Fuchsia Growing Tips

In nature, there are a great many beautiful flowers that can be grown at home. Favorite by many people are fuchsias, which are distinguished by their spectacular appearance. This gorgeous flower can be a wonderful decoration for any interior. If the situation lacks bright and vivid details, then fuchsia will easily solve this problem. In today's article, we will take a closer look at this plant and learn how to grow it properly.

There is no better decoration for an interior or house area than flowers. They can delight households not only with an attractive appearance and bright colors, but also with enticing aromas. Surrounded by "live scenery" a person will certainly feel comfortable.

Many growers choose a beautiful fuchsia for self-cultivation. And the point here is not only in her beauty and bright colors, but also in her unpretentiousness. A flower grower does not have to master complex and expensive agricultural techniques for this culture. The plant does not need complex care. Everyone can provide fuchsias with the most comfortable conditions, since there is nothing difficult about this.

These are optimal conditions in which the plant does not get burned and retains its attractive appearance. It is not recommended to place the fuchsia pot on the southern windowsill. Northern ones will not work either, because there will be too little lighting there.

The best places for fuchsia are western or southeastern windows. In such conditions, the flower will receive the required amount of light, but direct sunlight will not fall on it, causing serious harm.

Growing fuchsia at home, it is necessary to take into account the air temperature in which it will "live". On the plant in question can have a detrimental effect on temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius. In the summer seasons, the optimum temperature will be between 20 and 25 degrees. Care must be taken not to get too hot in the room with the flower. If the temperature rises above 25 degrees, the fuchsia can shed its buds, and the leaf blades become very thin and sluggish.

Fuchsia feels great in a room where the air humidity is 50-60%. It will be possible to achieve such values ​​if you resort to spraying a flower. Most growers do this a couple of times a week. Spraying, like watering, should be done in the morning or evening.

There are many popular fuchsia varieties. Let's consider the features of some of them.

White princess in the kingdom of fuchsia. For beginners in floriculture, this beauty amazes with its fragile and delicate appearance. The flower has a snow-white skirt with pink stamens. The leaf blades are light green in color, but at the time of ripening, they darken noticeably.

The variety is characterized by early flowering and vigorous growth. Often people choose "Anabel" for growing precisely because of these factors.

Ampel type variety. It is winter hardy. Differs in beautiful large flowers that always attract a lot of attention. The plant has a strong structure and vigorous growth. Ideal for self-cultivation or for sale as a spectacular perennial.

The flowers of this variety are semi-double, colored white with blue shades. You can't just walk past the charming flowers without admiring them.

A very beautiful plant that looks interesting. "Waist" is distinguished by rich orange buds. This variety, like the ones described above, is famous for its active and lush flowering, which continues throughout the spring and autumn season.

Talia attracts flower growers with its decorativeness and brightness. Its buds are graceful, variegated. This rich bush plant can grow up to 50 cm. The flower's leaves are velvety with an interesting reddish tint.

This fuchsia variety is renowned for its versatility. A flower can grow at an amazing rate if it is kept in optimal conditions. The shoots of Bella Rosella grow very quickly and are unbreakable.

The flowers of the representatives of this variety grow quite large. They are characterized by an abundant pink (up to purple) color of the skirt. The crown of sepals is always very delicate - white and pink. A very beautiful and lush bush is formed from all the listed details. This attractive and elegant flower can be an adornment for any collection.

One of the most popular and widespread varieties. Florists are happy to grow "Royal Mosaic", because this plant is characterized by lush and fragrant double-type flowers. The buds are very original - this applies to both color and shape. The skirt has a deep-toned blue-violet color. This color is set off with a pink underside. Thanks to this color effect, the plant looks very unusual and beautiful.

Another decorative variety that is hard not to fall in love with. New Millennium is characterized by a very unusual and striking appearance. The plant is bushy and quickly branches well. Easy to shape.

The flowers of this variety look especially beautiful and impressive with the onset of the flowering period. The plant has thin leaf blades of a light green hue, and large lilac buds look great against their background. When the double flowers bloom, showing everyone an unusual color palette, this plant becomes truly luxurious and vibrant.

Fuchsia should not be immediately planted in a pot that is too large, especially if you are going to plant a small stalk. You will need to increase the size of the reservoir gradually, as the flower grows. For the first time, a pot is suitable, the diameter of which is no more than 9 cm.When the roots are completely entwined with an earthen ball, it will be necessary to prepare more spacious tanks.

A good layer of expanded clay must be laid on the bottom of the pot for planting fuchsia. Other drainage material will work as well. Next, add a layer of soil and only after that plant a stalk of a plant or a bush prepared in advance.

The pot in which you plan to plant a flower must be well filled with earth. Try to make sure that no voids appear between the roots and the walls of the tank itself. To do this, you need to very gently shake the pot and lightly knock on its walls.

Fuchsia feels good not only at home, but also in the garden.Outdoors, this plant grows very well. It can be taken outside in beautiful pots, hung in flower pots, or simply by planting bushes in suitable places.

If you want to grow a plant outdoors in a garden, it is best to plant it in slightly shaded areas. Ideal locations:

• near bodies of water;
• by bushes, trees

The flower prefers neutral fertile soil. The green beauty should be planted in the garden in late May - early June. When planting fuchsia, it is important to ensure that its root collar is no more than 20 cm deep.When the flower takes root in its place, it will begin to intensively gain strength and will bloom for about 2.5 weeks. Before digging out street fuchsia for the winter, the plant must definitely survive the first frosts for a kind of hardening.

Fuchsia is an unpretentious flower, but this does not mean that you do not need to care for it at all. It does not matter where exactly you grow the crop in question - in the garden or at home. In any case, the plant will need competent care.

When the hot summer comes, watering this plant should be done more often - at least 1 time in 3 days. Always keep a green pet under control - if the ground dries up very quickly, then you will need to water the flower in a day. When the flowering stage is completed in the fall, watering should be reduced to 1 time per week. After that, the landing can be prepared for the upcoming wintering. Watering is recommended in the morning and evening.

For irrigation, you can use only settled non-hard water at room temperature. For spraying a flower, it is also necessary to use prepared liquids. The water should settle for at least 24 hours.

The culture in question, like many other decorative flowers, needs high-quality and timely fertilizing. It is necessary to choose a suitable top dressing based on the growth phase of the flower.

• Young flowers need fertilizers, which contain a large percentage of nitrogen - due to this element, the growth of shoots increases.
• Grown fuchsia prefers feeding with potassium and phosphorus content.

The frequency of top dressing depends on their immediate concentration. The standard concentration is usually applied once every 7-10 days. If fertilizer is added with each new watering, the solution should be made 3-4 times weak, at least. It is recommended to alternate mineral dressings with organic ones.

For fuchsia, the following elements will be very useful:

• nitrogen;
• potassium;
• phosphorus;
• iron;
• manganese;
• zinc;
• magnesium.

To get a beautiful, lush and neat fuchsia bush belonging to a variety that does not branch on its own, flower growers resort to pinching, leaving the desired length of shoots. Thus, ampelous and bush forms are formed.

If it is necessary to obtain a standard shape, the seedlings are usually placed densely, breaking off all the shoots and buds formed on the sides until the desired height is reached. After that, pinching of the kidney located in the upper part is carried out.

When you need to get a nice floor-type tree, leave a stem with a height of 90 to 100 cm. For the flower to be placed on a table or window sill, a trunk 40 cm high is enough. Large trees grow for 2 years. Small specimens can be grown in just a year.

Fuchsia transplant must be carried out observing all the rules. If the flower has enough room in the pot, and you just brought it home after purchasing, then rushing to plant the plant in a new place is not necessary. When roots are visible, then the fuchsia must be moved to a larger tank. A light container will do.Its walls effectively reflect light and protect the culture from harmful excess heat.

Subsequently, fuchsia will need to be transplanted annually. The plant must be prepared for this procedure.

• It is necessary to carry out preventive and stimulating treatment. Shoots should be shortened by a third, and old, dry or overly elongated ones will need to be removed altogether.
• Examine the roots for disease or rot. If there are lesions, they should be trimmed to healthy tissue.
• Pay attention to the drainage layer. It should take up at least 1/5 of the pot.

Fuchsia must be transplanted into prepared soil and a reservoir, which will be a couple of centimeters more spacious than the previous one. It is imperative to organize a drainage layer. After transplanting a green pet, you need to water and spray with settled warm water.

Fuchsia, like any other plant, can be exposed to various diseases and pest attacks.

• The succulent shoots and leaf blades of the plant are often affected by the whitefly. Together with the larvae, it draws juice from the culture, and also carries serious viral infections. When this pest attacks the planting, vague yellowish specks form on the leaves. At the same time, the plates themselves begin to twist into tubes, and after a while they completely fall off.
• Fuchsia is often affected by spider mites. This is another common pest that can bring a lot of trouble to the plant. When a tick attacks fuchsia, whitish dots or a thin cobweb form on its leaf blades. At the same time, the leaves dry up, and the plant takes on a depressed appearance.

If there is a suspicion that the flower has become a victim of pests, it is carefully examined by collecting or washing off the eggs and larvae of the whitefly. Areas affected by the tick are removed completely. In the fight against the latter, spraying with soapy water, sulfuric suspension or preparations "Judo", "Fitoverm" also helps.

These remedies are also effective against whitefly. You can additionally put a cloth moistened with insecticidal compounds ("Aktellik", "Aktara") on the ground and cover the bush with a bag, leaving it for a day. After the specified time, the package is removed, and the room with the plant is ventilated.

Excessively humid and warm environments can promote gray mold growth. If the plant suffers from this ailment, characteristic dark mold spots appear on its leaf blades. Affected foliage will inevitably fall off after a while. To solve this serious problem, they reduce humidity, remove damaged parts of the flower, and turn to fungicide treatment (Fundazol is the most effective).

If you notice that small reddish-brown bumps have appeared on the lower half of the leaves, this indicates that the plant is suffering from one of the most serious and dangerous diseases - rust. In this case, it is imperative to get rid of the affected areas, and preferably from the entire flower as a whole.

Whitefly can carry the dangerous mosaic virus. In fuchsia, it provokes the formation of light mosaic-type spots on the foliage. The sheet plates are deformed, clumped together and fall off. At the moment, the treatment of mosaics has not been developed, so the florist can only destroy the damaged culture.

If you want to grow beautiful and healthy fuchsia, you should heed some helpful tips from experienced florists.

• A transplant is a necessary procedure for fuchsia. During it, it is important to be as careful and accurate as possible. If you accidentally damage the root system, it will be very bad for the flower.
• Always monitor the condition of your bright pet, no matter what variety it belongs to.If the first suspicions of a developing disease appear, it is necessary to immediately resort to its treatment. If you do not know what exactly the flower is suffering from and how it is better to treat it, it is better to contact experienced florists who will tell you what to do best for you.
• Winter is a dormant period for fuchsia. At this time of year, it must be moved to the basement, placed on a cool veranda, loggia or balcony. The temperature should be at least 5 degrees. At the same time, it is recommended to dig the pots in containers with peat or sawdust, due to which the roots will be insulated and moisture will remain.
• If fuchsia will be grown not as a garden, but as a houseplant, you need to choose a suitable pot for it. It is recommended to give preference to high quality ceramic containers.
• When spraying fuchsia, it is important to ensure that no water drops fall on the flowers themselves.
• If the plant is affected by some kind of disease, it is not necessary to feed it. Do not water dry soil with fertilizer. Fertilizing fuchsia is required only after preliminary watering.
• Keep in mind that fuchsia is a flower that does not like to be constantly moved from one place to another. Such situations turn out to be stressful for the flower, and it immediately sheds both leaves and buds. For this reason, it is recommended in the spring to immediately choose a permanent place for the pet where he will feel comfortable.
• If the crop is grown in a room, it will need a supply of fresh air. It is advisable to ventilate the room from time to time.
• Indoor fuchsia can be taken out into the garden if the weather is fine. At first, the flower is carried out only for 1 day, after which the time should be gradually increased - this way it will more easily adapt to new conditions. If there is a threat of frost, fuchsia should be brought back into the house.

How to grow and care for fuchsia, see below.