Fuchsia is a popular flower among gardeners, because it has a pleasant appearance and beautiful long-lasting flowering. Another important fact is that the plant requires almost no care, and its reproduction and development occur simply and rapidly.
Caring for fuchsia at home
Fuchsia is native to New Zealand and South America. In these places, air humidity is very high, which means that if in natural conditions the plant receives an abundance of water, you need to create something similar at home. Therefore, gardeners need to regularly spray fuchsia with water to simulate tropical rains.
The plant is perennial, so it needs to be replanted and pruned periodically to form a crown. Fuchsia also has great requirements for lighting and place of growth - the plant does not like being placed in different places or the pot being rotated.
Fuchsia transplant
When you first bought a fuchsia, evaluate whether it has enough space in the pot. If yes, then the transplant may not be necessary. But when roots appear from the bottom, you need to transplant the plant into a larger vessel. Purchase a light-colored container so that it does not attract sunlight and does not heat up from it.
The video will tell you how to replant fuchsia:
When the plant begins to develop well, it is replanted annually. To do this, you need to perform preparatory steps:
- Fuchsia is first pruned to stimulate the growth of roots and shoots. To do this, healthy shoots are cut off by 30%, and all weakened and damaged shoots are cut off completely.
- They take out the plant and look at its rhizome. If there are diseased areas and rot, they are cut away until healthy tissue is found.
- Check that in the new pot the drainage is at least 20% of the height of the entire substrate.
After transplantation, the fuchsia is well sprayed and watered. Then they wait three weeks, after which it can be fed.
Choosing soil for fuchsia and fertilizers
The soil for fuchsia can be very diverse. If you plant it in a universal soil mixture sold in any flower shop, the plant will feel comfortable. Only one requirement is important: the soil must be light and loose. To do this, sand, ash, and peat are added to it. If you like experienced florist If you want to prepare the substrate yourself, use the following “recipes”:
- leaf soil, sand, peat (3:1:2);
- turf soil, peat, humus, compost (2:1:1:1).
As for fertilizers, fuchsia needs them every week. This is necessary for it to develop quickly and bloom profusely. As a rule, they choose “Effecton”, “Kemir”, “Pokon for geraniums”. Applications begin in March, gradually increasing the frequency and dosage by summer. In the fall, when the plant no longer blooms, fertilizing is reduced, stopping completely by winter.
Pruning fuchsia
Fuchsia is pruned and its crown is shaped several times, not only before transplantation. Without this it is impossible to ensure powerful development flower plant and intense flowering. As soon as the cutting has taken root, which can be easily verified, it is already pinched. The plant is then pruned annually in the spring before flowering. In summer, make sure that there are no very long shoots, which are cut off if necessary.
To form a beautiful crown, it is recommended to trim side shoots over 2-4 pairs of leaves. Also, pruning fuchsia (if it is a bush) can help form a standard plant). Select the central shoot and tie it to a support, and gradually remove all the side shoots.
Pinching fuchsia
In order for the plant to develop properly, young plants grown from seeds and bushes obtained from cuttings should be pinched. The video will show you how to do this correctly:
It is important not to be afraid to perform a simple operation, which consists of carefully cutting off the top of the plant above the third internode.
Watering and lighting
Fuchsia should be watered in moderation. During the season of active growth (March-October), the pot should be constantly moistened, but water should not stand in it. Therefore, it is watered, and after 15 minutes the remaining water is removed from the pan. In autumn, watering is reduced to 1-2 times a month. In winter it is completely excluded.
But one is not enough for successful cultivation fuchsia, because it's tropical plant. Leaves need to be sprayed regularly to artificial creation high humidity. You can also place a wide vessel with water (for example, a bowl) nearby.
Fuchsia does not tolerate hot air and direct sunlight, but loves diffused light. The shadow doesn't suit her either. The plant develops best on a balcony or on the windowsills of western and eastern windows, where the sun shines at dawn or dusk without burning the leaves of delicate plants.
Optimal temperature
In order for fuchsia to bloom a lot and for a long time and quickly grow shoots, it must grow at the optimal temperature. Flower growers note that this range is from +20 to +22°C during the day and +16 to +18°C at night. If fuchsia is constantly exposed to higher temperatures, it may stop blooming and lose its leaves. Therefore, when it is hot outside in the summer, it is recommended to spray it with cold (but not too much!) water.
The plant does not grow any better in a cold room. The roots may become cold and the leaves may wilt. To prevent this, foam or wood is placed under the bottom of the container with fuchsia.
Propagation of fuchsia at home
Fuchsia - perennial indoor flower, which can delight the eye with its beautiful flowering for many years. But it can also be propagated to produce even more beautiful flowers. From one bush you can grow many others. fuchsia is carried out by leaves, cuttings and seeds.
Fuchsia from seeds
Propagating fuchsia by seeds at home is an easy way to get a lot of seedlings. First of all, it is necessary to achieve the maturation of high-quality seed material. To do this, you need to determine mother plant and ensure the impossibility of self-pollination.
Get the seeds like this:
- as soon as the fuchsia blooms, all anthers are removed from it;
- take pollen from another fuchsia plant and apply it generously to the pistil;
- After this, the flower is tied with a bag of fabric or paper.
The ripening of the fruit with seeds lasts several weeks. Then the seeds are removed from it and dried thoroughly. Sow them in prepared bowls with substrate, applying directly to the surface.
How to plant fuchsia seeds
- The seeds are quite large, so they can be planted one at a time in separate cups without any problems.
- Planting depth is 0.5-1 cm.
- Cups with seeds are placed in a common container and a mini-greenhouse is organized, which is placed in a bright and warm place (just cover the container with the seeds with cling film or glass).
- You need to ventilate every day, water as the soil dries.
- If the outcome is favorable, seedlings will appear in two weeks, the shelter is removed.
- Further care is not complicated: you just need to water the seedlings on time.
- After two months, the seedlings are ready to be planted in a permanent pot.
Fuchsia cuttings
Fuchsia in early spring or autumn. It is not very successful to do this in the summer; fuchsia does not tolerate heat well, which means that the cuttings will not take root well.
Cuttings are performed as follows:
- make a cut of the apical cuttings perpendicular to their growth under the lower bud, selecting a length of 7-10 cm;
- Almost all of the lower leaves of the cutting are removed, leaving only the top 3 pairs;
- The seedling is placed in water or a moistened substrate for rooting.
- cover plastic cup to create greenhouse conditions.
- ventilate every day, water in moderation.
After 2-3 weeks, young roots appear. When this happens, the plants are planted in separate pots, selecting a nutrient substrate. The ideal composition is as follows: leaf, turf soil, sand, humus in equal parts.
Propagation of fuchsia by leaf
Experienced flower growers practice leaf propagation as follows:
- select a leaf and cut it off with its petiole;
- place the leaf in a nutritious, moistened substrate and cover with film;
- monitor the humidity in the mini greenhouse and ventilate it daily.
- After 2-4 weeks, roots and young shoots will form, and the bush can be transplanted into a permanent pot.
Fuchsia in winter
If the plant overwinters in a very warm place and there is little sun, the shoots will begin to stretch out, and there will be no flowering in the new season. This will affect decorative form fuchsia may even cause leaves to drop. To avoid this problem, you need to organize additional lighting or move it to a colder place - a basement, a balcony. In this case, watering and fertilizing are practically eliminated. When spring comes, the temperature around the flower is increased gradually so that it is not a shock to it.
Diseases and pests
- Powdery spots indicate powdery mildew. This problem occurs when there is excess water and humidity. To get rid of the disease, the flower is treated with “Topaz” or “Fundazol”.
- Dry or yellowed leaves indicate chlorosis. The disease occurs due to excessive moisture in the plant. winter time. If there are yellowing veins, the problem is a lack of magnesium. For treatment, watering with pinkish potassium permanganate is used.
- The underside of a leaf covered in dry brown spots indicates a severe fuchsia infection. The affected greenery must be urgently removed, and all remaining greenery must be treated with Bordeaux mixture three times a day, and repeated after 10 days.
- Droopy leaves indicate a lack of light or nutrient supply.
Why doesn't fuchsia bloom?
A healthy plant may refuse to bloom, and then you need to look for the reasons for this phenomenon. They may be different, but the root is the same - not proper care. The main problems are as follows:
- the plant overwintered in a warm place;
- there are practically no useful substances left in the soil;
- very frequent watering;
- the pot is of the wrong size;
- very little light, the lack of which slows down active growth and bud formation.
To ensure fuchsia, these problems must be eliminated. If the wintering was warm, after it the shoots are severely pruned. If the pot is unsuitable, organize a flower transplant. The roots should not protrude from the pot and should not feel too open, otherwise the fuchsia will begin to form green shoots and will not bloom.
Experienced gardeners know tricks for growing fuchsia that will also be useful to amateurs:
- fuchsia feels better in ceramic pots, as they hardly heat up in the summer;
- if it’s hot outside, you can put pieces of ice near the pot;
- in hot weather, fuchsia is hidden deep in the room.
Description of fuchsia
Fuchsia can take the form of a shrub, a hanging houseplant, or a small tree. It has beautiful flexible branches that grow in a downward direction. The leaves are bright green, oval, pointed in shape and up to 5 cm long.
The color of the flowers can be quite different - white, pink, blue, purple. Many of them have a bell-like shape, and some remind gardeners of ballerinas in a dance. This is caused by the special structure of the flower. Thus, the tubular corolla is the start of the opening of soft petals into a fluffy skirt, reminiscent of a dancer’s tutu. Stamens of great length that peek out further - like the slender legs of a ballerina in pointe shoes.
Types and varieties of fuchsia with photos and descriptions
There are many types of fuchsia in nature, making it easy for breeders to develop many hundreds of hybrid varieties. They are the ones that can be found in indoor floriculture.
In general, all varieties according to the type of growth can be classified into the following groups:
- bush fuchsias - have smooth shoots that stretch upward;
- ampelous - the stems are thinned, flexible and fall down;
- hanging-bush - they have long stems, from which you can form a bush if you tie it to a solid support.
Bush varieties
If you want to grow bush fuchsias in floor containers, you should pay attention to these popular varieties:
Armbrough Campbell is one of the unpretentious varieties, which is characterized by rapid rooting. Flowering time is winter, when it is covered with large double flowers. soft pink color with narrow red sepals.
Alisson Bell - has a characteristic semi-double flowering purple-red hue.
Anabel - distinguished by large white double flowers. There are also in the ampelous group.
Henriette Ernst - has scarlet sepals, and the petals themselves against their background create a light lilac skirt.
Thalia - the flowers are painted in a bright orange hue.
Ampel varieties
Flower lovers admire even more ampelous varieties of fuchsia and try to purchase them, because their shoots beautifully fall down, hanging from hanging flower pots. The following varieties are especially distinguished:
How to grow fuchsia Fuchsia ampelous Holly’s Beauty photo of flowering
Hollies Beauty - terry variety, characterized by white-pinkish flowers;
Prince of Peace - although it blooms with simple flowers, it is in demand because of its white sepals and red skirt, which create a surprisingly delicate combination.
Blue Angel is another contrasting variety that also has white sepals, but they are already framed by lilac-purple flowers.
Imperial Crown is a variety with scarlet flowers in racemes.
Proper care of fuchsia in winter at home involves a number of activities. They are aimed at preparing the flower for the cold, properly preserving it and bringing it back to life with the onset of spring. Fuchsia is the subject of worship and adoration of most gardeners. This plant looks bright, striking everyone with its rich palette of colors and originality of shape. Fuchsia belongs to the category of perennial evergreen shrubs of the Fireweed family. This plant is native to South America. Thanks to its beauty and ease of care, it is incredibly popular among gardeners around the world. Today science knows several hundred species of this shrub growing in the wild. The plant easily tolerates transportation. It is equally well suited for life in a garden and a city apartment. Particularly appreciated by flower lovers is the fact that when good care fuchsia can live more than 50 years.
General rules for caring for shrubs
In order for an exotic flower to always please its owner, it needs to create appropriate conditions for growth, flowering and rest during the off-season. Therefore, everyone is interested in how to care for fuchsia growing in open ground and at home in flower pot.
Let's look at the basic rules for caring for fuchsia at home
Watering mode. Fuchsia belongs to the category of moisture-loving plants. It responds equally well to both root watering and external spraying. The shrub should be watered daily in small portions. A signal that the plant requires moisture is when the top layer of soil dries to a depth of 1 cm or more. But you should not overuse watering. Excess moisture leads to the development of mold and rotting of roots. You can avoid waterlogging by creating a drainage layer at the bottom of the flowerpot. For this, expanded clay or well-cleaned pebbles are used.
Flower lighting. Despite the fact that fuchsia is a heat-loving flower, it is not recommended to place it in direct sunlight. For this plant, reflected light and even partial shade conditions are quite enough. When choosing a location for a shrub, you need to take into account the contrast factor. Plants with flowers of a dark shade need more color, and plants with bright flowers light flowers They feel much better in the shade.
Selecting a soil mixture And. It is best to use black soil with the addition of leaf humus for growing shrubs. This composition will provide the root system with nutrients and give it freedom to grow. The plant needs constant feeding. For blooming fuchsia you need to use biological fertilizers with a minimum nitrogen content. Fertilizers can be applied along with irrigation liquid or by adding them directly to the soil. When winter comes, the plant does not need feeding. It enters a state of rest when there is no need for nutrients.
Temperature maintenance. Despite the fact that fuchsia is native to hot countries, it reacts extremely negatively to high temperatures. When it increases above +25 ºС, the bush becomes lethargic, does not bloom or bear fruit. In summer, the flower must be protected from direct sun rays. To do this, you need to put the flowerpot in a cool place, and create artificial shade for the flower garden.
If the gardener follows these simple rules, then he will not have to look for the answer to the question of why exotic flowers and fruits do not appear on the fuchsia bush.
Preparing the plant for wintering
In winter, the shrub is dormant. This transition is due to the adaptation of fuchsia to climatic conditions when the temperature drops and the sun's rays become insufficient for normal functioning. The plant needs rest to restore the energy spent during the season and prepare for flowering next season.
Preparing shrubs for winter preservation is as follows:
Reducing watering volume. This should be done gradually, completely stopping watering for a month. Such an event should begin in September, so that by the first frost the stem and branches are completely dehydrated.
Stop applying fertilizer in any form. Stopping feeding stimulates the shedding of leaves and flower petals. The plant receives a kind of signal that it needs to reduce activity.
Limiting access to light. The flowerpot should be removed away from the window. It is necessary that only natural light reflected from the walls and ceiling falls on it. If this is not possible, then an incandescent lamp turned on for several hours a day will do.
Decrease in air temperature. The flowerpot must be taken out onto a glazed balcony, placed in a basement or other room where the air temperature does not exceed +15ºС.
After this, you need to wait until all the leaves and petals fall from the stems, and they themselves become dry and brittle.
Care for fuchsia in winter
After the shrub has entered a dormant state, it is necessary to carry out a number of measures to ensure normal winter hibernation and successful awakening in the spring.
The gardener must do the following:
Wash the inside of the flowerpot well and disinfect its walls. Arrange new drainage inside the pot and fill it with fresh fertile soil. Carefully place the bush into it.
After carrying out sanitary procedures, you need to place the fuchsia in a dark, damp place. In order to prevent the earthen clod from drying out and the roots from breaking, the plant must be periodically watered with clean, settled water.
If fuchsia is left warm for the winter, then there is a high probability that it will not bloom throughout the next season. This is one of the features of this beautiful but capricious flower.
Awakening of fuchsia in spring
It is necessary to bring the plant out of hibernation at the beginning of spring, when it becomes warmer and there is more and more sunlight.
In order for a flower to successfully enter an active state after wintering, the following manipulations must be performed with it:
Trim. This must be done in order to get rid of old wood, dead leaves and buds. Old branches are cut almost to the base, and fresh shoots are cut to a third of their length. In addition, the stems directed into the bush and forming dense plexuses in the crown are removed.
Place the flowerpot in a warm place, where the reflected light will hit the flower sunlight. Begin progressive watering with sufficient amounts organic fertilizers. You need to water the flower after sunset so as not to provoke stress. When the stem swells and gets stronger, it needs to be rinsed to remove dust that has accumulated over the winter.
Place a container of water next to the flowerpot to ensure uniform saturation of the wood with moisture from the inside and outside. If this is not done, the trunk and branches may become covered with cracks.
At proper preparation bush for wintering and bringing it out of hibernation, within a month the stem is completely restored. Buds and buds appear on it. If you plan to grow fuchsia outdoors in the garden, then it should be planted no later than a week after the last night frost.
Fuchsia propagation
The desire of any gardener to have several fuchsia bushes grown independently is quite understandable. This bush can be propagated at home, without the help of professionals.
Fuchsia propagation is carried out in two ways:
Seeds. The interesting thing about this approach is that the new plant can be very different from its parent. This happens due to self-pollination of the flower or the participation of bees in this process. The result of growing from seeds can be a greenhouse of flowers of the same genus of different colors.
Cuttings. A young shoot up to 20 cm long is cut off from a bush that has awakened from winter sleep. After removing the leaves from the lower part, the root is placed in clean water. After the roots appear, the cuttings are transplanted into the ground.
As the fuchsia grows, it is transplanted into a larger pot. This procedure must be carried out annually to provide space for the roots, which are constantly increasing in volume. It is better to replant in autumn or spring, when the plant is dormant.
Growing fuchsia and caring for it at home is of interest to many. Fuchsia is perennial plant. It is very popular among gardeners. This happened due to the fact that diversity decorative varieties It's simply amazing. The bright unusual color also played a significant role in this. If you decide to add a low, quite tenacious plant to your home flower garden evergreen, which also blooms beautifully, then you will obviously be interested in how to grow fuchsia at home.
For information
Fuchsia is a plant that cannot be confused with any other. Externally, the flower looks like a bright Chinese lantern. These lanterns hang from the branches and “illuminate” everything around.
The leaves of the plant are green, but may have a red tint. Their shape resembles an oval with pointed ends and jagged edges. If the flower is properly cared for, its flowering will last for a long time. The flowers have a long pedicel, a calyx with a tube with 4 long sepals, plus a bell-shaped corolla.
Very often, interior designers choose these indoor plants, which have a long flowering period, to create a cozy home phytodesign.
Many varieties of decorative fuchsia are unpretentious. Caring for fuchsia at home will not burden you much. Even novice gardeners can easily cope with this task. If you follow simple rules caring for fuchsia at home, this bright plant will delight you for a very long time.
The most common hybrid form is called ampelous fuchsia. Its stems cascade down. For growing in room conditions Suitable are bushy and bushy upright fuchsias.
The indoor fuchsia plant tolerates shade, so it will not cause you any difficulties in caring for it. Two-color fuchsia looks especially elegant; it is also grown in the garden.
If you do not want to decorate your room with an upright or cascading bush, then you have plenty of flowering variety fuchsia, represented by a miniature bonsai tree. To make the trunk of a miniature tree thicker, in the process of forming a bonsai, you need to weave a couple of shoots. Professionals in their field advise growing bonsai from cuttings so that you can give the desired shape yourself standard tree. It will take approximately 16 months for the plant to grow and it will be possible to begin shaping the bonsai using the Lingnan method.
Fuchsia color is popular among fashion designers and designers. What kind of shade is this? This is considered a rich combination of violet and pink or purple.
The optimal placement of fuchsia at home is when the windows face southwest or east. Placement on the south side is allowed, but then it is recommended to place the fuchsia in a pot on a table or stand next to the window.
Fuchsia likes light. It is desirable that he be absent-minded. In summer, make sure that the plant is not in direct sunlight. You can create a shadow by covering the window with thin papyrus paper or film. When the flowering period begins, you should not move the flower or turn the pot, as all the buds may fall off.
How to grow gorgeous fuchsia (video)
Important questions
How to care for fuchsia? Firstly, temperature regime. During the dormant period, the optimal temperature for fuchsia will be +16...20ºС. Try to place the plant so that it is not disturbed by drafts. When it begins to bloom, it becomes heat-loving. Try to maintain the temperature within +19...26ºС.
Air humidity. The recommended level of air humidity in the room is 40-60%. If the air is too dry, the leaves may begin to turn yellow and wilt. In spring and summer, the leaves should be sprayed with soft water several times a day.
Watering. Water the plant with soft, settled water. In winter, fuchsia needs two waterings for the whole month. When the growing season arrives, watering should be done regularly.
However, water should not stagnate around the root. Watering the plant should be done carefully after upper layer the ground will be completely dry. All excess water that drains must be drained from the pan immediately.
Earth mixture and fertilizing. You can independently prepare the substrate in which the fuchsia will be planted. To do this, you will need the same amount of leaf and turf soil, humus, peat and sand (coarse). A drainage layer is prepared separately. Expanded clay should be poured into the bottom.
Feeding occurs during the stage of active growth and flowering once every few weeks. Most the best option- This is a special complex fertilizer. The main thing is that it does not contain nitrogen.
Transfer. Transplant fast growing plant must be performed annually with the onset of spring. For replanting you will need a pot with thick walls. It is best if it is ceramic, since the roots are very delicate and can become very hot in ordinary containers.
Fill the new container with a drainage layer and then some soil. Place the new container next to the old one and carefully move the fuchsia along with the soil. Then soil is added to the sides of the pot.
Trimming. It is recommended to do pruning several times throughout the year. The first pruning is best done after the plant stops blooming. As a rule, these processes occur at the end of October. The first step is to remove faded branches from the axil. They are located above the dormant bud at a distance of several centimeters. Now you can start removing the flower stalks and seed pods.
The second pruning should take place in winter. From January you can begin to get rid of excess shoots, thereby forming the crown of the plant. If you plan to form a bonsai from fuchsia, then you need to leave only one shoot or a pair, which can be twisted together so that they serve as the trunk of the tree. In addition, it is necessary to pinch the tops to make the bonsai crown lush.
Reproduction methods
Fuchsia propagation occurs in several ways.
Cuttings. This method is the most optimal if you are a beginner gardener. You can propagate fuchsia using this method in the spring. Although this is not a fundamental condition.
You will need a young cutting, 12 to 20 cm long. The lower part of the shoot must be freed from leaves. It is then trimmed about halfway. Prepare filtered water in advance so that it has time to settle. The cutting must be placed in the same container. The top of the container must be covered. For this purpose, you can use trimmed plastic bottle or a thick translucent bag. 4-9 days will pass and roots will begin to appear. It's time to plant the cuttings in the ground.
Using leaves. You will need a healthy and well developed leaf. It must be cut with a sharp knife. Grab a piece of stem. Now this leaf needs to be planted in soft soil so that it goes 1 cm deep. The container must be covered with a plastic lid. Every day the substrate must be sprayed with warm boiled water, and the lid must be opened. When the base of the stem begins to produce small rosettes, the fuchsia flower can be transplanted into a separate pot.
Using seeds. This method is suitable for experienced gardeners and breeders. First of all, it is necessary to prevent the plant from self-pollinating. To do this, you need to get rid of the anthers that are located on unopened flowers. The next step will be to put the cover on the flower. You just need to do this carefully. It needs to be tied with a thread a little lower. As soon as the fruit is ripe, it must be removed with tweezers, cut open and the seeds removed from it.
The seeds will need several days to dry. They can then be sown on the moist soil of the container. The container is placed in the place good lighting. A few weeks will pass and seedlings will begin to appear. After a few months, you can start picking and start seating more spaciously. After picking, several more months must pass before the sprout can be transplanted into a pot.
Propagation of fuchsia by cuttings (video)
Why doesn't fuchsia bloom?
Why doesn't it bloom? Fuchsia does not bloom only when violations were made in important rules for caring for the plant. This is rare. But a novice florist should become familiar with these nuances.
This includes late pinching and choosing an overly hot place for growing. Alternatively, you applied too much nitrogen when fertilizing. It is possible that the plant was affected by a disease or pest. Perhaps the fuchsia is growing in a plastic or too small pot.
After eliminating negative factors, fuchsia will begin to delight with lush and long-lasting flowering.
About diseases and pests
Indoor fuchsia can be affected by the following pests:
Whitefly. This is exactly the beetle that most often “attacks” a beautiful fuchsia. It is identified by its white wings. to his appearance The whitefly resembles a moth. Pests are located in flocks on inside leaf.
The danger is that they begin to deplete the plant, using leaf juice as nutrition. As a result, fuchsia indoor flowers (and garden option) become smaller, the leaves turn yellow and begin to fall off. Fungal and viral diseases occur with the same symptoms. You can fight this insect with the help of insecticides.
Red. This is a small red insect that is located on the inside of the leaf. The mite uses plant sap as food, and pale spots form on the foliage. If treatment is not started in time, the green mass may completely change its color to yellow and then fall off.
An insecticidal drug is used against ticks. It is also necessary to get rid of the affected leaves. To avoid this development of events, spray fuchsia more often warm water.
As for diseases, they do not often affect the plant. However, many of them can lead to death.
The roots rot. If fuchsia is regularly waterlogged, the roots can be affected by fungus. In this case, the flower quickly dies, and the fuchsia will be difficult to save. Even the cuttings that you take from this plant will not take root.
The flower must be thrown away along with the soil in which it grew, but not in the garden. This is especially important if fuchsia is growing in the garden. If you do not get rid of the carrier of the infection, nearby specimens may be affected.
On the leaves indoor fuchsia rust appears. The disease is transmitted by fungi. Most often this disease occurs in open area. As for home conditions, this is less common here, only if the humidity is very high. Fungal spores settle on leaves and cause severe damage. Outwardly, they resemble a brown-orange coating. If you notice that “rusty” leaves have begun to appear, then you should get rid of them. For prevention purposes, a 2% solution of Bordeaux mixture is used. Fungicides can combat the emerging fungus.
Choosing a fuchsia seedling in the store
In the store, fuchsia can be found singly or in 3-4 cuttings. As a rule, it all depends on the pot in which the flower grows. When choosing a seedling in a store, you need to pay attention to the following points:
- Is the plant forming correctly?
- how pinching was performed;
- whether created favorable conditions for growing a flower;
- whether the plant looks healthy (a healthy look will have dark green and large leaves);
- The roots should not be visible from below.
If the seedling itself looks good and the leaves are small, then don’t expect the plant to look decorative anytime soon.
Judging by the small leaves, we can conclude that the plant is not sufficiently watered and fed. It is not entirely good if the seedlings in the store are kept in a dark place or poorly watered. In such plants, the buds will fall off and the leaves will turn yellow.
When buying fuchsia seedlings, be sure to check them for pests. Examine the sheets carefully to ensure there are no spots or dots on them. If you shake the plant, whiteflies should not fly off it.
Caring for and growing fuchsia at home is a fairly simple process. There are some secrets, but there is nothing supernatural about them.
Fuchsia prefers cool weather. In summer, the temperature should not be higher than 20ºС. The best option is a window sill on the north or east side or in the garden in the shade.
In summer, the plant must be saved from stuffiness. If possible, place the flower on the balcony or in the yard. It is advisable that the sun's rays reach there only in the morning.
The plant must be watered systematically, especially during the period of growth and flowering. The water must be filtered or settled. In summer, refresh the plant by spraying.
How to care?
During the flowering period of fuchsia it is required special care. You will need to follow special recommendations for caring for the plant.
During this period, watering should be carried out in sufficient quantities and systematically. Do not allow moisture to stagnate in the roots. You cannot continue watering until the water disappears from above.
Fuchsia is sensitive to change. So try not to move or turn the pot during flowering. Such actions can cause flowers and buds to fall off.
Beginning flower growers, when considering plant propagation, still have some questions.
- If a houseplant blooms for only a few weeks, it means you are not following the watering schedule. Perhaps the plant does not receive enough light, feeding, too heat environment.
- If you notice strange spots of a powdery consistency on the leaves of a plant, then most likely the moisture level in the room is increased. It is necessary to spray the flower with a solution of foundation and water. From now on, try to ventilate the room more often.
- If the leaves begin to turn yellow and have brown spots on them, the soil is too wet. Often yellow streaks and brown spots form first.
- What to do if the leaves fall off a lot? The reason may lie in too dry air, or you do not water the plant enough during the growing season.
And finally, why did the fuchsia buds suddenly begin to fall off during the flowering period? The most obvious reason is that you changed the location of the plant during the growing season. It has been said more than once that the pot should not be moved during the flowering period of fuchsia.
Bright, multi-colored and diverse fuchsias are precious gems in the collection of any gardener. Bringing it home curvaceous beauty, you need to know that growing and caring for fuchsia at home will require an amateur indoor plants application of all knowledge and strength.
Fuchsias are famous for their long flowering, from spring to late autumn. Plants can be grown as hanging, bush and standard forms. The incredible number of colors and types of fancy lanterns surprises and fascinates. Fuchsias grow quickly and are very responsive to care. But feeling a lack of attention, the plant may become capricious.
Features of caring for fuchsia at home
When cared for at home, a fuchsia flower retains its inherent seasonality in nature. The period of active growing and flowering lasts from spring to autumn, and in winter the plant rests. Therefore, observing the temperature regime when caring for indoor flowers is very important.
In summer, plants feel best in a moderately warm room or in the garden at a temperature of 16–24 °C.
If the atmosphere is cooler, the development of plants is inhibited, the formation of new buds stops, that is, the cold snap becomes a signal for fuchsia to begin a dormant period.
Exceeding 25 °C has a depressing effect on ornamental crops. Fuchsia may drop its buds, the foliage becomes smaller and turns pale. At such times, plants are at risk of being damaged by pests and diseases, and such danger is most likely when growing and caring for fuchsia in the garden.
On hot days, you need to take all measures to:
- protect the blooming beauty from the scorching sun;
- Regularly irrigate greenery with soft water;
- increase air humidity when kept indoors.
In indoor conditions, fuchsias thrive on western or eastern windows. There is needed by plants for flowering and maintaining the richness of the foliage, partial shade. If the pot is forced to be on the north window, the flower is provided with up to 12 hours a day.
Watering and feeding a fuchsia flower when caring at home
From spring to autumn, fuchsias should receive abundant watering, which gradually decreases towards the onset of the dormant season:
- Flowering plants have the greatest need for water;
- when the fuchsia is resting, having completed mass flowering, the soil under it is moistened approximately once a week.
It’s a different matter if the flower is about to retire. How to care for fuchsia in winter?
In winter, flowers are watered no more than twice a month. At the same time, they must be provided with a stay in a cool room at low positive temperatures. If this is not done, growing and caring for fuchsia at home will become much more difficult.
In the warmth and lack of light during the winter, the shoots stretch out, the foliage partially or completely falls off, and the bare skeleton of the former beauty remains on the windowsill. With the arrival of spring, such plants lag behind in development, less amicably and willingly enter the flowering season.
In winter, fertilizing is not needed, but during the growing season it helps fuchsia form many buds and quickly recover after flowering. They begin to fertilize flowers in the second half of March. Apply weekly for feeding.
When caring for fuchsia and growing it at home, you need to remember that watering with fertilizer is carried out on a slightly moist substrate. Foliar feeding of fuchsias is carried out on the back side of the leaves.
After transplantation, the plant should not be fed for about a month. The same rule applies to young, just taking root seedlings.
To accelerate the formation of green mass, plants are watered with fertilizers with a high A content to establish and maintain lush flowering compositions with a predominance of potassium and phosphorus are needed.
When growing and caring for fuchsia in the garden good result They are fed with compounds rich in organic matter, and adult specimens respond positively to the addition of microelements.
Transplantation when caring for fuchsia at home
In order for the plant to have enough strength for active flowering, it is important for it to receive abundant and complex nutrition. In this case, the soil in which the flower grows plays a significant role. When caring for fuchsia at home, it is advisable to include annual transplants, which should occur in the spring - the time when the flower begins to awaken and grow.
As a substrate, you can take any loose ready-made mixtures for ornamental crops, mixing them with garden soil or well-rotted humus. If the fuchsia flower will grow on the balcony or at home, you can add a little loam to the soil to reduce the rate of moisture evaporation. At the bottom of the ceramic pot, which protects the fuchsia root system from overheating, drainage must be provided.
Propagation of fuchsia at home
You can grow new fuchsia plants by propagating the flower by seeds or vegetatively. More often they use vegetative propagation of fuchsia, as in the photo; care at home is much easier, and young seedlings mature faster and begin to bloom.
Cut the apical or stem cuttings If desired, you can at any convenient time from spring and throughout the summer. It is only important that healthy buds form on the shoots and that not green, but already semi-lignified stems get into the soil.
If rooting of cuttings is carried out in autumn or winter, the plant must be provided with additional lighting and “summer” temperature and humidity conditions are maintained.
The cuttings are cut with a sharp, clean knife, after which all leaves except the top pair are removed from the shoots. You can root fuchsia with equal success:
- in water;
- in wet perlite;
- in a mixture of peat and sand.
How to care for fuchsia after cuttings? After just 1–2 weeks, when the growing roots become visible on the cuttings, they can be transplanted into separate small pots with a diameter of up to 9 cm. If planting is carried out in a large container, for example, for growing an ampel crop, several rooted cuttings are transferred into the container at once.
In order for the flowering of ampelous and bush fuchsias to be as lush as possible, the plants have to be renewed after two or three years. Standard specimens grow and retain their decorative properties longer. But here, when growing and caring for fuchsia at home and in the garden, pruning is always actively used.
If it is not possible to cut cuttings suitable for propagation from the bush, use fuchsia leaves. Large, healthy leaves are cut off along with the cuttings, and then buried a centimeter into wet perlite. In greenhouse conditions, with daily spraying, high humidity and constant temperature, miniature rosettes develop at the base of the petiole.
When they are strong enough, they are separated from the leaf and planted in separate pots. IN further care Seeing fuchsia at home is no different from usual when the flower is grown from cuttings.
Video about caring for fuchsia
Fuchsia is native to Central America, some varieties were brought from New Zealand. The most attractive part is considered to be the original inflorescences, reminiscent of Chinese lanterns. The color can vary from snow-white to deep burgundy. There are many double and semi-double varieties, as well as unusual loose inflorescences, otherwise called racemes.
Among all the diversity, there are only a few categories that are most popular for home growing.
Ampelous fuchsia
Most popular due to the active growth of side shoots. Looks great in suitable flowerpots, as well as when forming flower arrangements.
Among ampelous fuchsias Most often you can find the following varieties:
- Ballerina - interesting flowers with lush edging. The color is usually two-tone.
- Anabel- voluminous snow-white inflorescences.
- Prince of Peace- white sepals surrounded by a scarlet skirt.
- Hollies Beauty- large white-pink inflorescences.
- Imperial Crown- elongated racemose inflorescences of a red hue.
- Blue Angel- an unusual combination of white and lilac colors.
- Art Deco- large terry petals white with burgundy edging.
The main subtleties of arranging ampelous varieties of indoor flowers are the obligatory pinching of side shoots. This will result in a dense and compact plant.
Bush fuchsia
This flower can be placed on a windowsill or grown in open ground (in a warm climate, of course). Bush varieties are also diverse and allow you to grow a neat standard tree or even a bonsai. Most often you can find mention of hybrid fuchsias, which were bred specifically for home breeding.
Main types:
- Alisson Bell- semi-double petals of purple or red color.
- Henriette Ernst- bright red sepals in an unusual silver frame.
- Waist- orange inflorescences of a bizarre shape.
- Chantal- unusually curled lilac petals with pink sepals.
- Gotha- dark burgundy petals framed in pink, as well as very prominent stamens with a characteristic seal at the ends.
Fuchsia varieties are extremely diverse, especially since new hybrids appear almost every day. Depending on the location of the shoots, they are most often classified as ampelous and hybrid varieties, which are suitable for home breeding.
In order for your fuchsia to delight you with lush and long-lasting flowering for many years, you need to take care to create comfortable conditions for it.
Information about the main secrets of successful cultivation can be found below.
How to properly care for fuchsia
This plant has a capricious character, but if you know the basic tricks of care, you can grow a beautiful bush. In a fairly warm climate, you can leave the flower pot outside until the first cold snap.
Choice of location and lighting
It is advisable to set aside an eastern or southwestern window for the flower. There should be no direct sunlight, but fuchsia loves diffused light. Good lighting is the key to active and long-lasting flowering of the plant.
At the same time, there is very important nuance: During the formation and blooming of buds, under no circumstances should the pot be turned over or rearranged. This may cause all the buds to fall off, so be sure to take note of this nuance.
Irrigation mode and water
This is an important criterion that helps maintain the life of the plant. Fuchsia loves abundant watering so that the top layer of soil does not dry out. At the same time, when the dormant period begins: from October to early December, it is advisable to reduce the moisture supply to a minimum. This will allow you to gain strength before the new season; waterlogging at this time can even destroy the plant. Fuchsia also does not require much moisture in winter; the watering schedule is restored to its previous level around March.
It is advisable to use settled and soft water for watering fuchsia, but this rule is typical for all indoor plants. As for spraying, it is not forbidden to do this procedure regularly, because fuchsia loves high humidity. To provide comfortable conditions You can place the pot in a container with pebbles.
The main condition when spraying is to do it only with warm water, and also not to touch ripe buds and flowers.
During the period of growth, this procedure will only bring benefits. After the buds appear, it is necessary to temporarily stop such sessions so that moisture does not damage the sensitive petals and lead to the death of the flowers.
Temperature
The fuchsia flower is quite picky about the ambient temperature. Comfortable range: from 20 to 28 degrees Celsius in spring and summer. With sudden changes, it can throw off all the leaves and unopened buds. During the summer “vacations” you can take it out onto the balcony or loggia, having previously protected the location from drafts and scorching rays. Under such conditions, fuchsia can easily withstand a difference of 30 degrees, but at higher temperatures negative reactions are possible.
Fertilizer application and soil composition
Despite some nuances, the indoor fuchsia flower is completely undemanding when it comes to soil mixtures. Ready for planting universal primer, and you can feed it with special formulations for flowering indoor plants. In open ground it can be organic, but for indoor fuchsias the mixtures that you usually purchase are suitable.
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Fertilizer application can be carried out according to the following scheme:
- When planting in ready-made soil mixtures, the next fertilizing is done no earlier than a month later.
- In the future, the plant needs weekly feeding during the period of growth and bud formation.
- During flowering, it is necessary to slightly reduce the dose of fertilizer so that the fuchsia does not lose its buds.
- Autumn and winter dormancy should not be disturbed by fertilizing, because this stimulates active growth, which is undesirable now.
- In the spring, the feeding schedule is gradually expanded, moving to the usual weekly schedule.
It is advisable to combine the fertilization procedure with loosening the roots. This must be done very carefully, because the underground system of this plant is particularly sensitive. For the same purpose, try to ensure that the roots never end up above the ground, otherwise this could result in drying out and death of the plant.
Plant replanting and pruning
Growing fuchsia involves annual transplantation into a wider container. This is necessary for further development, as well as obtaining new seedlings for propagation.
Algorithm of actions:
- Choose a pot about two centimeters wider than the previous one.
- It is necessary to lay a drainage layer at the bottom, otherwise the roots will be in danger of rotting.
- As a primer, you can use a universal mixture, as well as self-composed ones. In a ratio of 1:1:0.5, take leaf soil, peat and coarse sand (can be replaced with loam).
- The plant must be pruned to form a beautiful bush. The shoots on each side are shortened by at least a third.
- The plant from the old pot needs to be transplanted into new soil by transshipment method. It is very important not to damage the root system, so do not touch the inside of the earthen ball.
- It is necessary to fill the edges with new soil, compact the soil a little and water well. If necessary, after shrinkage it will be necessary to add soil.
Trimmed parts of the plant can be rooted using the tips below. When pruning, you should consider how you would like your fuchsia to look, so you can peek suitable options on the Internet or magazines. If you are planning to grow a standard tree, you should keep in mind that the trunk is usually not very strong and additional support will be required.
Many gardeners use a tricky technique: they entwine a rod of a suitable configuration with shoots. In this case, it is necessary to replant the plant together with a support. Second technique: forming one tree from two or three plants. In this case, the trunks can be “braided” into a pigtail, and also twisted together. Such compositions are most effective if the fuchsias used can boast different shades and petal configurations.
Fuchsia propagation: cuttings, leaves and seeds
As mentioned earlier, the most effective method Obtaining new plants involves rooting cuttings. They remain after annual pruning fuchsia, and you can also ask them from friends. This and other methods of reproduction are described in more detail below.
Using cuttings
Cut fuchsia branches can be rooted quickly and effectively. To do this, use sand, peat and a universal mixture. A simple container of water gives excellent results.
After 10-20 days, the branch will sprout its first roots, after which it is transplanted into the first pot. Its volume should be small, otherwise the plant will devote all its energy to forming the root system, and the above-ground part will slow down in growth. Next year it is advisable to replant the flower, after which you can already expect buds.
More labor-intensive method. As planting material a medium-sized leaf is used, plucked together with the stem. To root, it must be placed in prepared soil and regularly sprayed with warm water. To create a suitable temperature regime, cover the top with a transparent container.
After a month or a month and a half, the first shoots will begin to appear at the cut site. After this, you need to stop spraying and gradually “accustom” the sprout to normal temperature.
Fuchsia from seeds at home
It is quite difficult to grow this indoor flower from seeds. You can even do this on your own collected material, but with the obligatory artificial pollination of the mother plant.
Fuchsia seeds should not be deepened; a transparent cover and regular spraying are provided on top. In two weeks the first shoots will begin to appear, after a month they need to be picked and planted.
The main mistake with this growing method is considered to be too rapid a transition to normal temperature conditions. It is best to do this gradually, giving the sprout time to acclimatize.
Reasons why fuchsia does not bloom
The main feature of this plant is its attractive flowers. In form and variety, as well as possible options colors, hard to find a worthy alternative this flower. At the same time, indoor fuchsia often does not please its owners with its lush color, so it would be useful to learn and correct the main mistakes in caring for this capricious plant.
There was no rest period
From about mid-October it is necessary to provide the plant with sufficient care. Watering is reduced; it is advisable to abandon fertilizing altogether. Optimal temperature- from 5 to 12 degrees Celsius. You can take the pot to an unheated loggia or store it in the cellar. If you do not give the plant a proper rest until the spring season, the fuchsia will not gain enough strength for full flowering.
Late pruning and pinching
You need to pinch and trim shoots as much as possible earlier in the spring and in the fall before hibernation. This is a necessary hygienic procedure for removing old and dried branches. In the spring, this will allow you to form a beautiful bush, as well as decorate flower arrangement according to your tastes. If this is not done, the plant may also not bloom, so be sure to take time for this procedure.
Incorrect temperature
Too hot temperatures or sudden hypothermia pose a threat to future flowering. During the bud setting period, it is very important not to disturb the usual watering schedule, not to rearrange or turn around the pot. Shading is necessary from direct sunlight, otherwise flowering may not occur.
Transplanting into a large pot
Too large a container for planting can also be a negative factor. The fuchsia plant begins to form buds only after the root system fills the entire volume of the pot. If a young shoot is planted in a container that exceeds its needs, this may not happen for many years.
Incorrect application of fertilizers
Overfeeding or lack of nutrients is also undesirable. Maintain a comfortable schedule for applying nitrogen or complex fertilizers necessary during the entire development of the flower. When buds appear on the stems, there is no need to increase or increase fertilizing. It is advisable to maintain the same regime; if the plant is preparing to flower, then you are already doing everything correctly.
Bright and unusual flowers indoor fuchsias always attract the eye and serve as a source of special pride for the owners. Everyone knows her capricious character, but subject to necessary conditions, this plant will definitely reward you with lush and long-lasting flowering. You can learn the basic secrets of how to grow fuchsia, as well as propagate it with cuttings, leaves and seeds from the information in our article.
