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fuchsiamom

Keeping Fuchsias Looking Full all Summer

fuchsiamom
16 years ago

How do you keep fuchsias looking full all summer? I prune them back in the winter, do my pinching in the early spring, then stop pinching to allow the blossoms to bloom.

But by now, the branches keep getting longer, and the blossoms of course grow at the end of the branches. So hanging baskets have all their blossoms hanging below the pot and branches of plants in the ground start touching the ground.

How do I keep them from looking straggly by mid to end of summer?

Comments (9)

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    16 years ago

    You have a longer growing season than I have so I would think you can cut them back some now and still have plenty of time for another good flush of flowers, keeping in mind it will take 6 to 8 weeks before you'll see them flowering again. Others please chime in if you can add to this.

    A......

  • tightathome
    16 years ago

    Hi

    I grow my baskets and hanging pots for exhibition and I pinch back very ahrd at every pair of leaves for the first couple of stops then every other pair for the penultimate and ultimate stops.

    By pinching hard you will get 'secondary' growths that are a little behind the initial growing tips and flowering of these will be delayed which coupled with the removal of spent floers and seed pods will give a longer flowering period.

    Hope this helps

    Tight.....

    Here is a link that might be useful:

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    16 years ago

    Tight.....absolutely gorgeous specimens, looks like "Best in Show" quality to me. How many varieties do you have? Different Fuchsia varieties are so hard to find over here I tend to collect as many as I can just to help keep them going. Each year I'll pick half a dozen different ones and grow these on to decent looking plants, the others, as long as they stay strong and healthy thats good enough for me. A lot of the good old varieties you just can't find anymore and in my opinion are better than some that are produced today.

    A......

  • tightathome
    16 years ago

    Hi A

    Next time ask me an easy one.... I went out and did a check on what I have and give or take half a dozen there are 101.

    And before you ask... they are...

    ALBERTINA
    ALISON PATRICIA
    ANNABEL
    ANOTHER LITTLE CRACKER
    ANTHONY HEAVENS
    AUNTIE JINKS
    BABY BRIGHT
    BARBARA EVANS
    BARBARA WINDSOR
    BEACON
    BECKY REYNOLDS
    BORDER QUEEN
    BORDER RAIDER
    BRENDA WELTON
    BRIGHT LITES
    BROOKWOOD BELLE
    CAMBRIDGE LOUIE
    CARADELLA
    CELIA SMEDLEY
    CENTRAL SCOTLAND
    CONSTANCE COMER
    DANIEL REYNOLDS
    DAVID
    DAWN FANTASIA
    DIANNE WRIGHT
    DOLLAR PRINCESS
    EDIE LESTER
    EMA MARIE
    EVA DAWES
    F. ARBORESCENS
    F. BOLIVIANA ALBA
    F. DENTICULATA
    F. FULGENS VARIEGATTA
    F. MAGELLANICA
    F. MINIMIFLORA
    F. PROCUMBENS
    FIRECRACKER
    GARTENMEISTER BONSTEDT
    GINA
    GINA BOWMAN
    HARRY GRAY
    HAWKSHEAD
    INSULINDE
    JACK SIVERN
    JACK STANWAY
    JANICE ANN
    JIM WATTS
    JJ ROBERTS
    JUBILEE QUEST
    KAREN ISLES
    KATIE SUSAN
    KEN SHELTON
    KENNY WALKLING
    KOBOLD
    KORALLE
    KORALLE SPORT
    LADY THUMB
    LAMBADA
    LEONORA
    LILLIAN ANNETS
    LINCOLN CASTLE
    LINDA MARY NUTT
    LONDON 2000
    LONDON EYE
    LOVELY LES
    LYES UNIQUE
    LYNNE PATRICIA
    MAGARET BROWN
    MAKING WAVES
    MARGARET JENKINSON
    MARGARET LOWIS
    MARGERET
    MARINKA
    MIEKE MUERSING
    MILLENIUM
    MY LITTLE CRACKER
    OLD SOMERSET
    OLIVE SMITH
    PAT ROGERS
    PATIO PRINCESS
    PAULA JANE
    PINK FANTASIA
    PRESIDENT GEORGE BARTLETT
    ROESSE BLACKIE
    ROSE FANTASIA
    ROSLYNNE
    ROSWITHA
    SHEILA MARY MASON
    SMARTY
    SNOWFLAKE
    SON OF THUMB
    SOPHIE LOUISE
    STEPHANIE WHEAT
    THALIA
    THISTLE HILL
    TIME AFTER TIME
    WALDIS
    WAVENEY GEN
    WIGAN PEER
    WINTERS TOUCH

    Far too many....

    Tight....

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    16 years ago

    Oh I'm so glad I'm not the only one with far too many Fuchsias, I think I'm running at about 150 varieties at the moment, I have 12 of the same ones you have. Some of the ones on your list I have never seen for sale over here.
    A few of the ones I have that aren't on your list are....F. PROCUMBENS, F. SPLENDENS, SPECIOSA, CHANG, NETTALA, CLAUDE MASSE, PINK RAIN, ERECTA NOVELTY, LECHLADE GORGON, TRUMPETER, OTHER FELLOW, HIDCOTE BEAUTY, PUSSYCAT, MACHU PICCHU, VARIEGATED MACCHU PICCU, GOLDEN ARROW, MORE APPLAUSE, QUASER, BONANZA, SUZY, BOLIVIANA PINK TRUMPET, RYS 2001, WALZ HARP, WALZ POLKA AND ON AND ON AND ON. At one time I had 250 varieties in my collection which in reality is only a drop in the bucket as far as Fuchsias go. I'm trying to wittle it down to 100 of my favorites, not having much luck, I've just ordered another 36. Out of the ones I grow each year I do discard some that I'm not to fond of, Some of the varieties I grew years ago I'd love to be able to find again, like BIANCA, HENRI POINCARE, SAMPAN, SATELLITE and ROSEBUD. Maybe someday if I should live so long.

    A......

  • fuchsiamom
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Tight,

    Thanks for your help. I'd like to try pinching your way next year, but I'm not sure I understand...

    Your message said you pinch them back very hard at every pair of leaves for the first couple of stops. Would you please explain a little more? Deos this mean as soon as a pair of leaves starts to grow you remove them? This doesn't seem right. Or do you leave the first pair and remove the second pair of leaves? I've always pinched by removing the 2nd or 3rd pair, but my plants don't end up looking as beautiful as yours :)

    Thanks for your help!

  • tightathome
    16 years ago

    Hi Fuchsiamom

    What you have to remember is that I am growing my plants primarily for exhibition purposes and working towards a set date or set dates (my first show is Saturday 4th August). From this date I work back the number of days for my last stop which is dependant on the flower type or whether it is a Species or Triphylla.

    I try to get as many stops in as possible before the last stopping date and by early stopping I can increase the flowering potential many times. In the early stages of growth after allowing the plant to make the basic shape I want, I start to remove growing points as they develop, at times using a pair of tweezers to remove the small growing tips. After doing this three or four times I allow the plant to make two pairs of leaves before stopping in the case of bush type plants and three pairs for hanging baskets or hanging pots. Every time the plant is stopped it will produce what I call secondary growths behind the last pair of leaves, this is this growth running time wise a little behind the original stop and these will give even more flowers spread over a longer period.

    This seems and exact science but when the plants have made good growth I can use a pair of topiary shears on the small flowered cultivars to maintain a good shape.

    I hope this has helped but I guess it has just complicated the issue?

    Tight....

  • fuchsiamom
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Tight,

    This really helped.

    Thank you!

  • tightathome
    16 years ago

    Hi Fuchsiamom

    Growing a fan is a good excercise in pinching out - I started this as a tip cutting last autumn and it grew steadily in the greenhouse with minimum amount of heat over winter. It is now over three feet across and about 26 inches high, and is just coming into flower in time for my first show.

    Tight.....

    Here is a link that might be useful: