Among bright indoor plants with decorative inflorescences, fuchsia is the most noticeable. Every summer this fabulous tree or bush amazes with its abundance and bright colors graceful and incredibly shaped flowers. Fuchsia is actually an animated flower; it adds a touch of playfulness to a strict garden. It is not surprising that fuchsia, with its delicate petals and elegant stamens, has always been compared to a ballerina.
The more decorative and exotic indoor flower, the more demanding care is needed for it. Therefore, caring for fuchsia at home for its full development must be organized with knowledge biological features plants, subject to certain rules.

Lighting requirements

When growing fuchsia at home, special attention should be paid to lighting. Any type of fuchsia needs bright, diffused light. It is necessary to create intense lighting, but with shading from the burning rays of the sun. Fuchsia does not tolerate daytime heat, but is very happy with morning and evening sunlight.
Lighting conditions directly depend on the plant variety. Fuchsia with bright inflorescences reacts favorably to sunbathing, arranged for her in the morning and evening. There is a rule: the darker the color of the flowers, the brighter the lighting should be. That is, delicately colored varieties should be kept in openwork shade, but those with red and purple flowers can be grown in full sun.
When placing a flower in the house, you should take into account its lighting requirements and opt for north-eastern or western windows.
During the flowering period it is forbidden rearrange or rotate the plant: all flowers and buds may fall off.

Temperature requirements

Fuchsias are very difficult to tolerate heat. For the growing season, temperatures from +18°C to +25°C will have a very favorable effect. In summer, it is extremely difficult to provide such conditions at home. In the summer (especially in August), open ground is perfect, but when the temperature rises to 30°C, fuchsia can shed its leaves, stop blooming and begin to dry out. In particularly hot weather, the plant will feel better on a loggia or balcony, where it cannot be reached by direct Sun rays which can lead to death.
To protect its sensitive roots from overheating, it is better to use a large ceramic pot: it never gets very hot (unlike plastic ones).
With the onset of autumn, the room temperature should be reduced from +5°C to +12°C. Keeping fuchsia at higher temperatures leads to the fact that the foliage will become smaller, the buds may fall off, and the plant itself will begin to hurt.

Plant watering requirements

For home maintenance and care, fuchsia is absolutely unpretentious. Caring for it is very simple. During the spring-autumn seasons water fuchsia stands richly as soon as it dries upper layer soil. But in winter time Watering should be moderate. The water should preferably be settled: it is then softer and healthier.
When the growing season ends, watering should be reduced. But for the period October-November, you can stop altogether.
At low temperatures, homemade fuchsia can be watered 1-2 times a month.
In general, the requirements for watering boil down to the following: the soil should always be slightly moist, but an excess of liquid should not be allowed in the flower container. Fuchsia does not tolerate overdrying, waterlogging and acidification of the soil - this negatively affects the well-being of the flower.
Caring for fuchsia involves not only proper watering, but also spraying . During growth, it is useful to spray the leaves with a spray bottle, and to humidify the air, you can place a small cup of pebbles filled with water near the pot. The plant loves spraying, but this absolutely cannot be done in sunlight. Like watering, spraying is best done in the early morning or in the afternoon with settled water. In hot weather, fuchsia will gratefully respond to spraying. And for the autumn-winter period, excess humidity is not recommended, so the plant does not need to be sprayed.

Rules for fertilizing and feeding fuchsia

Indoor flowers require fertilizing. Fuchsia needs fertilizer all year round, with the exception of winter. There are even special fertilizers for fuchsias. In this case, the choice should be made in favor of complex fertilizers. It is necessary to fertilize once a week, starting to do this towards the end of March. You can fertilize the plant with each watering, but then the weekly dose must be divided by the number of waterings per week.
If fuchsia grows in open ground, then the effectiveness of biofertilizers will be high, but for those growing indoors, any ready-made fertilizers for feeding indoor plants will be suitable.
Until the flowers open, sometimes add a little fertilizer (1/3 portion) to the water for spraying. When the fuchsia fades, it is given a short break in feeding, which is resumed after some time.

Conditions for proper wintering of plants

Fuchsia is a seasonal plant. In the summer he has a period active growth, but in winter it needs to be provided with a period of rest at a temperature from +5°C to +12°C and placed in other conditions. If fuchsia is kept in winter warm room, then next season it may not bloom, despite good care.
A pantry, garage, insulated basement or balcony may be suitable for wintering fuchsia. At the same time, the lighting does not play important role. Winter maintenance implies a refusal of fertilizers, scanty watering and a decrease in temperature, but the earthen clod should not be allowed to dry out.
After wintering, the plant is pruned and gradually accustomed to rising temperatures.

ADVICE☞ Fuchsia does not tolerate overheating of its roots, so it is recommended to choose light-colored flowerpots and pots.

Rules of care during the flowering period

After a period of rest, home care should be performed in the following order:
♦ Spring pruning is carried out in March. Its volume depends on how the plant was pruned in the fall (after flowering). Proper preparation by winter it is stipulated that all branches should be shortened: old ones by 2/3, and this year by 1/3. All leaves, flowers and buds are removed at the same time. In this case, in the spring you need to shorten the branches by 2 more buds, remove dried branches and those that grow inside the crown. If pruning was not done in the fall, then the spring pruning must be done taking it into account.
♦ In addition, these plants at home also require regular rejuvenating and formative pruning (to maintain the neatness and health of the crown). This is very important care, otherwise the crown will be exposed, become loose and unpresentable. Therefore, in the spring, after new branches grow, you need to pinch them twice (to limit the shape of the crown and more branching). The last pinching should be done in the last ten days of May, otherwise the beginning of flowering will be delayed.
♦ Mandatory annual transplant. At the same time, there is no need to try to give the roots a lot of space - this will lead to increased shoot growth and reduced flowering. The new container should be 3-4 cm larger in diameter and height than the previous one. You can shake off the old soil a little and clean the roots (only for old plants). Or you can only replace the top 3 cm old land. Young bushes up to 3 years old are simply transferred to new pots.
Fuchsias are long-lived plants. If you provide competent care at home, then one tree-like plant can delight you with flowers from 20 to 50 years. But bush and hanging fuchsia quickly lose their attractive crown shape, so it is advisable to update these forms every 4-5 years, especially since they reproduce well from green cuttings.

Rules for transplanting fuchsia

Fuchsia transplantation at home should take place Every year and certainly V spring period . You need to replant the plant and change the soil only when the root system completely fills the container of the pot. This is necessary for additional air flow, rooting and as a method of reproduction.
This is done in the same way as with other indoor flowers. For these purposes, it is customary to use special soil, which is sold in stores, or any fertile soil will do. And of course, drainage is necessary so that the plant does not draw in too much a large number of water. The use of sand or humus is suitable as a useful additive, and if the plant is grown on a loggia, then loam, which perfectly retains water.
You need to replant into a larger pot, on the bottom of which you first place a drainage layer of pebbles (or expanded clay) up to 3-4 cm high (this will make it easier to care for), then pour in fresh fertile soil, place the plant with a lump of earth and sprinkle with soil.
Fuchsia loves moist soil, but the slightest stagnation of water leads to rotting of the roots. The substrate must be loose and breathable, which can be achieved by adding 1/3 of leaf humus. Optimal composition: turf soil, leaf humus, peat, sand in a ratio of 3:3:1:1.
Fertilizer after a recent transplant can be resumed only after 3 weeks.

Methods for propagating fuchsia

The main goal of reproduction is to increase the number of plants. There are several options for this:
1) cuttings;
2) seed propagation;
3) propagation using leaves.

Propagation by cuttings

The propagation period for fuchsias by cuttings occurs in February-March, less often in August-September (for those varieties that grow slowly). Doing so better in spring or in the fall, since the plant does not tolerate heat well and the cuttings may not take root.
From mother plant you need to take a 10-20 cm cutting and place it in a container with water and wait for the roots to appear. When placing the cutting in water, it is necessary to tear off the lower leaves, because they quickly rot and render the entire cutting unusable. After 20-25 days, roots will form and it can be planted in the ground. The recommended soil composition for planting fuchsia includes equal parts of leaf and turf soil, sand, peat and humus.

To get a lush, luxurious bush, you need to plant the cuttings in such a way that there are several of them in one pot. The young ones will bloom the same year.

Propagation by seeds

Propagation by seeds is carried out only for breeding purposes. When propagated by seeds, artificial pollination is necessary for their maturation. By mixing different varieties of fuchsias yourself, you can get many new hybrids that will delight the eye with their riot of colors and beautiful bright colors.

Propagation by leaves

Propagation of fuchsia at home using leaves involves the following scheme: you need to tear off the stems in tandem with the most developed leaves and place them in loose soil no deeper than 1 cm. Then they can be covered. A plastic or glass lid is suitable for this. In order for them to grow well, they need to be sprayed every day. The water should be boiled and warm. As soon as small rosettes appear at the very base of the stem, you can begin replanting into small pots.

Diseases and pests of fuchsia

If negative changes occur to the plant, you should immediately help it. In general, a flower such as fuchsia is practically not susceptible to disease. If the humidity is too high, small dewdrops may form on the fuchsia leaves. The leaves may also be covered with powdery spots. To eliminate this problem, you need to prepare a mixture of water and Fundazol in a ratio of 11:1. You need to spray the plant with this solution.

Healthy leaves are easy to determine: saturated green color is a good sign.
If the leaves turn yellow, this is a signal chlorisa, which indicates abundant watering of the plant. It is also possible that the plant lacks substances such as nitrogen or magnesium.
If yellowness appears between the leaf veins, this means that the plant needs manganese.
If dry brown spots appear, you should know that the plant needs Molybdenum.

The roots will give us more information to diagnose the plant.

A favorable sign is if the roots are white and short. If the roots densely intertwine a clod of earth, then this is a signal that the plant needs to be transplanted into a larger pot as soon as possible. If there is no white color in the roots, but on the contrary they Brown and very dark, this indicates that the plant is suffering root rottenness. This is also a sign of excessive watering and most likely the plant will need to be thrown away.
The most common diseases of fuchsia are blackleg when rooting cuttings and rust on the leaves . Rust can be recognized by the appearance of brown concentric circles at the bottom of the sheet. All leaves that are affected should be removed immediately. After all, there is the possibility of very easy transfer of spores: from the wind, insects or human hands. This disease is infectious and easily spreads to healthy plants. It is necessary to check in a timely manner whether other fuchsias are infected. It is necessary to thoroughly wash and disinfect all equipment that was used when working with an infected plant. And you definitely need to carry out the same manipulations with your hands if you accidentally come into contact with infected leaves.
After removing diseased leaves, you need to spray with such preparations as: “Topaz”, “Vectra”, “Strobe”, “Bordeaux mixture”, “Kuproksat”. Treat 2-3 times with an interval of 10 days.

In indoor conditions, fuchsias are most often affected spider mite And white flies(whiteflies). White flies are small insects, no larger than 2 mm in size. They were given this name due to the presence of two pairs of white wings. In general, white flies are nothing other than representatives of the moth family. The larvae of these insects usually take root in the lower part of the leaves. They cause harm by sucking out the juice and leaving traces in the form of white sugary discharge. Leaves that are too damaged may turn yellow and fall off.
If these pests have just appeared, then the plant must be bathed in warm water(from +36°С to +38°С), but do not immediately expose it to the sun, but let it dry completely. If this does not help, you need to treat the entire crown three times with one of the preparations: “Aktara”, “Agravertin” or “Fitoverm”. Treat every 7 days. Spray the crown and place it in plastic bag, then dry in the shade. Water the substrate with a twice diluted dose for spraying. In this case, all pests die, and new ones do not develop from the soil.
There is an option to wash the leaves with green soap, but this method will only be effective for small plants.
If the white-winged fly is not noticed in a timely manner, its rapid reproduction will lead to damage to nearby fuchsias.
It is better to simply throw away diseased plants, and be sure to disinfect the substrate with a bright solution of potassium permanganate.

FAQ

Why does fuchsia not bloom?
Reasons why fuchsia does not bloom:
. if the wintering regime is not observed: fuchsia is kept in a room that is too warm;
. if it is watered too much;
. if in the summer it receives insufficient feeding or watering;
. if she lacks natural light while growing.

How to make fuchsia bloom?
In order for the plant to bloom, it is necessary to correct the mistakes made in caring for it. If everything was done correctly, and the fuchsia does not bloom or the flowering is not abundant, then you can additionally stimulate flowering by pruning it and feeding it with a special herbal preparation from a flower shop.
The side shoots are removed, and the apical shoots should be pinched. The plant can be shaped. Thus, you can grow a wonderful flowering plant for a flowerpot or a standard tree that needs to be provided with support.
If flowering is poor, you can also try to correct the situation with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers.

What to do if fuchsia leaves wither, dry out and fall off?
This indicates excessive dryness of the air, and the soil suffers from a lack of moisture. The problem can be solved very easily: you need to make watering and spraying more intense.
If the plant has limp leaves, but the soil in the pot is moist, the fuchsia’s root system has rotted. Cuttings for propagation should be taken from the plant as quickly as possible, because mother plant it will no longer be possible to save.

What to do if fuchsia buds do not want to open?
If fuchsia's unopened buds begin to fall off, this means that the plant was disturbed during its abundant flowering. As you know, fuchsia does not like this. This can also be caused by excessive watering. It needs to be moderated so that the soil can dry out halfway. It is advisable to replace the top layer of soil. You need to fertilize at least once a week.

How to determine the quality of a fuchsia seedling in a store?
Firstly, the plant must have an attractive appearance, and the roots must not protrude above the substrate. Secondly, the plant must have a certificate indicating the variety, bush shape (ampeloid, erect, bush) and a photograph of the flowers. Leaves should be free of spots, dry tips, and uniform in color. Also, examine the top of the central shoot: it should be intact and unpinched. This will allow you to independently form the crown in in the required form, of which there are three types: hanging, bush and standard. If everything is clear with the first two, then read on how to grow fuchsia on a trunk.

Growing fuchsia on a trunk at home

A rooted cutting of an erect fuchsia grows quickly and turns into a tree in just one season. When the shoot grows 15 cm, its central part must be tied to a peg, and all side shoots delete. When the shoot grows to the desired height (1.2-1.5 m), you need to leave several upper side shoots and pinch the central one.
During the first season, care for it is as follows: you need to pinch all the remaining shoots at least 2 more times. It is advisable to limit flowering by removing buds. Next, make a reliable support for the standard tree and provide standard care.


The most important thing is to always remember that any plant requires attention and care. It won't always be difficult. Treat them with kindness and warmth, because they are also living beings.

The long-standing exotic ancestors of fuchsia are shrubs and trees, whose homeland is Central America and New Zealand. The earliest evidence of the existence of fuchsia is petrified seed , found in New Zealand. It is believed that he is approximately 30 million years , but experts say that the species itself appeared in South America even earlier.


Aztecs and Incas built their cities in the mountains and, although they were surrounded by wild fuchsias, these flowers did not carry any economic or cultural significance. In their drawings and decorations, on pottery or ceramic products the image of fuchsia is not found. Ancient peoples did not pay attention to bright inflorescences fuchsia. One of the varieties grew among the ruins of the famous Incan city of Machu Picchu. It is believed that the most famous Inca houses were decorated with these flowers.
When spanish conquistadors destroyed the Inca civilization, fuchsia began to play a different role. The Spaniards appropriated crop fields and other sources of food for themselves, and the aborigines were forced to eat fuchsia berries rich in vitamins. Also, Spanish flower hunters were looking for plants that were useful from a medical point of view and had nutritional value. So the fuchsia turned out to be a minor find, unlike their earlier finds of potatoes and tomatoes.

The name fuchsia comes from the name of Leonart Fuchs (1501-1566), German botanist and physician, one of the “fathers” of modern botany, who lived in the 16th century.
The first attempt to bring fuchsia to Europe failed. Specimens of the plant were lost in a shipwreck. Despite this failure, introduction of fuchsia to Europe was inevitable. In 1700, a plant-hunting expedition rediscovered the plant and brought it to Europe. Thanks to its exquisite flowers, it quickly gained popularity in the Western world. A century earlier, Fuchs could hardly have imagined that a plant named after him would have such a profound impact on the world around him.
In 1788, the first fuchsia varieties were introduced to Britain; sailors brought them from South America. In 1793, expensive fuchsias flooded the market, and the public was fascinated by this exotic new flower. Every now and then expeditions were organized to collect plants. Collecting fuchsias has become a profitable business. The popularity of fuchsias increased so much that attempts to grow them in winter increased significantly, and within a few years fuchsias amazed the public with the variety of sizes and shapes of flowers. However, the First World War was also reflected in the existence of fancy fuchsia. Gardeners and flower growers switched to cultivating edible products for the nation, and fuchsias were quickly forgotten.
By the end of the war, fuchsia had become a flower of the past, and only 15 years later after the war The American Fuchsia Community was created. Inspired by the pre-war popularity of fuchsia, passionate California gardeners began to fight for the future of the flower. Their efforts and enthusiasm contributed to the rapid spread of fuchsia.

A wide open window into the World of Fuchsia

Many people consider fuchsia annual plant, but actually it is perennial . Fuchsias are evergreens perennial shrubs Fireweed family. There are about 100 in nature species forms, growing in the jungles of New Zealand, Central and South America. But flower growers liked the flower so much that today tens of thousands of varieties and hybrids with buds of the most amazing shapes and colors have been bred. In New Zealand, fuchsias can grow up to 10 meters in height, and unique tree sometimes used as a building material.

There is about 125 species of wild fuchsia species , most of which are found in the West Indies and Latin America. Fuchsia grows in mountain crevices and forest edges where the soil is nutritious and well-drained, as well as in high and moist mountain forests.

Despite this diversity, all fuchsias retain their unique characteristics.
The first to be described was the South American fuchsia trifoliate (The conquistadors also brought it as a gift to the King of Spain). This species is distinguished by very unusual narrow long flowers. The species itself, like all hybrids bred with its participation, is distinguished by its extreme unpretentiousness: one shoot, accidentally dropped on a flowerbed, will produce a lush shoot by the end of the season. flowering bush, despite the fact that all care will consist of maintaining soil moisture. In the fall, you can dig up a bush, trim it, place it in a temporary container and keep it in the basement in winter at a temperature of +5°C to +8°C. And in the spring, after the last frost, plant it in the flowerbed again.

Fuchsia flower petals are rich in variety color range . They can be one-color, two-color or three-color. The flowers of most of the original species have a very interesting color: a mixture of purple, scarlet and brick tones, which is presented in a separate shade - fuchsia. Light and dark inflorescences delight the eye with their variety of colors and beautiful bright shades. They can be either white or purple, purple or with red sepals.

Fuchsias, especially the red varieties with long tubes, are excellent flowers for attracting hummingbirds to the garden.

The flowers are very unusual in shape and consist of a calyx and corolla with bent edges. Long stamens protrude from the calyx, and the petals are always shorter than the calyx. They are often compared to "Chinese lanterns" that hang from the end of a long thin stalk. Various varieties fuchsias include many non-double, semi-double, double, and densely double hybrids, the difference between which is the number of corolla petals. Fuchsia flowers can also appear collected in crumbly inflorescences or so-called racemose hybrids.

Despite the fact that there are more than 100 breeds and more than 8,000 varieties of fuchsia, gardeners divide them into only 5 main groups. The first one includes single-flowered fuchsias, which always have only 4 petals. The second group is semi-double fuchsias; they have 5 or 7 petals. The next group is double ones, which have 8 or more petals. Another distinctive group is the trifoliate fuchsia, which has one flower but very long tubes. And finally, unique among all fuchsias are creeping fuchsias , whose flowers look up.

What is interesting is that formed after flowering berries on long petioles - edible, have a pleasant sweet and sour taste and healing properties. In the cuisine of the Indians of South America, they are used as a seasoning for meat dishes. The Maori people of New Zealand used the juice of fuchsia berries to preserve the severed heads of their enemies.

Fuchsias are shrubby and tree-like; the leaves are opposite, oval, pointed, and often have jagged edges. In tone - mostly dark green, although already bred variegated fuchsia varieties.

The most popular varieties of fuchsia

Many varieties of fuchsia are popular for home cultivation, but according to reference books it is known as “Hybrid Fuchsia” or “Fuchsia hybrida”. U homemade fuchsia flowers of unusual shape: somewhat similar to bells or small lampshades. The following varieties can be grown in the garden and at home:

. "Annabel"- white semi-double flowers with pinkish sepals. The shape of the shoots is slightly drooping.

. "Deep Purple"- the branches droop under the weight of large double flowers of a rich blue-violet color with white sepals.

Beautifully flowering indoor plants are very popular, because with their help you can decorate any room, making it brighter and more original. One of the excellent options is the bushes, stems and inflorescences of a plant such as fuchsia - the cultivation and care of which at home will require special attention. You can grow it not only at home, but also in the open ground.

Caring for fuchsia at home

Achieve active flowering when home growing not as difficult as it might seem initially. Fuchsia itself is a tall shrub with a lush crown, which, when blooming profusely, is covered with flowers that delight in a variety of shapes and colors. Proper care presupposes compliance temperature regime, certain air humidity, lighting, fertilizing and watering. In winter, the plant needs rest. Keeping it cool at this time of year will ensure that the fuchsia will bloom profusely in the summer.

Plant varieties

Reproduction of fuchsia requires a serious and competent approach, proper watering, transplantation and other equally important components. This lush bush grows primarily in the mountainous regions of South and Central America, although some varieties are even native to New Zealand. Favorable conditions For it, humid and cool air, fog and partial shade are considered. Depending on their growth, fuchsias are distinguished as ampelous, bush and ampelous-bush varieties. The most popular varieties, among which there are plants with double, elongated scarlet flowers, are:

• Armbrough Campbell;
• Alisson Bell;
• Anabel;
• Blue Angel;
• Henriette Ernst;
• Imperial Crown;
• Prince of Peace;
• Waist;
• Hollies Beauty.

Landing

Fuchsia can grow on almost any soil, but the soil moisture where you plan to plant this brightly flowering bush should not be low. Moist soil is a must during the growing season, so be careful not to let the soil dry out. Before planting the seedling, fill the pot with a universal soil mixture. The plant feels best in soil with a loose structure, for which it does not hurt to add sand, ash or peat to the container. Sometimes, due to changing conditions, this lush flowering plant sheds its buds.

Air temperature and humidity

The favorable temperature for the growth of this indoor plant, be it hybrid fuchsia, Anabelle, Blue Angel or some other variety, is considered to be 18-25°C, i.e. almost room temperature. The plant grows especially well in the summer, when it is 30°C outside, but the bush does not tolerate heat very well. Fuchsia prefers partial shade, because direct sunlight leads to its complete death.

Before planting seeds or cuttings, take care to maintain optimal humidity levels. Spray the leaves with water using a spray bottle twice a day; this procedure is not required in winter and autumn. To increase humidity in spring and especially in winter, place a container next to the bush, first filling it with water and pebbles.

Accommodation in the house

Fuchsia is preferred by lovers of indoor floriculture, who decorate their window sills with plants with beautiful flowers. It is better to keep it on a northwestern, northeastern or eastern window. If there is a lack of light on the north side, then the plant’s flowering intensity decreases, but if the sun is strong, then the color of the fuchsia leaves becomes paler. Sometimes gardeners place it on a south window, but in this case the plant should be covered with paper.

Watering the plant

Fuchsia, as a rule, is watered abundantly, especially if the soil begins to dry out significantly. In summer, moisturize indoor plant needed almost daily. True, excessive watering can negatively affect its condition, because... this will lead to rotting of the roots, a sign of which is the withering of the leaves and a change in their shade. Pledge successful cultivation is correct selection substrate. In winter, fuchsia is watered much less - up to a couple of times a month, if the temperature is below 0°C. Even if the plant is in the cold, the soil should not dry out completely.

Feeding

For this lush bush, it is best to use good drainage, which prevents stagnation of moisture, and a loose substrate. As for feeding, use ready-made products from specialized stores. In summer, apply it every week, and in winter, fuchsia practically stops feeding. In the spring, before the plant begins to bloom, introduce complex fertilizers with sufficient nitrogen content. As fuchsia begins to bloom, you will need to increase their potassium and phosphorus content.

Pruning fuchsia for the winter

Before sending the plant for winter, be sure to prune it. Many people carry out this procedure in early spring, but you can prune fuchsia in the fall. At first, perform strong pruning, leaving shoots approximately 15 cm long. If the crowns are already formed, then reduce the pruning to removing weak shoots, thinning and shortening the remaining ones by 1/3 of their height. Later, to form a standard tree, shoots are pinched in certain places.

Flower transplant

When replanting a plant that has spent a warm winter, there is no need to remove the entire substrate, because this can damage the root system. It is better to lightly shake off the old soil, place the roots in a large container and add fresh substrate. It is best to replant in January-February so that the fuchsia has time to grow roots and form a vegetative mass before flowering. If the plant overwintered in the basement and has almost no vegetative mass, you can shake off the soil.

Fuchsia - growing and care at home

Fuchsia, which blooms profusely, is propagated by green cuttings, seeds and leaves. If you prefer propagation by cuttings, choose 5-8 cm stem cuttings, which need to be planted several times in containers with a diameter of 12 cm. Next, place the pots in a mini-greenhouse for further germination. Often, cuttings are rooted using water, adding activated carbon to it. The top of the container must be covered with polyethylene; remove it periodically for ventilation. Wait until the roots grow to 1.5-2 cm and start planting the cuttings.

When propagated by seeds, seedlings appear after about 50 days. For seeds you will need to prepare a mixture of peat and sand. After a month, the seedlings should be plucked, after which 5-6 seedlings should be planted in pots, not forgetting to pinch their tops for better branching. In addition, you can practice standard growing, giving each bush a certain shape through regular pruning. In the third method of propagation, remove the more developed leaves and stems from the mother plant, plant them in soft soil and cover them with plastic.

Pests and diseases

Fuchsia - when growing and caring for this shrub at home, be extremely careful, because it is susceptible to attack by pests. One of the most dangerous is the whitefly. The presence of this insect is indicated by sticky leaves and a swarm of small butterflies. white. A solution is often used to combat laundry soap and alcohol, which is used to wipe the leaves of the bush. Fuchsia is often affected by spider mites, aphids, and sometimes even gray rot.

Caring for fuchsia in winter at home

To successfully propagate a flower, proper wintering is important, even if you use hybrid varieties. A cool winter is a guarantee that the plant will have bright and lush flowers in summer. Some gardeners carry out cuttings in winter. To do this, rooted cuttings are placed in small pots on a cool balcony/veranda, where they spend the winter.

If a basement is used to store the flower, then late autumn The bush is dug up, after which the shoots are cut off and treated with a fungicide. In winter, the amount of water must be reduced, and in October-November it is necessary to water when the lump of earth has not yet completely dried out. At low temperatures, you need to water no more than 1-2 times a month. The room temperature should be 8-10°C so that the fuchsia can rest before flowering.

Video

Photo of fuchsia

Fuchsia propagation. Growing fuchsia from seeds and cuttings

Blooming fuchsia invariably evokes the admiration of everyone who sees it. Indoor flowers are taken out into the garden or onto the balcony for the summer, they are planted in balcony boxes or flowerpots, hanging planters or together with other summer gardeners in the flowerbed. Therefore, questions about fuchsia propagation are always relevant. This elegant flower is propagated in three ways:

By cuttings,
leaf divisions,
seeds.

Growing fuchsia from seeds / Propagating fuchsia by seeds

Fuchsia seeds can be bought in gardening stores, but their range is limited. More often, fuchsia propagation is carried out by cuttings. Unlike seeds collected from their own plant, they reproduce exactly those varieties and hybrids stated on the package. For example, a mixture of hybrid indoor fuchsia “Foxtrot” is offered by the agricultural company “Aelita”, and hybrid fuchsia “Prazdnik” is offered by the company “Plasma Seeds”.

If you already have fuchsia growing, you can act as a breeder, get your own seeds and try growing a completely new plant. Similar method Growing fuchsia from seeds is not the most popular. Such propagation does not guarantee the preservation of the characteristics of the mother plant, and lush flowering have to wait longer. But it’s worth a try, especially since this process is exciting and captivating. In addition, when growing fuchsia from seeds, you can observe how a small seed will eventually turn into beautiful plant.
As a result of seed propagation, new flowers of various colors and shapes are formed. It is not surprising that the genus Fuchsia is so numerous, it includes 100 species and there are 20 thousand varieties and hybrids.

Sowing

Growing fuchsia from seeds is carried out in light nutritious soil and begins in February. You can buy special soil in the store or make a soil mixture of turf soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 3:2:1. Before sowing, the soil is compacted, moistened, and sprayed with a pink solution of potassium permanganate from a spray bottle. The seeds are sown in a tray, distributed over the surface of the substrate, not sprinkled with soil, but only slightly pressed into it. This is important because without access to light they will not germinate.

Conditions for growing fuchsia from seeds

The tray is covered with transparent cellophane and placed on a warm and light windowsill. To germinate seeds of heat-loving varieties, a temperature of about +22 ° will be required. Seeds of cold-resistant varieties will germinate already at a temperature of +18 °. When growing fuchsia from seeds, you need to ensure that the tray with the crops does not receive direct sunlight. If the ground is wet, lift the film several times a day to remove condensation. If the soil is dry, carefully spray the soil around the sprout with water. room temperature from a spray bottle. You can water through a tray. After 20-30 days, small shoots will appear. From this time on, the cellophane is removed from the tray for a longer time, gradually accustoming the seedlings to room conditions. Later, the shelter is abandoned altogether.

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When the second pair of true leaves appears, the sprouts dive into separate cassettes or small pots. It is important to monitor the soil moisture; as it dries, water the plant through a tray or along the edge of the pot. It is necessary to periodically spray the flower with water and feed it with complex fertilizer twice a month. mineral fertilizer. This, perhaps, is all the simple recommendations for growing fuchsia from seeds.

Growing fuchsia from seeds collected from the plant

Growing fuchsia from home-collected seeds differs from propagation from store-bought seeds in the need for pollination of the plant.

Fuchsia blooms in late autumn. In order for fruits and seeds to form instead of lush buds, its flower must be pollinated in a special way. To do this, you will need two plants: the mother's - fuchsia, on which the seeds will ripen, and the father's - fuchsia, the pollen of which will be used. Before the buds open or at the very beginning, the anthers of the mother fuchsia are carefully removed. Pollen is taken from the father plant with a soft thin brush and applied to the pistil of the parent fuchsia. After this, the bud is covered with a thin cloth, which is secured with a thread at the base of the peduncle. Under such cover the fruit will set. When it appears, the fabric cover is removed. When ripe, it resembles a purple berry. The seeds are carefully removed from the cut fruit and dried at room temperature. To prevent the development of fungal diseases, the seeds are irrigated with a solution of potassium permanganate. Fuchsia is propagated using fresh seeds. If necessary, they are stored briefly in the refrigerator in paper.

Propagation of fuchsia by cuttings

If you want to get an exact copy or several exactly the same plants as the mother plant, use cuttings to propagate fuchsia. The vegetative propagation method is the most popular.

When growing fuchsia from seeds or cuttings, sowing or rooting is carried out in early dates(spring - early summer). If fuchsia begins to reproduce late, lush and long-lasting flowering will occur only in the second year. Cuttings can be carried out starting in the fall.

Propagation of fuchsia by cuttings rooted in water

Fuchsia cuttings are easy to root even in water. To do this, shoots that have matured but have not yet become lignified are cut off with a sharp knife from March to November. The branches should be 9-10 cm long and have 4-6 leaves. To prevent large leaves from absorbing nutrients, cut them in half with a knife and remove the lower leaves.

Dilute the root formation stimulator according to the instructions, place the prepared branches in the solution for 4 hours. IN glass jar pour water to 6-7 centimeters, place the prepared cuttings in it. Place the jar in a bright place where there is no direct sunlight.

Periodically monitor the condition of the branches; if they are wilted, spray them with water from a spray bottle and put a plastic bag on top for a while. If the water becomes cloudy, replace it completely. As the liquid evaporates, add fresh liquid.

If you did everything correctly, roots will appear in a week or a week and a half. When they grow to three centimeters and become branched, plant the plants in pots with a diameter of 6 cm or in cups with light soil. To do this, make a recess in its center, place the roots of the seedling, sprinkle with earth, and water. Do not compact the substrate under any circumstances, so as not to damage the still fragile roots. Propagation of fuchsia by cuttings gives excellent, almost 100% survival rate and is possible even for novice gardeners.

Further cultivation of fuchsia is carried out in small pots with a diameter of 10-12 cm. If the roots entwine its bottom, flowering will be better. When the cutting grows, replant it in early spring a little in the pot bigger size. If you place the seedling immediately in a large container, this will negatively affect the plant and flowering.

In a similar way, you can root cuttings in a substrate, sand or perlite... Even those that overwintered in peat will take root well.

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 all the knowledge and effort from a lover of indoor plants.

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 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.

You can cut apical or stem cuttings as desired 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 the future, caring for fuchsia at home does not differ from usual when the flower is grown from cuttings.

Video about caring for fuchsia

Jan 31 2017

Fuchsia - growing and care at home

Fuchsia is a houseplant that is sometimes called the "Elf Flower". For almost 300 years, these indoor flowers have been decorating home and office rooms flower lovers around the world. In this article you will read about growing fuchsia and caring for it at home. Manifold color shades simply mesmerizing. In everyday life, fuchsia is not capricious; even a novice gardener can grow it at home.

Fuchsia has a huge number of hybrid forms with straight and pyramidal stems; there are ampelous and spreading varieties, hanging, climbing, in the form of bushes and bonsai. Fuchsia blooms profusely and for a long time with beautiful lantern flowers. We'll tell you how to care for indoor fuchsia at home:

Temperature

Comfortable temperature for growing fuchsia at home is 18 – 22 °C in summer and not higher than 18 °C in winter. If the temperature long time will be above or below these limits, the decorativeness of fuchsia may suffer. The buds will begin to fall off, the leaves will become smaller and lighter. The plant will slow down its development. There will be a risk of infection by diseases and pests.

If the temperature during the active growing season of fuchsia drops below comfortable, the same effect will occur. The plant orients itself based on the ambient temperature. When it is warm and light, the flower actively develops and blooms profusely, usually from spring to autumn. In late autumn and winter, when it becomes cooler and less sunlight– the development of the fuchsia flower stops, buds stop forming – the fuchsia is preparing to rest.

Location

It is better to place flowerpots with fuchsia on the windowsills of the eastern and northern sides of the room. Even here, the flower must be protected, if necessary, from direct sunlight with the help of blinds or curtains. On north-facing windows in the spring, fuchsia may not have enough lighting. You will have to provide the bushes with illumination using a phyto lamp or a fluorescent lamp for up to 12 hours a day.

On southern windows, especially in the summer, fuchsia will be too hot. It is better at this time to take the flowerpot with a flower into the garden under the trees or onto the balcony, where the sun's rays will illuminate the fuchsia only early in the morning. At noon and until evening, fuchsia feels best in partial shade. During flowering, it is advisable not to move the flower from place to place and not to turn different sides towards the light. Fuchsia doesn't like this, and can simply drop all its buds.

Watering

Proper watering is the most important component of caring for blooming fuchsias. Many factors influence the frequency and quantity of watering a flower:

• Pot location
• Fuchsia variety
• Her growth stage
• Soil composition
• Pot size and type
• Weather

Without additional nutrition, fuchsia can survive for quite a long time, but without water it cannot. Fuchsia needs to be watered regularly. Make sure that the soil is well saturated with moisture each time. The next watering should be no earlier than the top layer of soil from the previous watering has dried out. Excess water from the pan must be drained to prevent moisture stagnation in the roots of the plant.

A flowering plant has a great need for moisture. In the summer, you will have to water frequently and regularly - every 3-4 days, and sometimes more often.

If the fuchsia looks drooping and the soil in the pot is wet, the problem is not watering. Perhaps your beauty has overheated.

In autumn, watering is gradually reduced to once a week, and in winter, watering is done no more than once or twice a month.

Feeding

Fuchsia needs to be fed regularly, once every two weeks. This is especially important during the active growing season, from April until autumn. For feeding, complex fertilizers for ornamental flowering plants are used. Watering liquid fertilizers must be done on moist soil. Fertilizing helps fuchsia grow green mass and form countless buds. You can also use foliar feeding of fuchsia on the back of the leaves.

During winter dormancy, fuchsia is not fed.

Young, newly planted fuchsia bushes do not need to be fed, as they are planted in well-prepared soil filled with all the necessary microelements and organic matter. The same rule applies when transplanting a plant into a larger pot with new nutrient soil. Feeding should be resumed about a month after transplantation.

Humidity and spraying

For fuchsia, air humidity is comfortable within the range of 50 – 60%. Too dry indoor air will cause fuchsia leaves and buds to yellow and wilt. You can increase the humidity of the surrounding air using wide containers of water placed next to the fuchsia. You can also place the flower pot in a tray with wet pebbles or expanded clay.

On hot summer days, fuchsia will be saved from the heat by regular spraying with settled water at room temperature in the morning and evening hours. It would be good to take the fuchsia out into the fresh air in the garden, in the shade under the trees, or at least on the balcony, where the sun's rays reach only in the morning. But we must remember that this must be done carefully - after all, fuchsia does not like being moved from one place to another during flowering.

When spraying, try not to get the spray on the flowers.

Landing

It is impossible to plant fuchsia or, especially, a cutting immediately into a large pot. It is necessary to increase the size of the pot gradually. At first, the pot should not be more than 9 cm in diameter. As the roots entwine the entire lump of earth and the need arises to replant the plant, you can prepare a slightly larger pot. Place a good layer of expanded clay or other drainage material on the bottom. Add a layer of soil and plant the prepared bush or cutting.

The pot must be well filled with soil to prevent voids between the roots and the walls of the pot. To do this, gently shake the pot and tap on its walls, but under no circumstances compact it with your hands. For fuchsia to grow, porous soil is as important as good drainage.

Transfer

Taking fuchsia out of an old pot

Fuchsia is a fast-growing plant. Therefore, it must be regularly replanted into a pot of suitable size, which is 3–4 cm larger than before. It is better to do this every spring, when the flower begins to awaken and grow.

It’s better to take a ceramic pot so that it protects the plant’s root system from overheating in the summer heat. Don't forget about drainage. 2 - 3 cm of expanded clay or pebbles at the bottom of the pot will protect the roots of the plant from rotting. As a substrate, it is better to take a purchased soil mixture for flowering indoor plants.

You can also prepare the soil for replanting fuchsia yourself. To do this, mix leaf soil, turf soil, humus, peat and coarse river sand in equal parts. Replant using the transfer method: pour a little prepared soil into the pot on the drainage layer, then carefully remove the fuchsia from the old pot and place it in a new pot together with a lump of earth. Fill the voids on the sides with soil mixture.

After transplanting, place the fuchsia on a shelf with diffused lighting. Trim its stems to one-third of the length. Spray the leaves and water the substrate with settled water until excess water appears in the pan. After a few minutes, drain excess moisture from the pan.

After transplantation, no additional feeding is needed for a month!

Now wait a couple of months - abundant flowering fuchsia is guaranteed!

Trimming and pinching

Fuchsia flowers appear on young shoots. To increase the number of such shoots, the plant should be regularly pruned, and young shoots should be pinched. Pinching is very effective method make fuchsia bloom more abundantly. Using pinches, the desired shape is formed, giving the crown the appearance of a ball, bush or miniature bonsai tree.

Fuchsia, depending on the variety, grows to a height of three meters or more. It is difficult and impractical to grow such a giant indoors. If you pinch the plant in time, it will form into a strong and beautiful bush.

Indoor fuchsia should be trimmed twice a year: in the fall, at the end of the mass flowering of the flower (October), and in the winter (early January).

Fuchsia in the form of a tree

During the first, autumn, pruning, you will remove all faded fuchsia branches at a height of 2 cm from the dormant buds. Carefully inspect each branch for pests, remove excess seed pods and outdated flower stalks. If insect pests are found, cut off severely damaged parts of the flower and treat the entire plant with an insecticide.

Do the second pruning in early January to finalize the crown of the plant. If the fuchsia overwintered in the basement or garage, the plant has already been pruned in the fall. In spring, all that remains is to remove dry shoots and leaves from it.

If the plant has been in the room all winter, it must be trimmed. Use clean pruning shears or garden shears to remove any long, thin shoots as they will be of little use. They will not bloom luxuriantly, and your bush will not become more beautiful from them.

Fuchsia bonsai

If the plant is periodically pruned, it will grow in width instead of height. It is also better to cut off woody old shoots, since they consume nutrients and have almost no flowers. All flowers bloom only on young shoots. A strong and beautiful bush will soon form.

If you decide to form a bonsai from fuchsia, then leave only one shoot or, conversely, several such shoots that can be twisted together so that they act as the trunk of your tree. The tops must be pinched to form a lush crown of the bonsai.

What is the best way to pinch fuchsia so as not to harm its beauty and decorativeness?

If you want to form a tree from fuchsia, pinching should be done in winter, when the life processes of the plant slow down. Remove excess shoots, leave a few on the central stem. Look what happened in the spring. If the crown of the flower is not yet formed as you would like, prune it again in the spring.

You can trim the plant right to the stump. In this case, the fuchsia will sleep longer and bloom later, but a wide bush will form.

Fuchsia in bush form

If the shoots are cut back by only a third, the fuchsia will turn into a tree and can take up a lot of space.

The shoots that grow in place of the old branches are pinched a couple of times as they grow. Fuchsia will then turn into a lush beauty and will delight you with abundant flowering.

If young branches are pinched above the third pair of leaves, tillering will increase. To enhance the effect of tillering, the regrown branches need to be pinched again, but now near the second pair of leaves.

You decide for yourself what you will grow from fuchsia - a bush or a tree!

Keep in mind that before fuchsia blooms, two months pass for the formation and development of buds. Fuchsias with small simple flowers bloom earlier than plants with giant inflorescences and large double flowers.

Care for fuchsia in winter

Fuchsia is a perennial plant. It cannot grow and bloom from year to year without interruption. To replenish vitality, she needs rest - wintering. But home care in winter is just as necessary as in other seasons. Usually in winter, fuchsia is at rest. From a warm, bright room it must be moved to a dark and cool one. For example, in a basement or garage with a temperature of 5 to 15°C. Fuchsia does not need lighting in winter. The indoor flower should be watered a couple of times a month - it does not like very dry soil even during hibernation. Let him stay there until the end of January. Don't worry about the leaves falling off - you will still remove almost all the shoots. By spring, new, young ones will grow.

If you have a glazed and insulated balcony, where the temperature does not drop to sub-zero levels, a fuchsia pot can overwinter on the balcony. Only here she will not be able to fully rest, since the processes of her development will continue in the light. The flower will need to be looked after and watered regularly, but not abundantly. Dry leaves and shoots need to be cut off so as not to provoke the development of diseases. In winter, a weakened plant may attract the attention of insect pests. It should be treated with an insecticide at least once during the autumn-winter season.

If your fuchsia is kept indoors in winter, it will survive, but by the end of winter it will lose all its attractiveness and take on a deplorable appearance. In this case, cut the plant to 2/3 of its length and remove all dried branches. Move the flower away from heating appliances - on a table or shelf. Monitor the humidity of the surrounding air. If necessary, and in winter it is definitely necessary, increase the humidity in the room by spraying the plant with warm water. Ventilate the room as often as possible. Place wide containers filled with water next to the flower. Regularly, but not too much, water the soil with settled water, sometimes adding potassium permanganate. Once a month, feed the flower with complex fertilizer for flowering plants. If these conditions are met, your fuchsia will come to life and new shoots will appear. It can even bloom in winter. But don’t expect that in the spring it will quickly restore its shape and delight you with unprecedented flowering.

Propagation by cuttings

Rooting cuttings in water is the main and most successful way to propagate fuchsia. Best time for cuttings it is spring. Choose a young shoot from a fuchsia bush. The length of the cutting depends directly on the fuchsia variety. Usually they take from 10 to 20 cm. The point is that over time, the fuchsia shoots harden a little. If you take an old shoot for propagation, it will also take root, but this process will take longer. The young shoot will take root faster and will grow more actively in the future. Remove the leaves at the bottom of the shoot so that none of them comes into contact with the liquid in the container prepared for rooting. Also cut off large leaves completely or in half. The cutting does not yet have its own roots, and the leaves will draw all the moisture from it, preventing the root system from forming. Place the cutting in a jar of settled water and cover the top with a thick translucent bag. In 5 to 10 days, roots should appear. After a couple of weeks, the cutting can be planted in a prepared (preferably ceramic) pot with a nutrient mixture and drainage at the bottom. The size of the pot should be no more than 9 cm in height.

Rooting cuttings in water

If you decide to propagate fuchsia in the summer, keep in mind that it loves coolness and humidity. At high temperatures, a cutting placed in water may rot without ever sprouting roots. We advise you to root the cuttings in a room with air conditioning or a split system.

In autumn, fuchsia prepares for a dormant period. All life support processes of the plant slow down. So from September to January it is better not to propagate using cuttings.

The second method involves planting the cuttings immediately in a prepared substrate - in perlite, vermiculite or sphagnum. Be sure to place planting material in a greenhouse or container with a lid to create a greenhouse effect, since such rooting requires high air humidity. As soon as the shoots take root, the greenhouse is opened slightly and the seedling is gradually accustomed to indoor conditions.

A sudden change in climate can cause the shoot to lose its leaves and die.

Autumn harvesting of cuttings

Autumn harvesting of cuttings is the most The best way preserve fuchsia during the winter period. In early autumn, take several cuttings from an adult healthy bush. They are suitable for propagating fuchsia. We take several cuttings as a safety net in case some of them do not survive the winter.

Cuttings need to be taken 15 - 20 cm in length, depending on the variety. They are stored in pots with soil in cool places, such as garages and basements. You can also save fuchsia cuttings on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, in a bag of sawdust. Closer to spring, they are taken out, treated with a solution of potassium permanganate and placed in water for rooting. (see above)

Propagation by leaves

If it is not possible to cut a cutting suitable for propagation from a fuchsia bush, you can use fuchsia leaves for this purpose. Cut off a large healthy leaf along with the cutting and bury it a centimeter into wet perlite. In greenhouse conditions, with daily spraying, high humidity and constant temperature, a miniature rosette of leaves will begin to develop at the base of the petiole. When it is strong enough, separate it from the leaf and plant it in a separate pot with a nutrient mixture (any soil mixture for flowering plants will do).

Propagation by seeds

Growing from seeds at home is rarely used in the case of fuchsia. This can only be done experienced flower growers or breeders. Sometimes, for the sake of experiment, amateur flower growers also try to collect seeds from a plant and grow their own fuchsia specimen from them. If you want to try it too, we'll tell you how to do it.

The procedure for obtaining fuchsia seeds is quite labor-intensive, but interesting.

To begin with, exclude the possibility of the plant self-pollinating or pollinating it by random insects. To do this, remove the anthers from a selected flower that has not yet bloomed. Then, on the stigma of the pistil, on the stamens, apply pollen from the variety of fuchsia that you want to grow. Now carefully put a fabric cover on the bud or wrap it with a piece of gauze and secure it with thread. In this form, the flower will stand for several weeks until the fruit ripens.

In order not to spoil your work, it is better not to touch the flower while the fruit is ripening!

When the fruit is ready, remove it from the stem with tweezers. Carefully cut and remove the seeds. Dry the seeds for several days before planting them in the ground or storing them. It is better to plant seeds in tall containers with a lid. You need to sow seeds on a damp surface of the substrate (peat plus coarse sand). Don't cover the seeds, just press them down a little with your fingers. Close the lid and place the container in a well-lit, warm place for germination. But not in direct sunlight! It is advisable to sow fuchsia in early spring. The lack of lighting must be compensated with the help of additional lighting with fluorescent lamps. The seed germination temperature should be maintained between 18 – 22 °C. Don't forget to ventilate your greenhouse. If necessary, moisten the soil in the container with settled water using a fine spray bottle. Shoots will appear in a couple of weeks. Now the lid can be opened more often and for longer - let the young bushes get used to indoor conditions. Make sure that the substrate does not dry out, the lighting is diffused and for at least 12 hours. per day, the temperature should be comfortable.

After one and a half to two months, young fuchsia bushes need to be pruned. Before replanting the plants, the substrate in the container is well watered. The seedlings are taken out along with the soil from the root system, one at a time, and planted in a separate pot. Water generously. The soil can be used purchased for flowering plants, or you can prepare it yourself from equal parts of turf and leaf soil, humus, peat and coarse sand. Remove the pots with young plants from sunlight and into the shade - let them gradually get used to the new conditions. After a couple of weeks, pots with young fuchsias can be placed on the prepared for them permanent place. Further care consists of regular watering, good lighting, comfortable temperature. After a month, not earlier, you can start feeding a little complex fertilizers for flowering plants. No more than once every 2 weeks. Don't forget to shape the crown of your flower. If you want it to be full, strong and not too tall, pinch off the top.

Diseases

Fuchsia is rarely affected by diseases and insect pests. The main problems arise from careless plant care. Let us introduce you to some of the problems that arise when growing fuchsia at home.

Fuchsia has dropped its buds. Probable reasons:

• insufficient or excessive watering;
• rearranging the pot with flowering plant to a new place;
• insufficient lighting;
• too much heat air;
• lack of nutrition in the soil.

Why does fuchsia shed its leaves? Probable reasons:

• indoor air is too dry;
• high air temperature;
• lack of moisture in the soil;
• lack of nutrition in the soil.

The fuchsia leaves have turned yellow. Probable reasons:

• overmoistening of the soil (water the flower correctly, excess water from the pan must be drained. During the dormant period, reduce watering to a minimum).

appeared on fuchsia leaves dark spots and small drops of dew. Probable reasons:

• The air humidity in the room is too high (it is necessary to reduce the humidity, ventilate the room more often, spray the fuchsia with special preparations).

Fuchsia does not bloom. The reasons may be the following:

• unfavorable conditions during hibernation;
• late circumcision or untimely pinching of fuchsia;
• the plant is in direct sunlight;
• little light (the shoots will stretch out, will be thin and frail, the buds will be weak or not formed at all).
• the pot is too large for the flower (fuchsia will bloom when its roots completely entwine the entire soil in the pot. If the flower is still small and the pot is too large, most likely you will not see flowers this year);
• the soil in the pot is poor and too light (such soil quickly becomes compacted from watering, there are few useful elements in it. The root system is located at the edges of the pot, cannot weave the entire earthen ball in the center and suffers greatly from this);
• the soil is too heavy, the roots develop poorly or stop developing altogether (the plant does not receive moisture and nutrition, the soil turns sour, the roots rot);
• the flower was overfed with nitrogen fertilizers (the green mass will begin to increase to the detriment of flowering. Until the fuchsia uses up the entire excess supply of nitrogen fertilizers, it will not bloom).

Pests

Whitefly

If this problem arises, you will have to solve it with the help of folk remedies or chemicals, insecticides. It is necessary to spray the affected plants several times, at intervals of 5–7 days, until the fuchsia is completely free of sucking insects.

Monitor your plants, regularly inspect them for diseases and pests, and take action in a timely manner.

Video: caring for fuchsia

Conclusion

Bright, varied and multi-colored indoor fuchsias are precious exhibits in the collection of any amateur florist. If you have not yet purchased this flower and doubt your abilities as a gardener, then it is in vain. Even a novice gardener can grow fuchsia. Your time, knowledge and expenses for caring for her at home will not be in vain. Fuchsia will thank you with fabulous blooms for many years!

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