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Pruning & Shaping Fuchsias
Pruning |
Fuchsias belong to the group of deciduous woody plants. Flowers appear only on the young one-year-old shoots. If the fuchsia is able to put forth shoots without being controlled, in spring it will carry on growing at exactly where it has stopped in the Autumn. Only the tips will carry on growing and the lower, woody part of the plant remains bare. Of course, only relatively few flowers develop in proportion to the size of the plants.
Pruning back is therefore necessary. It stimulates the lower, dormant eyes to put forth new shoots, the plant is rejuvenated and brought back into an attractive shape.
Young, year-old plants are cut back to two eyes of the wood grown in the previous summer. Eyes or joints, also known as nodes, are the slightly thickened spots on the branches where the leaves were situated in the previous year. These are the places where the new shoots always emerge.
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Shaping Fuchsias
Forming a Standard |
From the start it should be supported with a stake and be fixed to this every 5 cm. It is best to use green wire ties with a plastic sleeve. Check from time to time that the tie is not too tight.
Constant attention must now be devoted to the speedy, uninterrupted growth of the standard fuchsia.
Side shoots which develop on the stem are carefully removed shortly after they appear so that all growing energy can be concentrated on the main shoot. The actual leaves belonging to the main stem however, must always be left in place until they drop by themselves after the head has formed.
When the standard has reached the desired height, it's time to remove the top growing tip.
1. Tie plant loosely to stake.
2. Pinch out tip just below height of stake.
3. Remove all lateral growth except for three or four levels.
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Shaping Fuchsias
Shaping a Hanging Basket |
A layer of potting mix is placed into the bottom of the basket. Take the plant from the pot and lay it on any angle of approximately 45 degrees.
This will ensure that the growth will begin to suspend some little distance from the edge of the basket.
Fuchsias need at least a 300 mm basket to ensure they will not dry out and that they will last a full season in the one container.
Pinch out lateral shoots above first node to form an umbrella-like canopy.
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Shaping Fuchsias
Shaping for Pot or Bush |
Beautiful bush forms are used for the planting of patio boxes, garden beds or even as pot plants in the greenhouse.
When the young plant has formed three pairs of leaves the centre growing tip is removed. This pinching stimulates the dormant eyes in the leaf-axils of the remaining pairs of leaves, causing rapidly outward growth.
General Information on Shaping
From the last pinch until the appearance of the flowers takes 60 days in single cultivars, 70 days in semi-double cultivars and 80 days for double cultivars.
In purely mathematical terms the more often pinching is done, the more side shoots the plant develops and the more flowers one can expect.
Fuchsia Troubleshooting
FLOWER DROP
Your plant has had a shock. Often this is caused by inadequate light, or maybe the plant has dried out too rapidly.
LEAF DROP
Once again something has caused the plant to shed its leaves to survive, it could be inadequate light, drying out, or even over watering, occurs in hot weather especially.
SCORCH MARKS ON LEAF TOPS OR TIPS
Has a chemical been used incorrectly, or has the plant been moved into too hot a position? Care should be taken with the use of many household sprayers. Often the chemical is still suspended in them from previous use.
LEAF REDNESS
Usually caused by exposure to low temperatures. Some fuchsias react to rapid weather changes in this fashion. Generally 'Redness' causes little problem other than that of visual imperfection
RUSTY RED CIRCULAR LESIONS, OLDER LEAVES
Rings or rounded areas of damaged plant tissue indicate a fungus attack. rust infection has this look: the rust spores dissipate and a dead, circular patch remains. Rust is prevalent in warm humid weather. We use Baycor 50 but also remove all damaged leaves. If late in the flowering season, prune.
DUSTY RED ON LEAF UNDERSIDES IN SUMMER
This is Red Spider or, more correctly - Two Spotted Mite. Prune if severe, and destroy prunings. Spray with "Yates Mite Killer". This is the one we use, but you may use any recommended miticide, especially on the undersurface of leaves where mite live and breed. They are difficult to eradicate due to the shelter they find here. Don't forget to follow up with further sprayings.
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