Dia's Garden Style

Fuchsia may be grown as standard, standard means the stem grow straight up. They look beautiful in this way and look attractive and more elegance. Any kind of variety of fuchsias can be grown as standard. Standard fuchsia need to be kept from frost environment. Need extra protection in the winter, otherwise could be ended up with a bush rather than standard.
Standard fuchsia can be started from cutting or purchase baby standard from nursery. The important are a good, straight stem, a well-formed head and a good covering of flower. Never grow standard will be taller than human average tall, it will be difficult to manage in the winter.

How to grow standard fuchsia:

1. Choose a cutting with a straight stem, if possible choose three leaves at each node. Insert a stick into the potting mixture and prepare to tie the cutting to it.

2. Carefully and gently bring the cutting attached to the stick and tied it with a soft tie to avoid injured at the stem. Keep stem straight.

3. Break off any new side of shoots that appear in the axil of the leaves.

4. When the young standard has reached required height. Remove the growing tip, do not remove the large leaves on the main stem. After removing of the growing tip as reached required height, they will make branches, leave them to produce two or three pairs of leaves. Pinch out the growing tip.

5. As the bushy standard head starts to form, remove the large leaves on the main stem.

6. Maintain a good straight stem to get stronger standard stem.

Fuchsias are shown in their beauty of their color combinations and their flower shapes. Fuchsias type of varieties divided to some groups.

Triphylla Hybrids.

Triphyllas are tolerant in more sunny and hot environment than other Fuchsias. They are easy to grow and become vital to any fuchsia's grower. They have rich colored leaves from bronze metallic to rich purple sheen. The flowers have long tube petal with range color from pink, dark purple, orange and red. In winter, keep Triphylla in temperature above 45F(6C). They thrive good in area frost free environment.

Group of Triphylla:
Mary, Thalia, Elfriede Ott, Coralle, Sophie's surprise and many more.

Encliandras.

Elicliandras have delightful small flower and versatile plants that can be treated as bonsai or any shape. The flower about 1.25 cm long. Encliandras were found in Mexico and Central of America.
In winter the flower will grower larger than in summer if grown in greenhouse.

Group of Encliandras :
F.X Bacillaris, Cinnabarina, Neapolitan, Miniature Jewel and many more.

Hardy Fuchsias

Cultivars considered to be hardy if they are planted in the ground not in basket or a standard. The meaning of hardy is they survive in the winter in cool temperature and grow up again the following year.
Hardy Fuchsias are good for border. Before plant them in the ground, grow them in the pot. Choose area which partially shady. When growing hardy fuchsia it is necessary to know the important things. In the wild these plant will grow in rainy season with high humid and shady environment. They need to be well watered and keep the soil moist.
The hardy fuchsia needs a night temperature of about 50F, During the winter these flowers do not grow keep the temperature above 35F. You will also want to discourage early growth by not watering a lot during colder months. It is important that this bush not be exposed to frost, as it will kill it.

Hardy Fuchsias:

David lady Thumb, Alice Hoffman, Dorothy, Garden News, Reading Show and many more.

My new collection of Fuchsia was chosen by My daughter. We went to Home Depo near our apartment complex. Seems I spend more time to visit garden center such as Lowes, Home Depo, and other local nurseries than shopping Mall. I am addicted to gardening. I can't help to stop collecting plants. So now, I have 1 basket of Fuchsia, the Fuchsia has beautiful fuchsia colors. You may heard about Fuchsia color, I love this color. My Fuchsia has dark purple mixed with dark blue, pretty combination color, not only the petal the flower's cap called sepal has different color, it is red. I don"t know what's the name of the red. It look like combination white and red with portion 50-50.

Getting to know fuchsia's world and their diversity are impressed me. The wild Fuchsia were found in Central and South of America, Northern Mexico, South Argentina and across to Tahiti and New Zealand. In fact, Fuchsias has many varieties and species. In type of size, Fuchsias have all size from tiny blooms about 6mm (0.25") to 13 cm (5"). Fuchsia's petal has different color from white, pink, red, fuchsia, peach, orange and yellow. Some of their petals have different color with their sepals, and make beautiful combination. I am in love with these color combinations of their natural beauty. The flowers have different shape of petal from small, long like tube, saucer- shaped, single and double. Not only the flowers, the color of the leaves are vary from not glossy or a dewy look leave to glossy leaves.
Now days, Fuchsia have variegated foliage, the variation of the foliage helps create a splash of color long before flowering.

The Basic requirements to grow Fuchsia:

1. Temperature
Fuchsia will thrive in warm, damp and little humid area. The plant will survive at 32-39F (0-4C), in this temperature plants will survive but not grow. However Fuchsia needs to be placed in a frost-free environment. Winter treatment will be needed for cold climate.

2. Light
Fuchsia loves morning sun or partial shade in the afternoon. Avoid direct hot sun, it may cause stress. If the area get a lot of sun exposure, move your plant in the shady place.

3. Soil
Fuchsia grows in any kind of well-drainage medium. Add some coarse, grit, sand or perlite to increase drainage; Add some vermiculite to retain water as well as to improve drainage.

4. Watering
In hot season, water every 2-3 days or when soil is 2 inches dry from the surface. Over watering may kill fuchsia. A lack of water will be shown by soft and limp leaves and wilted growing tips. To help create a humid atmosphere, give spray to the leaves.

5. Fertilizer
Use organic or chemical fertilizer. If the chemical fertilizer is the option, use as manufacture instruction. Over fertilizer may kill plant. In Spring use high Nitrogen to promote the leaves, and gradually change to balance feed with a proportion of 20-20-20. Maintain regular feeding is important to create health growing and to encourage continuity of flowering.

5.Propagation
Fuchsia can be propagated from seed or cutting. Growing fuchsia from seed is taking long time and slow. The best propagation method is taken from cutting. The best time to take fuchsia cutting is when the growth is soft and green. The ideal fuchsia cutting has growing tip. Small cutting root faster. Avoid taking cutting during the summer when the plant start to flower. The important things to rise cutting are the condition of humid atmosphere, the level of light, never put in direct sun, the optimum temperature keep about 60-70F, and pinch when it has grown at least 3 pairs of leaves.

6. Pest and diseases
Fuchsias do not suffer from to many disease, however to know pest problem will worth it. The common problems are whitefly, aphid, red spider mites, rust on the leave is a fungus problem. Sticky yellow trap may help to fight the infestation. Aphid, use alcohol rubbing and try to wipe the leaves or take out the leaves which have a lot of aphids. Red Spider, if the plant is suffering heavy infestation of red spider, They are turning brown and may have curly leaves. The only way to treat is to cut the stem. Remove rush on the leaves.