Fuchsia (Fuchsia) is a plant belonging to the fireweed family and numbering up to 100 species. The plant was named after the German botanist Fuchs. Naturally distributed in South and Central America.
Fuchsia, depending on the variety, are trees or small shrubs. In some species, the leaves grow oppositely, in others - in whorls; some types of Fuchsia shed their leaves after the end of the growing season. The leaves are lanceolate, elongated-oval or ovoid; the edges of the leaves are both solid and with small notches. The flower calyxes are tubular and elongated, most often white or red, with long stamens.
An amateur grower can also grow Fuchsia, it is quite easy to care for the plant. Growing and how ampelous plants, And How standard trees. One of important conditions Fuchsia care - the plant should winter in cool conditions. Another difficulty is that the plant sheds leaves after flowering.
Fuchsia - care
Lighting
The optimal location of Fuchsia is considered to be windows on the east and west windows, since the plant needs a lot of bright, but diffused light. Can tolerate direct sunlight in the morning and evening. If Fuchsia stands on the south window, then the plant must be covered with a translucent cloth or paper in order to avoid burns. On the north side, lack of lighting can lead to stretching of the plant and poor flowering (or no flowering at all). When Fuchsia blooms, it should not be rearranged or rotated, as this can cause the plant to drop buds and leaves. Fuchsia can be taken outside in the summer, but you need to do it gradually, accustoming it to new conditions of detention.
Temperature
The air temperature during the growing season can range from 18 to 24 degrees. Fuchsia should winter in a cool place (from 5 to 10 degrees above zero) with good lighting. At higher temperatures, Fuchsia sheds leaves and shoots stretch. The plant needs an influx of fresh air, but you need to ventilate carefully, as drafts can kill the plant. In summer, the plant can be taken out to the balcony, providing suitable conditions - no precipitation, drafts and direct sun rays.
Watering
Fuchsia is watered with soft settled water at room temperature. From March to September, water immediately after the topsoil has dried, since at this time the substrate should be constantly slightly moist. From October, the frequency of watering is reduced, and by the end of November they almost stop (this will contribute to more abundant flowering next year). When kept in winter at temperatures up to 10 degrees, they are watered very rarely, and when wintering over 10 degrees - a little more often.
Humidity
Fuchsia is sprayed with soft water - you need to defend the water for a day before spraying. From May to August, they are sprayed 2 times a day - before 9 am and after 6 pm. In autumn, spray every two to three days. In winter, it is not necessary to spray the plant.
top dressing
From April to September, the plant is fed every 2-3 weeks with complex mineral fertilizers for indoor plants. IN winter time the plant does not need to be fed.
Bloom
Compliance with all the conditions for keeping Fuchsia will give her the opportunity to bloom from May to November, and even give berry-like juicy fruits. withered flowers must be removed - this helps the plant form young buds. Transferring Fuchsia to the balcony in July and pruning three times over the summer will contribute to long-term flowering - until December.
pruning
Fuchsia overwintering at room temperature leads to stretching of the stems and falling of the leaves. Since flowers are formed mainly on young shoots, in order to promote their development, old bare shoots need to be cut off (they can be used for propagation by cuttings). Throughout the growing season, Fuchsia is cut and pinched. Pinch young shoots after the formation of three pairs of leaves.
To form a tree, one vertically growing shoot is attached to a vertical support and that's it. side shoots cut until the trunk reaches the desired height. After that, the top is cut off and 3-5 lateral shoots are allowed to develop, which will form the crown of the tree. In three years, a beautiful lush crown will form.
Transfer
Fuchsia transplantation is carried out annually in early March. Before transplanting, old shoots are cut off by at least a third and the roots are slightly shortened. In ampelous species, the shoots are not shortened, since the plant loses its decorative effect. Fuchsia is transplanted into slightly acidic soil, consisting of hardwood, peat and sand (3:2:1). Another option for the substrate is 3 hours of clay-soddy soil, 2 hours of greenhouse and 1 hour. sand (and some peat chips). At the bottom of the pot, drainage is poured to one fifth of its height. After transplantation, the plant is abundantly sprayed and watered, put in a place with bright diffused light. In the middle of summer, Fuchsia can be transplanted again into fresh soil.
Reproduction by seeds
To obtain Fuchsia seeds, you need to artificially pollinate. When pollinated different types Fuchsia with different shapes and shades of flowers, you can get a new hybrid.
Reproduction by cuttings
When propagated by cuttings, cuttings of five to seven centimeters in length are needed. For rooting, the cuttings are placed in water or one end is added dropwise in the sand. Cuttings will take root within 3-4 weeks. The cuttings are planted in 9-centimeter individual pots in a substrate of equal parts of humus, leafy and soddy soil, and sand. To grow lush bushes, cuttings need to be planted several pieces in one pot. Young fuchsias should bloom in the same year. Slow growing species are best propagated by cuttings in late summer.
Fuchsia - difficulties:
▪Fuchsias do not tolerate stagnant air - during the growing season, the room must be regularly ventilated or put Fuchsia on the balcony.
▪Fuchsia can bloom for a short period with abundant watering and keeping in warm conditions in winter; with insufficient lighting in spring and summer; with insufficient watering and top dressing in the summer.
▪If Fuchsia sheds leaves in winter, the plant can be removed from bright light, and emerging buds need to be pinched.
▪Leaves may drop if humidity is too low, watering is poor, and temperatures are too high.
▪ Fuchsia buds fall in low light and too warm air, as well as irregular watering.
The plant can get spotted if the plant is watered too often in winter.
▪During flowering or budding, the plant must not be rearranged - it may drop buds. The same consequences will be if you put Fuchsia in a draft.
▪Most often Fuchsias are annoyed by whiteflies and spider mites.
Diseases and pests of fuchsia
whitefly
The most common pest of fuchsias is the whitefly. These are small (up to 2mm) flies white color. They got their generic name because both pairs of wings are covered with white pollen. Outwardly similar to a microscopic moth. Large colonies of these insects, adults and larvae, live on the lower surface of the leaf. They are easy to spot, because when shaking the foliage of the plant, the flies take off en masse.
The larva has 4 instars. In the first, she is mobile, with legs and antennae. Her task is to find appropriate place to attach to the sheet. In subsequent instars, the larva is already immobile: it firmly “attaches” to the leaf and sucks out the juice through the stylet immersed in the tissue. During this period, the larva resembles a transparent flat scale.
During mass reproduction, such scale larvae completely cover the leaves. The consequence of this defeat is the yellowing of the leaves, the crushing of flowers, the drying of the shoots. Like other sucking insects, the whitefly secretes sweet honeydew, on which sooty fungi develop. The whitefly is also dangerous as a carrier of viruses - pathogens of plant diseases.
At the fourth age, the larva turns into a pupa. It changes greatly, becomes convex, opaque, covered from above with wax secretions. After molting, the pupa turns into an adult insect.
There are several types of whitefly: citrus, greenhouse, tobacco.
The citrus whitefly harms subtropical trees and shrubs in the south of the Krasnodar Territory and in greenhouses.
The greenhouse whitefly is a species of tropical origin. IN open field does not overwinter. But in greenhouses it harms all year round. Gives 5-7 generations per year.
Tobacco (or cotton) - outwardly does not differ from the greenhouse, but has some features in development. It is highly resistant to pesticides.
Control measures
Good results are obtained by 3-4 single spills of all plants with Aktara (4 g of the drug per 5 liters of water). Plant sap becomes deadly to pests. Multiple treatments are necessary because after treatment, only those stages of the pest that feed on the sap of the plant die.
It is better to alternate treatments with Aktara and Confidor. Since the use of only one drug can contribute to the emergence of a resistant generation of pests.
Also well complements insecticides washing plants soapy water. This solution should be left on the plant for about 1 hour, and then rinse the plant a little warm water washing off by hand the larvae on the underside of the leaves.
To reduce the number of adults, you can use yellow adhesive traps, where insects fall when disturbed by shaking the foliage. But only the use of insecticides gives a guaranteed result.
Red spider mite
This is very petty arthropod(0.25-0.4mm) reddish in color, found on the underside of the leaves. The tick sucks the juices out of the plant. The surface of the leaves is first covered with separate pale dots, the area of damage gradually increases, the spots merge, the leaves turn yellow and die. A barely noticeable white web sometimes appears under the leaves. Very often, the mite is activated in dry conditions at a high temperature of the plant.
Control measures
Treat (spray) the plant with preparations "Agravertin", "Fitoverm", "Confidor". Remove affected leaves.
Prevention: Frequent spraying of fuchsia with warm water.
Root rot
Fuchsia loves abundant and regular watering, but sometimes fungal root rot occurs due to excessive waterlogging in fuchsia. This is indicated by the following symptoms: the leaves become lethargic and lose their luster, despite the moist ground. The plant dies quickly
Control measures
Unfortunately, the plant most often cannot be saved, neither by regulation of watering, nor by transplantation. Even cuttings from such plants, as a rule, do not take root.
Yellowing leaves
Fuchsia - deciduous plant, so it naturally loses some of yellow leaves at the base, but this should not be confused with leaf fall. Leaf drop can be caused by aphids, thrips, or red spider, but in this case, pests or their "tags" are easy to notice on the leaves.
If no signs of pests are noticeable, then there can be many reasons for leaf fall. All varieties of hybrid trifill are notorious for their "baldness" at the base, mainly due to large fluctuations in temperature or, as was the case this year, due to improper watering. In particular, this happens after heavy watering following excessive drying of the soil. In common cultivars, leaf yellowing is most likely caused by overwatering or underwatering. Another reason is where you use too hard tap water, as fuchsias take offense at too a large number of lime. A very common but rarely identified cause of excessive yellowing is sunburn, which can caused by foliar spraying in the first summer weeks without sufficient shading. In this case, the sun dries the moisture from the leaves, leaving yellow “strokes” on them.
Mature plants two years old or older often turn yellow due to lack of magnesium unless transplanted into fresh compost. There is usually a large supply of this important element in our earth mixtures. But when we grow plants in the same compost, we deplete it, causing magnesium deficiency, which manifests itself in the color of the lower leaves in a pale yellow color.
An important role of magnesium for the plant is that it is part of chlorophyll, the substance that makes the plant green. Chlorophyll is vital to plants as it is responsible for absorbing the sun's energy and converting it into chemical energy that causes the plant to grow.
Excessive magnesium deficiency is not common, but when it does happen, it is usually found in the greenhouse first. Without this element, the plant cannot produce chlorophyll: pale yellow spots and streaks appear on the lower leaves, which eventually fall off. Severe shortages can cause plants to go completely "bald" by mid-summer, much like a spider mite infestation.
The "cure" is very simple - when the first signs appear, pour or spray with a solution of magnesium sulfate two or three times.
The lack of another element that causes yellowing of the leaves is iron deficiency. In this case, spraying or top dressing with jelly-containing preparations will be required.
Outdoor plants can also turn yellow - they usually fall prey to excessive changes in temperature. These are those plants that have not been sufficiently hardened off before planting outdoors and especially those that have not been transplanted into fresh soil before planting.
Room fuchsia care video
The beauty of fuchsia attracts many women. This plant can be grown both indoors and outdoors. Fuchsia flower is not a tall bush, which, when flowering, is strewn with various flowers, pleasing with a variety of colors and shapes. Fuchsia grows in Mexico, South and Central America, mainly in mountainous areas. Some types of fuchsia grow in New Zealand. Conditions favorable for the growth of this flower are fog, partial shade and moist, cool air. You can grow fuchsia at home, you just need to follow the rules for the care and reproduction of this unpretentious plant. Fuchsia. Cultivation and care
Temperature regime A favorable temperature for plant growth is considered to be 18 ° C - 25 ° C. In summer, when it is up to 30 ° C outside, fuchsia grows very well, and especially in the month of August. If the temperature begins to rise, then the flowering of fuchsia stops, the bush dries up and throws off the leaves. And direct sunlight, especially in the heat, will lead to the complete death of the plant. In order not to overheat the fuchsia roots, which are very sensitive, they plant it in a large ceramic pot. If the pot is made of plastic, then it heats up quickly and can damage the plant.
fuchsia lighting The light for this flower needs bright enough, but a little diffused. Therefore, in open ground, fuchsia should be located in partial shade, and at home - on a window facing east or west. The sun tolerates morning or evening fuchsia quite well, and the period of hell that occurs in the daytime, the plant may not withstand and wither. When the bush blooms, it cannot be turned over and rearranged anywhere, as it can immediately throw off all the flowers and even buds.
Watering Fuchsia should be watered abundantly when the soil begins to dry out. Winter watering should be moderate. For this, soft water, previously settled, is used. Closer to winter, in the last months of autumn, watering is gradually reduced and brought to once, twice a month, if the temperature drops below 0 ° C.
Air humidity Fuchsia leaves must be sprayed with water from a spray bottle twice a day, and in autumn and winter they do not need this procedure. In the spring and summer, to increase humidity, a container filled with pebbles and water is installed next to the fuchsia.
Top dressing In open ground, biological fertilizers are useful for fuchsia, and at home, you can use ready-made top dressing from specialized stores. It is necessary to choose fertilizers for indoor flowering plants. In winter, fuchsia is not required to be fed, and in the rest of the period it is necessary to fertilize quite often - once a week.
Fuchsia transplant Every year this flower needs spring transplant. The soil must be fertile (you can use special mixtures purchased in gardening stores) and drainage must be provided in the pot. You can add humus, sand and loam to the soil to retain water.
Reproduction of fuchsia In order for fuchsia to grow thicker, it needs to be cut more often. And you can plant it in an ordinary or hanging pot. If several varieties are planted in one container, then when flowering begins, fuchsia will delight the eye with a riot of colors.
Fuchsia is propagated by cuttings. This procedure is carried out in February-March. If the bush grows slowly (it depends on the variety), then cuttings can be taken in August or September. The resulting cuttings from 5 to 7 cm long must be rooted in sand, water or loose soil. After 20-25 days, roots begin to appear at the cutting, and the finished seedlings are transplanted into 7 or 9 cm pots. The soil for fuchsia should contain equal parts of sand, humus and earth (leaf and sod). To create a lush bush, you need to plant several cuttings in one pot. The young plant will bloom in the same season.
Fuchsia can also be propagated by seeds., but in order for the seeds to mature, they require cross-pollination (artificial) pollination. If you mix several varieties, you can get hybrid plants, with a variety of new shapes and colors of flowers.
Fuchsia can also be propagated by leaves.. To do this, the leaves, which are more developed, are removed from the stem along with the stem. mother plant and are laid in the ground, which should be soft, a centimeter deep and covered with glass or plastic on top. In order for the stems to grow well, they need to be sprayed every day with a spray bottle. Water for this should be boiled and warm. To transplant young plants into separate pots, you need to wait for the appearance of small rosettes from the base of the stem.
Why fuchsia does not bloom If the fuchsia does not bloom, then perhaps in the winter the plant was not properly cared for. In winter, the temperature acceptable for fuchsia should be between 5 ° C and 10 ° C. In this case, the plant slows down its growth and is at rest. If the temperature rises, then the duration and brightness of the illumination must also be increased.
If fuchsia was pinched and cut off late, then this can also affect the distance of the flowering period. You need to cut broken, weak and diseased branches. And this procedure must be carried out in the spring, and then also in the fall. If fuchsia hibernates in a cold room, then all branches must be cut by 1/3. If the plant overwinters in a warm place, then it is better to prune in February or March.
You can give fuchsia a variety of shapes pinching shoots in certain places. To form an ampel, the fourth pair of leaves is usually pinched. And if the entire bush is to be formed, then only the third pair of leaves is removed. At the top of the plant, more than 2 pinches are not made, and at the bottom, extra sprouts are removed once so that flowering comes quickly.
Avoid mistakes in growing fuchsia: Hot place, low light or direct sunlight. The whole plant suffers from this - the roots deteriorate, the buds are shed, the plant becomes smaller. If a lot of nitrogen was added to the soil, or vice versa, the plant lacked the necessary substances (phosphorus or potassium) for the development of buds, then all this negatively affects the plant. If the pot is not chosen correctly, then flowering does not occur. Fuchsia roots should wrap around the entire potting soil, so the container should be the size of the root system.
Fuchsia (lat. Fuchsia) - evergreen perennial shrub, belonging to the Cyprus family. This plant is pleasing to the eye. bright flowers all kinds of shades, so it is so often liked to settle on home window sills. Fuchsia is native to New Zealand, South and Central America. In culture, the flower has been grown for over 200 years. Below we will go into more detail on how to care for fuchsia, how often to water, when to repot, and what to do if it does not bloom.
In nature, fuchsia looks like a shrub with flexible branches and oval, slightly serrated leaves along the edges. Depending on the variety of fuchsia indoor blooms V different time year, so you have every chance to start a flower bed on the windowsill, which will be full of flowers from early spring to late autumn. Among the varieties, there are simple (for example, Bon Accord, Winston Churchill), semi-double (Satellite, Snowcap), terry (Fuchsia Margarita) and racemes (Leverkusen).
Temperature, lighting
Proper care of fuchsia at home begins with choosing the best place to place it. The flower needs partial shade or bright light, but without direct sunlight. Fuchsia feels good on eastern and northern window sills. Delicately colored varieties are best kept in partial shade, and fuchsias with bright colors are best kept in a well-lit place.
The plant loves cool rooms, so in summer it is necessary to try to ensure the temperature in the room is up to 24 ° C, and in winter - up to 15 ° C. In the warm season, the flower can be taken out to the balcony or street, choosing a well-lit place. The plant does not tolerate heat well and needs to be sprayed, but this must be done after sunset. You can place the plant pot on a pallet with wet pebbles or expanded clay. To make fuchsia less overheated in summer, choose a light-colored pot.
Soil and watering
The fuchsia flower loves moist soil, however, excessive watering can lead to rotting of the root system. Provide a drainage layer of expanded clay or pebbles at the bottom of the pot. Fuchsia should be watered regularly in the warm season, but at the same time make sure that it has time to dry. upper layer soil. Water must be settled or filtered. In winter, watering fuchsia needs to be reduced to a minimum. Provide the flower with a dormant period, but do not allow the earthy coma to dry out.
The plant loves loose, breathable soil. If you will prepare the soil for fuchsia yourself, then it is best to take 3 parts of soddy soil, 3 parts of leaf humus, 1 part of sand and peat. If you are purchasing ready ground in the store - choose universal or for flowering plants. You can add some peat mixture to it.
It is necessary to fertilize fuchsia complex fertilizers for flowering plants during the growing season. Add fertilizer to water for watering once every 1-2 weeks from the moment when the first buds appear on the flower. You can add liquid fertilizer to the spray water, but only until the buds open. Stop feeding in September, when the shoots ripen. In winter, during the dormant period, it is not necessary to fertilize fuchsia.
Pruning and transplant
Due to the flexibility of fuchsia branches, it is possible to give an ampelous, bushy or pyramidal shape. The plant is pruned before wintering and in spring. Before sending the fuchsia to rest, the old branches are shortened by 2/3, and the young by 1/3. All leaves, flowers and buds are removed. In the spring, branches should be shortened by another 2 buds, dried ones and those that grow inside the crown should be removed.
If pruning was not performed in the fall, double work should be done in the spring. To ensure a beautiful shape and prevent the plant from being exposed, new branches must be pinched twice in the spring. The last pinching should be done in the last decade of May, so as not to delay flowering.
Houseplant fuchsia requires an annual transplant. It is necessary to take a pot, 3-4 cm larger in diameter and height than the previous one. Too much capacity will provoke the growth of new shoots, but will slow down flowering. Bushes up to 3 years old are simply transferred to new pots, and in adult fuchsias they partially change the soil or add 3 cm of fresh earth on top.
Growing fuchsia outdoors
Fuchsias do great outdoors. Moreover, this significantly reduces the risk of pest infestation - in a hot and dry room, fuchsia is much more likely to be attacked by spider mites and aphids.
planting
It is necessary to transfer the flower to open ground in late spring - early summer. So that fuchsia can withstand winds and rains, a support is first dug into the ground. Effective top dressing with biological fertilizers.
For planting in the ground, it is better to select varieties with powerful straight shoots. It is better to choose a shaded place, since most fuchsias do not tolerate direct sunlight. But there is also hybrid varieties, bred for growing on sunny sites - "Coral", "Aloha". Ampel compact varieties are best planted directly in pots, because for the winter the flowers will still have to be removed indoors.
There are very few cold-resistant fuchsias that can withstand frosty winters in the open field (for example, Magellanic fuchsia). Some flower growers conducted successful experiments on wintering fuchsias on outdoors- with the onset of cold weather, the ground part of the plant was cut off at the root, and the area with the roots was insulated. If you want to save the plant for sure, it is better to put it indoors or on a glazed loggia by winter, because fuchsias love a cool winter. At the same time, do not forget about pruning before winter holidays.
Problems when growing fuchsias
Even if you are sure that you know how to care for a flower, no one is immune from periodic difficulties. Fuchsias rarely get sick, but are subject to attacks by whiteflies, aphids and spider mites.
Pests
- Whitefly. When a whitefly infects fuchsia, spots appear on the leaves, they turn yellow and fall off. Soot fungus appears on damaged areas.
- Spider mite. When a plant is infected with a spider mite, the leaves become discolored and fall off, and black dots are visible on their reverse side. The pest loves rooms with low humidity.
- Aphid. With the defeat of aphids, you can see its colonies on the outer parts of the plant. At the same time, the leaves are twisted, the stems are bent, the buds remain unopened.
If pests have just appeared, help in the fight against them can warm shower(with water temperature 36-38 °C). After the procedure, the plant must be allowed to dry and only then put on sunlight. If this does not help, a 3-fold insecticide treatment should be carried out with an interval of 7 days. A solution is prepared according to the instructions, after which the crown is sprayed with it and covered with a plastic bag for half an hour, and the substrate is watered with a 2-fold dose for spraying.
Other issues
- Falling buds and leaves can be observed when the irrigation regime is violated, lack of lighting, a sharp change in location in relation to light, hot air.
- A short flowering period of fuchsia can be triggered by insufficient top dressing, lack of light and humidity during the growth period, and insufficiently cool wintering.
- Brown spots and yellowness of the leaves appear due to waterlogging of the soil in the cold season.
fuchsia bloom
The plant blooms profusely and for a long time. The flowers consist of a tubular corolla with bent edges and a bright calyx. They are somewhat reminiscent of lanterns hanging from branches. Fuchsia bloom can be either monochromatic (pink, red, orange, white, purple, lilac), or contain several shades at once.
During the flowering period, it is important not to turn the plant on the other side to the light source, otherwise it may drop the flowers. Wilted ones must be removed immediately so as not to stimulate the ripening of inflorescences, due to which the flowering period is shortened. Usually, the flowering period of fuchsia does not provoke allergic reactions in others.
Reproduction of fuchsia
Reproduction of fuchsia at home is possible with the help of seeds or cuttings. It is best to start the cultivation process in the spring. Fuchsia loves coolness, and in summer the cuttings often rot from high temperature air.
cuttings
It is necessary to take young cuttings of fuchsia 10-20 cm long, since lignified ones will take longer to take root. Before putting the stalk in water, you need to remove all the lower leaves and shorten the remaining ones so that the evaporation of moisture through them does not weaken the sprout. You can use regular filtered water.
Above a container of water to prevent evaporation of moisture, you can build a greenhouse by covering the stalk plastic bag. The first roots sometimes appear after 4 days, although the process usually takes 10-14 days. It is not necessary to wait for the appearance of long roots - the cutting can be transplanted into the substrate as soon as they hatch.
There is another way to root cuttings - placing them immediately in the substrate. In this case, the placement of the greenhouse is mandatory, otherwise the leaves will lose turgor. The advantage of such rooting is that the cutting adapts to the ground faster. After rooting, the greenhouse can be removed. At first, there will be a loss of leaf turgor until the plant gets used to more low level room humidity than in a greenhouse.
Reproduction by seeds
This method is complicated, but interesting, since a plant grown from seeds rarely retains the properties of the original flower. To do this, it is necessary to exclude self-pollination of fuchsia and its pollination by insects. The anthers are removed from the still unblown flower, and the pollen of the paternal plant is applied to the stigma of the pistil.
After that, a fabric or paper cover is put on the flower to protect it from insects. When the fruit ripens, it is carefully cut, the seeds are removed and dried for a couple of days. It is best to sow seeds in March-April on moist soil, then place the container in a greenhouse and provide good lighting and room temperature.
Seedlings appear after 2 weeks, and after 1.5-2 months, seedlings can be planted more spaciously. After another two months, young plants can be planted in separate pots. Seedlings gradually adapt to environment, periodically opening the greenhouse. If this is done abruptly, young shoots may die.
If fuchsia does not bloom
The reason for the short flowering of fuchsia may be insufficiently cool wintering. When kept in a hot room, the plant may not bloom at all. The absence of flowers can also provoke:
- abundant or insufficient watering;
- poor lighting;
- lack of nutrients in the soil.
Purchase Features
Fuchsia can be purchased at a specialized flower shop or greenhouse. When choosing a seedling, pay attention to the appearance of the plant - the roots should not protrude above the substrate, the leaves should not have spots, dry patches. The tip of the central shoot should not be damaged or pinched. The plant must be accompanied by a certificate indicating the variety, shape of the bush and a photograph of flowering. The cost of a young rooted fuchsia cutting is 200 rubles.
Fuchsia is indoor plant with bright flowers, which can be planted even in open ground. With proper care, it will delight you with long flowering. Fuchsias are easily propagated by cuttings, which makes it easy to expand the collection.
Luxurious, spectacular, bright fuchsia, without a shadow of exaggeration, can be called a real "precious decoration" of any home and garden. For the first time, people learned about this plant more than 300 years ago, and since that time several thousand varieties of fuchsia have been bred. various forms and shades that many amateur flower growers are happy to grow in their greenhouses and gardens.
Fuchsia in the garden and in the house
According to the biological description, fuchsia is a small, compact tree with flexible reddish shoots, medium-sized leaves that are lanceolate, green or red, and numerous flowers of various shades and types.
Fuchsia flowers consist of two parts: a bowl and a corolla of a tubular shape, under which there are bright long stamens. Often the corolla and calyx of the flower have different shades. And outwardly, these inflorescences are very reminiscent of miniature dancers in elegant fluffy or flowing skirts.
This plant has a very long flowering period. With proper care, it can last from early spring to almost winter. This made fuchsia very attractive to flower growers. Over the three centuries during which active selection of this flower was carried out, a huge number of plant varieties were bred. Among them are fuchsia various kinds, including upright and ampelous, larger and more compact, as well as very showy varieties with flowering shoots collected in racemose inflorescences, etc. Fuchsia is a great decoration for windows, winter gardens and loggias. In addition, during the summer period, it can be placed on open terraces and in the garden. How Dahlias are grown can be understood by reading this
Description of varieties and their features
In nature, there is a wide variety of types of fuchsias, the most famous of which are:
- trifoliate. It is a medium-sized shrub with highly branched branches and small bright fiery red racemes-inflorescences. Blooms from May to September. It is afraid of frost, but is resistant to high temperatures;
Fuchsia trifoliate
- shining or shiny. Grows up to 2 m. It has reddish shoots with large heart-shaped leaves. Flowers with a red calyx with yellow tips and a raspberry corolla;
Fuchsia shining
- splendance. Gives large fruits with lemon flavor and tart aroma of spices;
fuchsia splendens
- Bolivian. Differs in high growth. It has pleasant to the touch, velvety foliage and large inflorescences of white and red.
Fuchsia Bolivian
For growing in room conditions, mainly varieties of the hybrid type are used, differing among themselves in the type of growth. These include:
- bush fuchsias having even shoots growing in a vertical direction;
- ampel type varieties, a distinctive feature of which are flexible stems of small thickness, freely falling down;
- ampel-bush type, with a long stem that requires tying to a support;
- quite often, fuchsias are grown in floor-type containers and other suitable containers.
The following are best for growing in containers:
- Allison Bell. It has spectacular semi-double flowers of a purple-red hue.
- Armbro Campbell. Valued for its beautiful terry-type double inflorescences with bright red narrow sepals and pale pink petals that open in winter.
- Waist. Distinctive feature varieties - bright orange color.
- Anabel. Presented in ampelous and bush form, it has white terry-type flowers, large in size. But how a flower such as Wisteria is planted can be understood from this
No less popular with flower growers are ampelous fuchsias, whose graceful, curly shoots are attractive. appearance and decorative:
- Prince of Peace- with simple flowers with white sepals, surrounded by a red skirt;
Prince of Peace
- Hollis Beauty- with terry inflorescences of a white-pink hue;
Hollis Beauty
- Blue Angel- blooming with beautiful lilac-purple flowers with a white frame, etc.
Reproduction methods
When growing fuchsia for own house or garden, several main methods of its reproduction are used. These include:
- cuttings;
- Reproduction using seed material;
- Breeding with leaves.
Fuchsia cuttings are most often carried out in February-March, less often in the second half of August-September (this is how slowly growing varieties propagate). For this purpose, cuttings are used, having a length ranging from 5 to 7 cm, which are rooted in sand or water. Three weeks after the appearance of the roots, they are transferred to pots with a soil substrate consisting of rotted humus, leafy, soddy soil and sand, taken in equal proportions.
To get beautiful, large plants with a lush crown, several seedlings should be placed in one container at the same time. Young shoots will begin to bloom in the year of planting.
It is very convenient to germinate fuchsia cuttings in peat tablets which can be purchased in specialized stores. In this case, they are slightly moistened with water, and after soaking, the cuttings are placed in their central part, making a small depression there. Tablets with cuttings should be covered and placed in a warm place (greenhouse). Rooting of plants planted in this way will occur in about 7-10 days. Then the cutting, together with the tablet, can be planted in a suitable container with a prepared substrate for an adult plant.
To obtain fuchsia from seeds for their ripening, they resort to artificial pollination. Thus, mixing various varieties, you can get new hybrids with outward signs different from the original material. Seed material is obtained from fully ripe fruits of the plant, collected in dry, warm weather.
Harvested seeds must be well dried to prevent rotting and maintain germination.
Leaf propagation of fuchsias is carried out according to the following method:
- The stems, together with several full-fledged leaves, are torn off from the mother plant and placed in the soil of a loose consistency, deepening no more than 1 cm.
- They are covered with glass or plastic lids.
- Every day, the cover is removed and the planted leaves are sprayed from the sprayer with boiled water, cooled to a warm state.
- After the appearance of root shoots at the base of the stem, the plants are moved to small pots for further rooting.
Caring for fuchsia is quite simple, so almost anyone can grow this magnificent plant in their home. But in order for the “dancing flower” to delight you with its flowering for a long time, when growing it at home, it is important to pay attention to the following points.
Temperature selection
During the period of growth and active flowering in the spring and summer, the flower should be placed indoors (or outdoors) with temperature regime 18-25 degrees. The plant does not like heat very much, so if you keep it on a terrace or balcony, keep in mind that when the air temperature rises above these limits, fuchsia can “be capricious”, stop blooming and dropping leaves. So in the summer, during the daytime, it is better to cover it from the sun. In winter, fuchsia can be placed in rooms with a temperature in the range of 8-10 degrees.
Light
Fuchsias of all kinds prefer to "live" in conditions with good lighting. But too intense, blinding light is treated negatively. Therefore, they will be very grateful to you if you place them on the windowsill of the east or west window in your apartment or in the light partial shade in the garden. In the daytime, it must be protected from heat and the sun, and this flower will perceive its morning and evening rays very well.
After the start of flowering, fuchsia is not moved to another place and is not rotated. This will cause her flowers to drop and her buds to open.
Watering rules
When growing fuchsia, it is of great importance proper watering. In spring, summer and autumn (until October) it should be plentiful, in winter it should be moderate. Starting from mid-autumn, the frequency and amount of watering is reduced to a minimum. On the onset negative temperatures fuchsias are watered 1-2 times a month.
top dressing
For this purpose, balanced liquid fertilizers for flowering plants. From the end of March until the onset of autumn, fuchsia is fertilized with a frequency of 1 time per week. In autumn, the number of dressings is reduced to once every three weeks, and in winter the flower is not fed.
It is necessary to transplant fuchsia as it grows, when the container in which it is located becomes small for it.. This will be evidenced by the appearance of roots from the drainage hole. For planting, a soil mixture is used, consisting of humus, peat, compost soil, taken in the same amount, with the addition of washed river sand of large fractions.
For better growth and development, fuchsia is regularly pinched. The first time - after rooting, and then - every spring, until flowering.
Winter care and pruning
Some inexperienced flower growers are afraid to grow a "dancing ballerina" at home, because they do not know how to properly care for fuchsia in winter. First of all, at this time you need to make correct pruning plants. This procedure is performed twice a year:
- In October, after termination active growth and flowering, faded shoots are cut off to a height of about 2 cm from sleeping buds located in the axils of the flower. It also removes seed pods and wilted flower stalks.
- In January. At this time, the final formation of the crown of the flower takes place.
To prepare fuchsia for a dormant period in winter, the amount of watering and fertilizing is gradually reduced, after which the pot with the plant is moved to a room with moderate humidity and a temperature of 8 to 10 degrees. For this purpose, it is convenient to use glazed balcony, a loggia or even a cellar.
To create more comfortable conditions a flower pot can be placed in a box with sawdust or insulated with foam.
Keep in mind: if you decide to leave fuchsia for "wintering" on the window in a room with a working central heating don't expect her good growth and spectacular flowering in spring and summer. In winter, she needs rest and coolness.
Video
You can learn about the intricacies of caring for fuchsia from this video.
Pest and disease control measures
Despite its unpretentiousness and endurance, the "dancing flower" has its own natural enemies and pests. These include:
- rust, manifested in the appearance of round brown spots at the bottom of the leaf blades. Diseased leaves must be removed to prevent damage to healthy shoots. After that, the plant is sprayed with Topaz.
fuchsia rust
- Chlorosis. Causes yellowing of the leaves. It occurs as a result of excessive waterlogging and a lack of magnesium and nitrogen."Treated" by the introduction of appropriate minerals and a decrease in the amount of watering.
fuchsia chlorosis
- whitefly, sucking nutritious juices from the leaves of the flower, because of which they turn yellow and fall off. At the same time, the plants are washed with soap (if the leaves are still green) or treated with Actellik, Aktara, etc.
Whitefly defeat
- spider mite. Appears in a dry and hot period. It manifests itself in the form of a weak yellowness that occurs on the surface of the leaves. At the same time, their reverse side is covered with a yellow-white coating with small black-and-white dots. To combat the problem, the drugs Fufanon, Fitoverm, Agravertin, etc. are used.
The ancestors of fuchsia are exotic trees and shrubs that grew exclusively in New Zealand and Central America. There are many varieties, but the encyclopedia gives out only one Fuchsia hybrid or, in the Russian way, fuchsia hybrid.
Flowers homemade fuchsia have the shape of small bells or, as flower growers say, Chinese lanterns. This many varieties are divided into terry and semi-double hybrids, in which the difference is the number of petals on the corolla.
Fuchsias are rich in many colors their colors: white, purple, ruby, red. There is still an opportunity to observe a carpal hybrid - this is when the inflorescences of fuchsia flowers are collected in loose.
Plant watering mode
Fuchsia, being at home, is a completely unpretentious plant. Very easy to take care of.
Watering seasonally:
- Autumn-spring - abundant watering.
- Winter - moderate watering. It is recommended to use settled water, as it is softer and healthier.
- October-November - stop watering. At low air temperature - no more than 2 times a month.
Light requirements
Any fuchsia needs bright diffused light. Location - East or West. It does not tolerate hot daylight, but is content with the morning rays of the sun. When the plant is flowering, it is better not to touch the plant, because the lovely flowers may fall off.
Temperature requirement
During the growing season, 18-25 degrees is enough. In summer, especially in August, open ground will have a good effect, but it will not be able to withstand more than 30 degrees (leaves, flowers may fall or begin to dry). Perfect solution is a balcony, terrace, loggia or something like that. To protect against overheating of the roots, it is advisable to use large ceramic pots.
Fertilizer and top dressing for fuchsia
Spraying will be very beneficial, especially during growth. It is worth doing this procedure in the evening or in the morning. They also use a bowl filled with pebbles and water, which is placed next to the plants, thereby creating additional moisture.
Biofertilizers are very effective if the plant is in open ground. If the plant is indoors, then any additives, fertilizers for top dressing will do. It is not necessary to feed the plants, more than 1 time per week, this will be enough. In winter, the plant should not be fertilized; basically, the first top dressing occurs approximately at the end of March.
Fuchsia transplant
A home plant needs to be transplanted once a year and this is done in the spring. For fuchsia, any fertile soil is suitable, which, if not at home, can be purchased at the store.
The composition, at best, should include:
- Drainage. Prevents the plant from gaining too much moisture.
- Humus or sand. It is used as an additional, useful additive.
- loam. It is used if fuchsia is ground in an open area. Retains moisture.
When transplanting, shoots are cut off - 1/3 of the total length. Be sure to transplant fuchsia into a larger pot.
What is it for? This will give an additional supply of oxygen to the plant, and is also used as a breeding method.
Reproduction:
- Reproduction when using leaves;
- Reproduction by means of seeds;
- Propagation by cuttings.
Reproduction of fuchsia cuttings
The main suitable period for such reproduction is February-March, sometimes August-September. Length - 5-7 cm. A loose medium is used for rooting: water or sand. Approximately, after 20-25 days, the first, small roots appear, which means the time of transplanting into pots is 7-9 cm.
Compound: leaf and sod land, humus and sand. All combined 1:1. In order to get a lush bush, several cuttings are planted in one pot at once, so it is possible to get the first flowers in the same year.
Propagation of fuchsia seeds
For seed propagation, artificial pollination is used. When mixing several varieties at the same time, you can get many hybrids.
Propagation of fuchsia leaves
Such reproduction occurs as follows: It is necessary to carefully tear off the most developed leaves and lay them in loose soil no more than 1 cm, then cover with a glass or plastic cover. With all this, in order to achieve good growth, it is necessary to spray them every day; for this procedure, a spray bottle with boiled and warm water is used. Transplanting into pots begins as soon as the first rosettes appear.
The purpose of reproduction is to increase the number of plants.
Fuchsia - diseases and pests
Diseases, in the case of fuchsia, are very rare. At high humidity - dewdrops are formed on the leaves. If the leaves are covered with powdery spots, it is worth spraying the plant with a prepared composition: the foundation is mixed with water in equal parts.
Healthy leaves are always green, without any damage, leaves.
Yellow leaves are chlorosis, it comes from an excess of water saturation or from a lack of magnesium and nitrogen.
Yellowness between the veins of the leaves - manganese is needed.
If the plant has undergone the appearance of dry, brown spots, then molybdenum is needed.
Like a man - internal organs, so in plants - roots can say a lot about any disease.
Healthy plants should have short and white roots. If the roots are intertwined with an earthen ball, then a transplant is needed in a larger pot than the previous one. If the roots are brown or any other dark color, almost black, then the whole point is that the fuchsia suffers from root rot. root rot appears if the plant constantly received a huge amount of water, most likely such a plant will not recover.
Strange as it may seem, but fuchsia has a chance to get sick with the so-called rust. You can recognize it by the brown circles on the sheet at its very bottom. Such leaves should be removed immediately to avoid further dissemination infections. Such a disease is infectious and can easily go to healthy plants.
After removing infected leaves, it is imperative to disinfect the inventory that was used, as well as hands. Be sure to spray 2-3 times, every 10 days. For spraying are used: cuproxate, Bordeaux mixture, Vectra, Topaz, Strobi.
Not less than great harm can be applied by small, white flies, about 2 mm. Such flies are nothing but moths. These flies lay their eggs on the lower leaves, where larvae then form and suck out all the juices from the plants, leaving sugary secretions.
Very badly damaged leaves turn yellow and fall off.
