8 years. It's about the size of a football. I also have a two year old plant of Cardinal and a three year old plant of Barbara and they are both as tall as I am...
My fuchsia won't grow but it's not dying either...???
I think the cause is the watering. It is very common to overwater a newly replanted fuchsia or cutting. Overwatering leads to rotting of the compost that isn't penetrated by roots and the the roots will never grow out into "the swamp". The plant still grows in the old, small rootball The rot spreads into the old rootball and the plant will languish away...
Or the compost / soil is to compact to start with...
Where do I find fuchsias that grow like trees / standards?
This depends on the variety you grow. No fuchsias form a tree with one trunk all by themselves. They do form large bushes but this is also depending on what variety you grow. Strong growing cultivars like Cardinal or Barbara will form a huge bush or standard in a couple of growing seasons, even in one summer whereas weak growers like Border Queen or Citation will take longer.
Standards / trees have to be formed by you.
Where can I find more information on fuchsias?
The best way is to contact a local Fuchsia Society or to buy a good book about fuchsias.
What do you use to fertilize your fuchsias and how often do you fertilize?
It doesn't really matter which fertilizer you use. More important is to use it! It's much better to use a weak solution of fertilizer every time you water than to give a full doses now and then.
As for most plants nitrgene is more important early in the growing season and potash and phosphorus later in the summer. Fuchsias aren't fussy about this but they do get fussy if you don't feed them at all.
Back to News | Fuchsia MENU IN ENGLISH | INNEHÅLLSMENY PÅ SVENSKA | Home | Fuchsia Pics | Pics My Garden | Fuchsia Links | Fuchsia Cultivation | Heat Fuchsias | Perennial Fuchsias | Fuchsia Species | Fuchsia Tips | Fuchsia Propagation | Winter Care | Fuchsia Q & A | Fuchsia Disorders | The Swedish Fuchsia Society | Fuchsia Addresses | USDA Zones in Europe & USA | WWW Fuchsia Snips | Fuchsia Books | Fuchsia Guest Book | Fuchsia FAQ | Fuchsiana | Garden Links | Celsius & Farenheit