Description of indoor fuchsia, flowering varieties: Anabelle, Voodoo, Ballerina

Description of the plant and features of fuchsia

The first mention of fuchsias was recorded about 300 years ago, and since then, breeders have developed more than a thousand varieties of these beauties.
There are ampelous and bush varieties of fuchsias. Spectacular, graceful, fuchsia has become famous for its unique flowers, which cannot be confused with any other plant. Flowers are double, semi-double and simple. The group for home floriculture is varied in shades. There are white, lilac, pink, beige, violet. You can often observe combinations of 2-3 shades in the structure of one bud.

Fuchsia, a well-known houseplant, has acquired a “second wind” with the production of hybrids capable, firstly, of propagation by seeds, and, secondly, of blooming relatively soon, 4-5 months after sowing. Since several species are mixed in the “blood” of this hybrid, it is often called hybrid fuchsia (F. x hybrida). But not only the ability to bloom in the year of sowing allows us to classify fuchsia as an annual plant.

More importantly, it blooms all summer in open ground. At the same time, fuchsia remains a perennial; in winter it can be kept in a cool, bright room and cut out in spring

Fuchsias bloom from July until the first frost.

Indoor fuchsias (Fuchsia hybrids, Fuchsia x hybrida) are much more elegant than those that grow in natural conditions. In nature, they resemble small spreading trees or lush shrubs, strewn with clusters of fragrant flowers. Fuchsia appeared in Europe in the 17th century thanks to the explorer and botanist Leonard Fuchs. At first it was considered a great curiosity and was grown in the winter gardens of nobles.

Gradually, hybrid varieties were developed that were more adapted to northern latitudes. This is how bush, ampel and semi-ampel forms of fuchsias appeared. Today, it is very rare to find species of fuchsias in indoor culture; in the vast majority of indoor fuchsias, they are hybrids.

Fuchsias provide a considerable choice of possibilities for changing the form of cultivation. They are good both as hanging crops or graceful vines with shoots hanging down, and as graceful bushes, and as plants formed on a figured support. They can even be driven out in standard form, forming trees of amazing beauty.

Today, fuchsias are represented by spreading, ampelous and upright growing varieties with a height of 30 to 70 cm, with flowing, straight or creeping, partially woody shoots, up to 70 cm long. The shape of a fuchsia bush can be easily controlled by pinching. The leaves are large to medium-sized, ovate-lanceolate or oval with pointed tips and pronounced veins, most often with a serrated edge.

The most attractive thing about fuchsias is their flowers. They are considered exemplary graceful not only because they droop down and elegantly hang on their stalks. The flowers of this plant have been compared to dancers and their spectacular skirts. Some have completely different associations - with elegant lanterns. And the structure of the flower really has a lot in common with the outfits of ballerinas. In fuchsias, the flower consists of a calyx and a corolla. The elegant calyx resembles a simple flower with petal-shaped sepals, on which lies a bell-shaped corolla.

Small classic varieties with 4-5 corolla petals compete today with varieties with giant double flowers, the corolla of which offers you to admire the most bizarre curvatures and shapes. Narrow and long, short and wide, large, small, twisted, with ruffles - fuchsia corolla petals can be anything you want. But it’s also worth taking a closer look at the calyxes: in some fuchsias the sepals are straight and lanceolate, in others they are ovate and drooping down, in others they are raised up. And the stamens, which are always longer than the corolla, only emphasize the gracefulness of the plant.

The fuchsia color palette today can surprise even artists. The calyx and corolla almost always differ in color. A light cup and a dark corolla, or vice versa, contrasting tones or similar shades, completely different in color saturation, are mixed in limitless variations, and sometimes we are not even talking about two-color combinations: transitions, play, variegated spots significantly expand the idea of the palette. Fuchsia colors include white, cream, light green, blue, lilac, violet, red and pink.

Reference

The genus Fuchsia (Fuchsia) belongs to the fireweed family, i.e. the same as our well-known fireweed (fireweed). More than 100 species of fuchsias are known - perennials, shrubs or small trees growing in the subtropical and tropical zones of Central and South America, as well as on islands from New Zealand to Tahiti. In culture the most common f. three-leaved (F. triphylla) and f. hybrid (Fx hybrida).

Fuchsia trifolia is a plant up to 60 cm high with straight semi-lignified stems growing from the rhizome and large leaves with a dark burgundy underside. It has graceful, tubular, bright coral flowers 5–6 cm long, collected in a short raceme. Varieties with its participation are separated into a separate group, but there are significantly fewer of them than those of hybrid fuchsia.

F. hybrida was obtained as a result of numerous crossings involving f. fiery red (F. coccinea), f. sparkling (F. fulgens), f. Magellan (F. magellanica) and other species. The bush can be upright, spreading and ampelous in shape (creeping or cascading down) and have a height of 30 to 70 cm. In most varieties, the flowers hang down, but bushes in which they are collected in small inflorescences and look upwards look no less elegant.

Fuchsia trifoliata. Photo by the author

From the history

The “father” of fuchsia is considered to be the French monk and botanist Charles Plumier, who discovered it on the island of Haiti in 1696–1697. In Paris in 1703, his work on plants found in America was published. It was there that the name fuchsia was first heard, which he gave in honor of the famous German doctor and botanist Leonhart Fuchs. The species that Plumier discovered was fuchsia trifolia. Although the plant was already mentioned in an English botanical journal in 1725 under the name fuchsia, the British do not agree with the French authorship and believe that it was brought to them by their sailors.

From the end of the 18th century, during the “feverish gathering of plants”, new species of fuchsias began to arrive in England at Kew Botanic Gardens. Soon, breeding work began in nurseries, for which fuchsias turned out to be a very grateful object. Already from 1835 to 1850, numerous hybrids and varieties were created in England, which were grown in houses and open ground, where some of them overwintered.

In other European countries in the 19th century, fuchsia also found its fans. In Germany, the emphasis was placed on crossing with fuchsia trifolia. And the famous French breeder Lemoine developed many varieties with large double flowers. After 1930, new fuchsias began to be created in the Botanical Garden of the University of California, USA. Now breeding is also carried out in the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand.

It is believed that over more than 200 years of selection, about 15,000 (!) varieties and hybrids of fuchsias have been obtained. Currently, however, about 5,000 are grown. In many countries there are societies of fuchsia lovers, uniting numerous fans of this wonderful plant.

Some fuchsias have flowers that point upward.

Fuchsia Unusual

Thank you! The flowers arrived alive, not withered, some already with buds. PS I am writing a review after some time. The flowers are fresh, but none of them correspond to what was ordered. In addition, they sent 4 pieces. two identical fuchsias. Why do I need it? You order what you need, and what you get is: Oh, God, that’s not good for us. Just a devil-may-care attitude.

Of the three fuchsias, two look quite good, but the third sprout was all mixed with soil and broken, and is unlikely to come off. The pelargonium sprout is also not very good, most of the leaves are broken off, the lower ones are moldy, but there are a couple of new intact leaves, so there is hope. Not a single sprout is labeled; it is impossible to understand which variety of fuchsia sits where. I don’t even know whether to recommend the purchase or not. I'll add it in a couple of days. I transplanted them all and treated them with epin. One fuchsia sprout, as expected, died, broken. The pelargonium also died, it was overwatered and rotten. The price of dead plants is 570 rubles. It would be quite possible to purchase a healthy, flowering plant at the market. Also, don’t get upset looking at this hopelessness. So I don't recommend it.

The fuchsias arrived very weak. Thin, simply thread-like (I am not exaggerating) long branches up to 10 - 12 cm. One fuchsia has three branches so thin and long that they simply almost completely broke under their weight, almost at the base. Of course I spray it with epin, but I’m not sure it will survive. And putting such thin branches in water for root formation is unlikely to do any good. But the price is 280 rubles. I’ll add. No matter how hard I tried to preserve the broken fuchsia, nothing came of it. No epin helped. The other three are slowly coming to their senses. But you have to take great care of them.

The flowers arrived beautiful. Pelargonium grows well, fuchsia, after I unpacked it, quickly began to fade. But I replanted it, put a bag on top, and it began to grow. I hope for the best and that the flowering will be as in the picture.

The goods were delivered on time, but one of the four sprouts arrived with only one leaf with a dried out top, the next day this leaf also fell off. So most likely he won't survive. The other three are very weak, I don’t know if they will survive.

Distribution is fast, but packaging is a nightmare! Wrap two tiny stems in cloth, then in cardboard and put in a bag. They gave it to me like a regular package. There was no signature, which is fragile. This is not the first time I order flowers, but this is the first packaging. As a result, one flower was broken.

Fuchsia propagation

If you want this perennial to produce many flowers every season, then you need to provide it with proper care. If such a need arises, planting material for propagation can also be obtained from it. There are many possibilities for this, since young plants can be obtained both from seeds and from cuttings and leaves.

Propagation by seeds

If you decide to get new fuchsia seedlings from seeds at home, keep in mind that this process will require a lot of time and effort. First of all, you need to stock up on quality seeds. To do this, you need to constantly monitor the condition of the mother plant, preventing its flower from self-pollinating. This can be done by carrying out the following activities:

removing anthers from a recently opened flower;
transfer of pollen from the paternal plant to the stigma;
protecting flowers after pollination by covering them with a fabric or paper bag.

After a couple of weeks, the fruit reaches the maturity stage. After opening it, take out the seeds and let them dry for several days. For planting, use shallow containers filled with moist substrate. Seeds should be placed on the surface of the soil.

After sowing, the bowls with seeds must be transferred to a greenhouse, where optimal temperature and good lighting must be created. After 10-15 days, seed germination occurs. After another 1.5 months, the time comes to pick the seedlings. Subsequently, the young seedlings are hardened, for which they need to be taken out into fresh air for a while. The first time, hardening should be short - no more than 15 minutes, but later the residence time of the seedlings is increased. After another two months, the seedlings are transplanted into separate pots.

Conditions for growing ornamental shrubs

In order for an ornamental shrub to feel good, you should know and follow certain rules for each variety.

Bright red and Bolivian fuchsia

Pots with indoor flowers should be placed on the east or north side. Even here, plants need to be protected from direct sunlight. During the dark period, the bushes need illumination from a fluorescent lamp or phytolamp.

Important! The best temperature regime is 19-21°C during the warm period, and in winter - no higher than 18°C. If this is not followed, the Japanese lantern will slow down its development and the flowers will begin to fall off

When the flowers appear, the pot with the plant should not be touched. With any movement, the buds fall off.

Watering is carried out regularly when the top layer of soil dries out. The water that has flowed into the pan is drained.

Fertilizing with complex fertilizer is needed once every 2 weeks in all seasons except winter.

To increase the humidity of the surrounding air, place containers with clean water next to the pot or spray the fuchsias. Otherwise, dry air will cause yellowing and wilting of leaves and flowers.

Fuchsia Brilliant

Loves semi-shaded places. From the beginning of the warm season until the onset of autumn, it requires abundant watering with soft water, standing for several days.

Three-leaved fuchsia

This hardy plant is grown in open ground. For planting, choose a slightly shaded place with fertile and neutral soil. Regular watering ensures that the soil around the plant is always moist. Fertilizing is done weekly with liquid fertilizer.

Magellan fuchsia

Feels great in open ground under snow cover. The hardy plant can overwinter on a glassed-in loggia.

Recumbent fuchsia

The shrub does not tolerate the scorching sun at all. It should be planted in a wire basket filled with peat moss with the addition of perlite and vermiculite.

Note! The mixture is first thoroughly soaked in water, only then placed in the basket. If you add dry ingredients, the mixture cannot be soaked by watering

At the beginning of autumn, the plant can be moved from the site to a room with soft light and a temperature not higher than 18°C. Watering should be done moderately. With the onset of spring, fuchsia is moved to a warmer place and periodically fed. The basket with the plant is taken outside only after stable heat has been established.

Growing beauty

Buying seedlings

In garden centers and stores, fuchsia is sold in pots of one plant at a time or in hanging baskets of 3-4 pieces together, depending on the size of the container. To ensure that there is less hassle with the plants during further cultivation and flowering is abundant, you need to pay attention to some points when choosing. First of all, look at how the plants are formed. If pinching was done correctly and the plants grew in the most favorable conditions, they usually look like dense, beautiful bushes with large, dark green leaves. In addition, their roots are not visible from the bottom hole of the pot. Such seedlings quickly take root.

They will not create problems, but seedlings with green but small leaves will not take on a decorative appearance so quickly. This often happens due to insufficient fertilizing and watering. The worst thing is if the planting material stood on a dark shelf for a long time or was not watered at all. In this case, the fuchsia leaves turn yellow, and the buds may fall off completely. Such plants, if they are not covered with non-woven material when planting, can suffer greatly from sunburn and completely lose their decorative value. They will have to be “cast” and “fattened”, but full flowering will still occur only in a month.

When purchasing, it is also very important to inspect the plants for the presence of pests. The underside of the leaves should not have spots or dots - traces of the harmful activity of sucking insects. In addition, you must shake the bush and see if whiteflies - small whitish insects that look like a miniature clothes moth - fly into the air. This is a pest that is very difficult to control.

By the way

Proper formation of seedlings is especially important for hanging fuchsia varieties. If pinched at the wrong time, they form long shoots that bloom only at the ends. They will have to be greatly shortened, and it will take at least 3-4 weeks for the flowers to appear again. In this sense, it is easier with straight-growing varieties - on shoots that are too elongated, it is enough to pinch the tops. This will cause side stems to grow, which will flower quite quickly.

Summer outside

Correctly formed ampelous fuchsia. Photo by the author

Fuchsias need warmth for good growth and bud formation. Therefore, they are planted in open ground or exposed in pots to the air no earlier than the end of May - beginning of June. In the conditions of central Russia, fuchsias grow better in places protected from wind and direct sunlight. If the plants are going to be placed in a flower garden and not in a pot, then you need to choose how to plant them. Large, perennial bushes and standard fuchsias are usually buried in the same container in which they grew indoors. In the fall, it will be easier to remove them for wintering without damaging the roots. Pots are dug into the soil at different depths, and the deeper, the more comfortable it will be for the roots.

Containers placed on the ground are best placed under trees or in a shady area to reduce drying out of the soil. Hanging baskets and flowerpots are placed on the walls of the house, balconies and terraces.

It is better to plant plants grown from cuttings, purchased in small pots, as well as trifoliate fuchsia directly into the ground so that they grow faster. It makes sense to place severely drooping varieties in containers raised so that the shoots do not lie on the ground and the leaves and flowers do not rot.

When planting a fuchsia seedling in the ground, you need to dig a hole one and a half to two times larger than the container and pour drainage onto its bottom, and then a layer of nutritious loose soil mixed with slow-soluble fertilizers. Fill the hole full with water and let it soak. Then carefully remove the plant from the pot and place it in the middle of the hole so that after filling with soil and watering it remains at the same depth as it grew in the pot. After this, add and compact the soil around the plant and water it generously. If several fuchsias are planted, the distance between them depends on the variety, age and crown volume of the plants. Young rooted cuttings are placed at a distance of 30–40 cm from each other.

Advice

In all cases when the plant is oppressed by bad weather or lacks water and nutrition, spraying the leaves with growth stimulants helps a lot.

Fuchsia needs constant and attentive care, for which it will reward with elegant, magnificent flowering. The first important point is watering. This is a fairly moisture-loving plant, so the soil should be constantly moist, but not wet. Regular watering is especially necessary for plants in any containers. And the more sunlight they get, the more often they should be watered, because their roots cannot get water themselves. Plants planted in the ground can be watered less. In dry, hot weather, fuchsias love a water shower, but only if the sun does not hit them, otherwise burns may appear on the leaves. If the leaves are wilted, then the plants must not only be watered, but also sprinkled with water and covered with non-woven material to restore the elasticity of the leaves. Plants that wilt several times in a row may practically stop blooming.

Fuchsia in a raised flower bed. Photo by the author

Since fuchsias continuously grow and bloom, they require increased nutrition. Plants in containers especially need it. For fertilizing, easily soluble complex fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in equal proportions are used. Potted fuchsias need to be fed once a week, ground fuchsias - once every 10-12 days. Fertilizers can be diluted in water and fed with each watering, but then their dosage is greatly reduced. To avoid the accumulation of salts in the substrate, the plants should be watered abundantly with clean water every 3-4 feedings. Fertilizers containing humates also have a good effect, but they are best used in the first half of summer. Under no circumstances should fertilizing be carried out on dry soil - this can cause burns to young roots.

Advice

You can’t get too carried away with pinching, since each of them delays flowering. If you are forming a bush, then it is optimal to do this 3-4 times, depending on the time of planting the cutting and its growth rate. If the cuttings take root late, they are pinched 1-2 times.

For fuchsias growing in pots, constant watering can cause the substrate to become covered with a crust, which prevents water from penetrating into the lower layers of the soil. If the container is small, you can check this by simply lifting it. A dry earthen lump will be light. The crust needs to be loosened and the plant watered several times as the water is absorbed.

In hot, dry weather or with insufficient watering, fuchsia seed pods begin to form en masse, and flowering weakens. In order for the growth and formation of buds to proceed successfully, you need to regularly remove fading flowers, preventing the appearance of boxes. In addition, for both bush and standard fuchsias, it is necessary to periodically cut out thickening shoots and pinch out the longest ones in order to maintain the shape of the plant.

The art of the hairdresser

Fuchsias are grown in the form of a bush or standard tree. The latter option is very convenient for spreading and hanging varieties, since in the form of a bush such fuchsias lie on the ground and their stems can rot.

Advice

The evaporation of moisture from a fuchsia pot will slow down if you plant summer plants with a shallow root system, for example, alyssum, ever-flowering begonia, and lobelia, in the container itself or next to it.

To obtain a bush form, the tops of rooted cuttings planted in pots and starting to grow are pinched above the 2nd or 3rd pair of leaves. This speeds up branching. Overgrown side shoots are also pinched above the 2nd–3rd pair of leaves, and so on. Excess, weak branches that thicken the crown are removed completely. A spherical crown is gradually formed.

To grow a standard tree with a lush crown, it will take 2 seasons. First, rooted cuttings are grown into one stem, which is not pinched to a certain height. Emerging side shoots are removed. There remains one smooth, powerful, upward-growing stem. When its height reaches 10–15 cm, place a peg nearby and, as it grows, tie the fuchsia to it, securing it every 5 cm. The grown seedling is transferred to a larger pot (optimally 13 cm in diameter). All emerging side shoots are trimmed, leaving a pair of leaves at their base. This is necessary for the stem to develop in thickness. When the stem reaches a height of 30–50 cm, the side shoots (3–4 pieces) that have grown again in its upper part are left, and all leaves are removed from the stem. As soon as the tree grows to 50-70 cm, the top of the main shoot is pinched and the crown begins to form in the same way as a bush - by pinching the shoots above every 2-4 pairs of leaves. Shoots and leaves appearing below the crown level are constantly removed. The plant is transplanted into a pot with a diameter of at least 20 cm, preferably clay - it is more stable and better ventilated.

Standard fuchsia trees. Photo by the author

In order for the tree to be strong, beautiful and bloom profusely, it requires careful care: abundant watering, constant feeding, as well as periodic spraying of the crown with water in the heat to reduce evaporation.

By the way

From f. It is impossible to obtain a three-leaf standard tree, since its rhizome produces several stems at once. But you can graft its cuttings onto a standard grown from another type of fuchsia. The same can be done if you have a ready-grown bole and cuttings of an interesting fuchsia variety.

Winter - indoors

With the onset of cold weather, usually before the first frost, potted fuchsias are brought into a cool room: into a cold greenhouse or onto an unheated veranda. Those fuchsias that grew in the ground are dug up and planted in pots or bags made of thick black film. Water very sparingly. Most fuchsias gradually lose their leaves. From November to February, the room temperature is maintained at 5–10 °C. At the same time, plants need the maximum amount of light and good ventilation. Water rarely, but do not allow the clod of earth in the container to dry out completely. At the beginning of March, the temperature is raised to 18–20 °C, fuchsias begin to be watered more often and fed with fertilizers with a high nitrogen content, and even better - with humates. In March, last year's shoots are cut to approximately half their length and cuttings are prepared from them for propagation. Weak branches are cut out completely. Ampelous varieties are pruned less lightly, because long hanging branches are their main decoration. If necessary, plants are transferred to larger pots or the top layer of soil is replaced with a new, nutritious one. When replanting, you can slightly shorten the longest roots. After pruning, warm water is used for watering. Within a month, leaves appear on the bushes, and then buds.

A large container is a great place for fuchsia. Photo by the author

In summer cottage conditions, after the leaves have fallen, fuchsias can be brought into the basement and stored there at a temperature of 3–5 °C. Water occasionally, not allowing the soil to dry out completely. The basement must be ventilated to prevent mold from forming. At the end of March - beginning of April, the plants are taken out of the basement into a bright room.

By the way

Many gardeners successfully keep fuchsias in winter and in apartments - on the coolest and brightest windowsill. In March, when sunny days arrive, the plants undergo a “radical pruning” of the elongated shoots, and after a while they restore their beautiful shape and bloom again.

Fuchsia ampelous - planting and care outdoors

Evenly falling shoots of the plant, at the peak of flowering, turn into a mini-floral waterfall. But for this you need to create suitable conditions for them.

Landing

The flower is grown using seeds and rooting cuttings.

The first method is usually used by breeders to obtain new varieties. It is painstaking and time-consuming; moreover, it does not guarantee a variety with maternal characteristics.

Rooted fuchsia cuttings

For amateur gardeners, it is preferable to propagate the variety you like by cuttings. It is enough to place the parts of the shoots remaining after pinching (15-20 cm) in water for 10-14 days. After the cutting takes root, it can be planted in a permanent place. To quickly get a dense bush, you can plant several cuttings in a pot. For good root formation, moderate temperatures of up to 20-23 ° C and regular watering are needed.

Seedlings received by mail or purchased in a store are transplanted using the transfer method from a container into a container, with a mandatory layer of drainage, and topped with soil.

For fuchsia to feel good you need:

place it in an area protected from drafts and wind;
the place for growing must be selected, avoiding the south side;
provide the plant with a neutral soil pH;
Use soil for planting that is permeable and light;
Feed regularly, every 2-3 weeks - this will make flowering longer and more generous.

Important! Fuchsia does not like heat and does not tolerate direct sunlight. In summer, the bush needs frequent watering; it is also recommended to moisten the above-ground part with a sprayer.

You need to focus on the drying soil around the roots of the plant; excess moisture can harm them

In summer, the bush needs frequent watering; it is also recommended to moisten the above-ground part with a sprayer. You need to focus on the drying soil around the roots of the plant; excess moisture can harm them.

Diseases

These flowers get sick relatively rarely. But gross mistakes made during care can cause illness. The florist needs to know about this.

There are two categories of diseases:

diseases caused by improper care;
cases of flower damage by fungi and pests.

Improper overwatering leads to root rot. The solution to the problem is to wash the roots with warm water and cut off the rotten part. Then the fuchsia is placed in a bowl with clean water, and after new roots appear, it is planted in a pot with new soil.

Sometimes growth slows down due to the fact that the plant needs to be transplanted into a larger container.

Paying attention to the leaves, you can judge the lack of essential nutrients. Small brown spots appeared on the leaves - a lack of molybdenum. Manganese deficiency can be indicated by yellow veins on the leaves. Their pallor and lethargy will indicate a lack of nitrogen.

Attention! In the summer, the cause of pathogenic microbes getting on flowers can be insects flying into open windows. Whitefly is a small, almost invisible butterfly that lays eggs on the underside of leaves. Sticky sugary droplets appear on them

The hatched butterflies begin to suck the juice from the leaves. The result is their yellowing and falling off.

Sticky sugary droplets appear on them. The hatched butterflies begin to suck the juice from the leaves. The result is their yellowing and falling off.

Whitefly is a small, almost invisible butterfly that lays eggs on the underside of leaves. Sticky sugary droplets appear on them. The hatched butterflies begin to suck the juice from the leaves. The result is their yellowing and falling off.

Immediately after identifying the first signs of the appearance of whiteflies, you should prepare warm water with laundry soap and wash the stems and lower parts of the leaves. The root system needs to be protected from soap. This can be achieved using polyethylene film. If this method does not help, then you need to use Fitoverm, Aktara, Actellik, strictly following the instructions.

The presence of warm and dry air in the room contributes to the appearance of spider mites. The appearance of a gray coating on the leaves, thin cobwebs and a large number of black dots are the main symptoms of infection. Bath procedures do not always help get rid of insects. They resort to treatment with Fitoverm, Fufanon.

From all that has been said, the conclusion is: fuchsia is a very beautiful and useful plant in a house with an interesting history. Even a novice gardener can cope with its cultivation.

Reproduction and transplantation

If you plan to propagate a plant by seeds, you should first protect the unopened bud from self-pollination and pollination by insects.

Specks of dust from the bud must be removed in advance, and the bud itself must be covered with a cover of paper or fabric. When the flower is ripe, the seeds must be carefully collected and sown in accordance with the procedure indicated in the previous paragraph.

The vegetative propagation method can be used at any time of the year, but experienced breeders recommend doing it in the spring. Observe the following rules:

for propagation you need to choose a young cutting from 10 to 20 cm long;
remove the leaves at the bottom of the cuttings, cut the rest by half;
place the cuttings in filtered water;
Cover the top of the cutting with film or a bag, you can use a bottle.

You can expect the first roots to appear in 4-5 days, but in some cases you have to wait about 2 weeks. When they appear, you need to immediately plant the cuttings in the substrate.

Read more about how to propagate fuchsia from leaves here, and from this article you will learn how to properly transplant fuchsia and get abundant flowering.

Watch a video about propagating fuchsia by cuttings:

Fuchsia is a beautiful indoor plant with lush flowers. Although it is quite unpretentious, to successfully grow it you need to know the rules of care both at home and in the garden. Also read our materials on how and when to prune a flower.

Armeria in landscape design

This flower is universal in the garden. Looks good with other flowers, but can grow independently as separate bushes.

Armeria in landscape design is used in rock gardens (gardens using stone elements), when laying an alpine slide, between slabs of garden paths, and as flower borders.

These flowers will look very advantageous and contrast against the background of bright greenery or tall plants. They also look good with other types of creeping flowers.

This unpretentious ornamental plant will be a wonderful solution for any garden. Easy care makes it convenient for propagation, including for novice gardeners.

How to pinch correctly?

The pinching procedure is carried out to form a thick, compact and beautifully formed bush. Shoots ensure the formation of new buds, so we must strive to increase them.
The crown is cut off from cuttings that have taken root. There should be 6 leaves left, new shoots are forming. Further, they are also pinched.
This method creates a bush and ampelous appearance of flowers.
If there are several cuttings in one flowerpot and simultaneous pinching will lead to the formation of a powerful bush and simultaneous flowering. This happens after 75 days.
The next pinching occurs in February, before the upcoming flowering.

To get a standard tree, you need to maintain the cutting height to 100 cm or lower. For this, an erect stem that is quite strong is used.

Then only the top of the head is trimmed.
Since the shoot is very thin and fragile, it should be supported. You can use a bamboo stick. Tie it to the stem with a soft cloth.
The appearance of 6–7 shoots will be a signal for the formation of a trunk crown. After the first or second pairs of leaves appear on the shoot, they are pruned.
Leaving the leaves behind will help the plant establish itself. Therefore, you cannot remove them all at once; this must be done gradually, waiting until the crown begins to form.
Small-flowered plants are excellent for forming a standard tree.

The ampel form is carried out in various ways:

A cap is formed by cutting off the shoots after the second node. The next shoots grow a little longer.
Another option is to trim through two nodes several times, and only then leave long shoots.

There is no need to be afraid of pruning, just remember that pinching delays flowering.

Schefflera price

Small plants are offered for 400-500 rubles. But these are single bushes. What you should be afraid of is not that they will fall. Sheflera does not tolerate pruning well. Instead of forming a beautiful crown, the result is an unsightly plant.

Therefore, if you want a bushy specimen, purchase several flowers in one pot. There are already ready-made compositions, the trunks of which are woven into braids and voluminous “lattices”. For a meter-long flower you will have to pay 8,000-9,000 rubles.

But, there are also pots with, so to speak, preparations for the composition. Several Scheffleras grow separately. In this case, flower growers pay only for the number of plants. A flowerpot with three sprouts can be purchased for 1,300-3,000 rubles.

Varietal types of fuchsias (description)

In floriculture, there are about one hundred species of fuchsias. In cultural gardening, varieties and hybrids obtained from them are used. Today there are about twenty thousand varieties and hybrids of this beautiful plant. Their number continues to increase.

Fuchsia Basseveldse Ezels with dense double inflorescences, grows in the form of a bush, has rounded buds of inflorescences with a white-pink combination of sepals on the inside with a cherry tint coating. The skirt of the flower is bright red. Fuchsia flowers Basseveldse Ezels: photo
Fuchsia Bicentennial. A unique varietal hanging plant with large elongated salmon-colored buds. The flower is framed by a red terry skirt with peach-colored strokes. The blossoming flower changes color, becoming orange. Fuchsia Bicentennial flowers: photo
Bolivian Fuchsia. A tall bush variety about one meter high with very large flowers collected in hanging clusters. The plant is designed for growing in a warm room and does not respond well to low temperatures. The flowering period occurs in March-April. Bolivian fuchsia flowers: photo
Fuchsia Lenny Erwin. The plant has an ampelous shape, blooms with large double flowers with white sepals with green tips. The fluffy skirt of the flower is lilac in color. The form of the variety is ampelous. Fuchsia flowers Lenny Erwin: photo

Magellan (Fuchsia magellanica)

Tall evergreen bush, reaching three meters in height. The purple leaves of the plant, up to 4 cm in size, have down along the veins. This fuchsia blooms all spring and until October. Flowers can be single or collected in inflorescences of 4 pieces.

Magellan fuchsia tolerates low temperatures. You can leave it to winter on a glazed balcony, having previously cut it to a height of 10 - 15 cm. and covering, for example, with fallen leaves. Usually the plant is brought indoors for the winter, preferably in the coolest place. Watering fuchsia during the dormant period is necessary, but rare.

This type of fuchsia is used to decorate arches, shop windows, and glass on the veranda.

Description, main varieties and types

Depending on the characteristics, fuchsia can take the form of an ampelous plant, a shrub or a low-growing tree. During development, it forms flexible shoots that provide a cascading crown. The leaves are small in size and reach a length of 5 cm, the characteristic color is bright green, oval in shape, with a pointed end.

Fuchsia can have flowers of different shades, ranging from white and pink to blue and purple. Among them there are some that are quite amazing in their shape: in the form of bells or dancing ballerinas. This pronounced decorative effect is explained by the unusual structure of the flower. The petals are formed from a tubular corolla and, at the stage of full opening, form fluffy skirts, reminiscent of a group of dancers. The long stamens complementing them are very similar to slender legs dressed in pointe shoes.

Popular varieties

The wide species diversity of this plant did not go unnoticed by breeders, and subsequently they served as the basis for the development of new varieties and hybrids. Mainly hybrid forms are intended for home cultivation. Depending on the growth, the following types of fuchsias are distinguished:

bush. They have smooth shoots that face upward;
ampelous. They form flexible stems that are cascading;
hanging-bush. To give them a characteristic shape, they need support so that long stems can be tied to it.

Within the bush fuchsias, the following varieties can be distinguished, which are most often used for growing in floor containers:

Armbrough Campbell. This variety is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and the minimum time required for rooting. Flowering occurs in winter: at this time of year, large double flowers are formed, decorated with narrow leaves and soft pink petals;
Alisson Bell. The decorative properties of this variety are associated with its semi-double violet-reddish flowers;
Anabelle. During flowering, large double white flowers are formed. Within this variety, hanging plants are available;
Henriette Ernst. The originality of this variety is given by the scarlet sepals, which are decorated with a light lilac skirt;
Waist. This fuchsia variety produces bright orange flowers.

Many gardeners often choose hanging varieties of fuchsia for growing at home.

The latter attract attention with their curling shoots hanging from hanging baskets and flower pots. The most popular of them are the following:

Hollies Beauty. During flowering, double white-pink flowers are formed;
Prince of Peace. This variety is decorated with flowers formed by white sepals and a red skirt;
Blue Angel. The originality of this variety is given by flowers having a lilac-violet color, which is effectively complemented by white sepals;
Imperial Crown. It produces scarlet-colored flowers with an elongated shape, which are presented in the form of brushes.

What is it: general description

Fuchsia is an ornamental plant from the fireweed family. These are small trees or shrubs with flexible shoots of a reddish color, medium-sized lacent or ovate leaves located opposite, and numerous flowers of various shapes and colors.

This ornamental crop has a bushy or creeping appearance. A distinctive feature of fuchsia is the flower. It consists of two parts - a corolla-shaped calyx and a bell-shaped or tubular corolla (skirt) of a different color. All parts of the flower are brightly colored.

Fuchsia varieties that have 4-5 petals and a rather small flower are called non-double. Large fuchsias, the corolla of which consists of many petals, are considered terry.

Attention: This culture belongs to the group of unpretentious plants. Fuchsia is easy to care for and grow and perfectly decorates the interior.

Origin: Brief History

Fuchsia is named after the famous German scientist, botanist and physician Leonard Fuchs. This plant was discovered by Catholic priest Charles Plumier at the end of the 17th century. He traveled across the South American continent in search of medicinal plants and found this plant there.

In 1703, in the book Nova Planetarium Americanum Genera, an article about the discovery of a new species was first published. According to the generally accepted version, this date became the “birthday” of fuchsia.

Superstition about a flower

Fuchsia is a common flower. Once in the house, it becomes its decoration. She is credited with magical properties. The plant is not too picky, but requires special care. Loves moist soil. Watering should be organized so that the soil is always slightly moist. The main thing is not to over-moisten. In this case, negative consequences are possible, including the death of the plant.

Overdrying the soil also has negative consequences. In this case, the leaves fall off and the formation of flower stalks stops. There are some tips for proper plant care:

if the leaves begin to become covered with brownish-yellow spots, then watering should be interrupted and wait until the soil dries;
if the plant has withered and the soil is wet, then it needs to be moved to a sunnier place;
the flower really likes washing and spray treatment.

It is useful to have this kind of plant for creative people. It gives them inspiration and fills them with energy. It grows and emits special energy.

In a house where representatives of several generations live, mutual understanding and prosperity will reign. The love that a person gives to this flower multiplies and returns to him in the form of an increase in inner beauty and charm.

For your information! In addition to all the positive qualities, fuchsia is considered a flower whose owner in most cases is a single woman. Many gardeners call fuchsia a widow's flower.

Sofia Fedorova

This creation by sculptor Natalia Danko, which exists in several versions of painting, was a constant hit at international porcelain exhibitions in the 1920s and was produced intermittently until the early 1950s.

Sofia Fedorova (1879−1963), who inspired the appearance of this work, went down in the history of ballet as Fedorova the Second, because when she was accepted into the Bolshoi Theater troupe, her namesake was already in the corps de ballet. The technique of this gypsy by blood was not without flaws, but thanks to her stormy temperament and the art of transformation, her characteristic dance brought the audience into ecstasy.

Dancing Giselle in April 1913, Fedorova frightened the audience with an overly naturalistic depiction of her heroine's madness and death. The ballerina was so deeply immersed in the role that she began to be haunted by severe neurasthenic attacks, which later developed into an illness. Soon she had to spend more and more time in psychiatric clinics and less and less time on stage. When Fedorova became better, such iconic figures as Anna Pavlova and Sergei Diaghilev wanted to work with her. However, the disease took its toll.

Formation rules

Formation begins at the earliest stages of development - after rooting and the beginning of growth of the cuttings. You can use one of the most common forming methods.

Upright bush. Bush varieties of fuchsia are suitable. Formation involves pinching the shoots after two pairs of leaves appear. All subsequent side shoots are pinched using the same pattern. If the distance between the nodes is small, pinching through 3 nodes is allowed.
Standard tree. Bush varieties are used to form a trunk. A support is stuck into the ground next to the cutting and tied with soft material. The young trunk does not need a period of rest. Side shoots of the first order are not removed, but their growth is limited by pinching after 2-3 pairs of leaves. As they grow, they are transplanted into larger containers. At a height of 0.5-1 meters, pinch the top. The crown is formed according to the principle of a bush. Regular pinching makes the crown thick and even. To grow a standard tree, it is not recommended to choose varieties with large flowers.
Ampel form. Only one node is left on the first shoots. Side shoots are pinched after 2 pairs of leaves. Subsequent growth is not limited.

Fuchsia is easy to shape and quickly recovers after pruning. The only negative is the delay in flowering.

Advice! It is useful to feed young plants with organic matter and fertilizers with a high nitrogen content. Adults fertilize with potassium and phosphorus for lush flowering.