What is fuchsia interesting and how to care for it at home

For 200 years, diverse varieties and hybrids of this flower have been grown by flower growers - fuchsia is easy to care for, it is viable, although it can be tricky due to lack of attention. The main feature of the plant is its decorativeness. Bright colors of flowering delight the hosts and guests for a long time. What else is this flower interesting for?

Amp fuchsia

Flower features

Fuchsia (Fuchsia) - evergreen perennial from the family of Cypress (Onagraceae). She came to the world of floriculture from the countries of Central and South America, some of its species are found in New Zealand. The plant is a shrub with flexible branches, on which green leaves with serrated edges are opposite. The length of the sheet is about 5 cm, the shape is oval, with a pointed tip. At home, a hybrid, or so-called indoor fuchsia (Fuchsia hybrida) is grown, which has many varieties. Some types of plants are widespread in horticulture and landscape design.

Drooping fuchsia flowers - the most valuable in the plant. They can be of various forms, and the variety of shades is amazing. Fuchsia blooms at different times of the year, but more often from spring to autumn (it depends on the variety). Some gardeners grow fuchsia collections: the flowering of one variety is replaced by the flowering of another, and the result is a year-round flowering home garden.

Fuchsia Hybrid Forms simply grown. Many varieties easily agree to take any form: ampelous or woody. The structure of the flower causes many associations, for which fuchsia received interesting nicknames. This is a corolla-shaped cup with a tubular nimbus, from which long stamens peek out. A fuchsia flower resembles a ballerina's skirt, from under which neat legs in pointes stick out.

The plant blooms for a long time. Flowers are small and large, double and smooth, solitary and collected in a brush. They are located on long pedicels. Flower shades are the most diverse: there are both monotonous and two-color hybrids, there are varieties with three shades at once. Fuchsia colors: white, cream, orange, pink, purple, red, purple and others.

Varietal variety

In floriculture, there are about a hundred varieties of fuchsias. Breeders received more than 20 thousand varieties and hybrids of a flower, but this does not stop the work on breeding new ones. And they are all beautifully grown at home.

According to the type of growth, three main groups are distinguished:

• bush - shoots are even and stretch up;
• ampelous - freely hanging flexible stems;
• ampel-bush - long stems that need support.

Fuchsia ampel-bush

The most popular varieties suitable for indoor cultivation:

1. Armbrough Campbell - variety with winter flowering. Terry flowers. The sepals are red, the petals are pale pink. Unpretentious in care, easily propagated.
2. Alisson bell - The owner of semi-double colors of red-violet.
3. Henriett Ernst - Fuchsia with large double flowers. The combination of red sepals and a light purple skirt attracts the eye.
4. Waist - bush up to 60 cm in height. The flowers are saturated orange. The flowering period is from spring to autumn. Suitable for creating floral arrangements.
5. Imperial Crown - flowers elongated, pink-scarlet, collected in a brush.
6. Blue mirage - fuchsia with terry contrasting colored flowers: sepals are white with green tips, and the rounded skirt is purple. There are both bush and ampel.
7. Hollis beauty - a variety with long flowers. The buds are painted in pale purple (skirt) and white (sepals).
8. Prince ov pis - a peculiar color of flowers: white sepals favorably emphasize a red skirt.
9. Bolivian - a variety with flowerscollected in bunches. It is considered one of the most beautiful types of fuchsia. The flower has long peduncles - up to 30 cm, gracefully hanging down brushes of red or white flowers are attached to them. The flowering period is small - from March to April. Bolivian fuchsia is thermophilic.
10. Magellan - a very elegant variety, red-violet flowers resemble a Christmas tree toy. The bush can reach a height of 3 m. This fuchsia is mainly used for interior decoration: arches, windows, shop windows. Flowering - from March to October.
11. Ballerina - The owner of a lush pale pink skirt and elegant scarlet sepals.
12. Shining (shiny) - A variety that is beautiful not only in flowers, but also in green-purple leaves. From spring to autumn, it pleases with elongated crimson flowers.
13. Annabelle - huge double flowers of a pure white shade.

Fuchsia Annabel

Fuchsia is grown not only indoors. Varieties for balconies and hanging cornices: cascade, Alice Ashton; Anita and Carolina varieties are grown in containers that are stored outdoors in the warm season. Fuchsia is successfully grown in open ground. A garden decorated with fuchsias is not a myth: in summer the plant blooms actively, and for the winter it should be dug up and stored in a cool room.

Gardeners prefer the following varieties:

• capri, ultramarine, dark secret (flowers with white, blue and purple hues, the so-called group of sapphires and diamonds);
• matilda, waltzing (tall varieties of the Australian group);
• Exotic terry varieties: Florentina, Sarah Jane.

Accommodation in the house

In caring for fuchsia, you need to take into account its seasonality. The growing season lasts from the beginning of spring until mid-autumn. In winter, the plant needs rest. Conclusion: in different periods of the year a flower needs a different amount of light, heat, water and fertilizer.

Bush fuchsias are grown in floor flowerpots. For ampel varieties, hanging planters and baskets are intended. It is advisable to choose a ceramic pot with thick walls so that the root system does not overheat. The color of the pot also matters: light tones repel the sun's rays, and dark ones accumulate heat, which is undesirable for the plant. There must be drainage holes at the bottom of the tank.

When choosing a place for a flowerpot, give preference to a northern, western or eastern window. Fuchsia is not a fan of bright lighting. Provide her with diffused light. For growing on the north side of the flower, a small backlight is recommended.

Fuchsia does not tolerate heat. They are comfortable in cool rooms, with air temperatures up to + 20⁰ C in the summer and up to +15 in the winter. If the temperature rises above +25, then the flower turns pale and discards the buds. In such conditions, he is most susceptible to disease. It is necessary to protect the plant from summer stuffiness, taking it to the balcony or loggia in the morning. Day and evening it is better to organize partial shade.

Humidity, watering, top dressing

Regular watering is needed throughout the growing season. It is better to take the settled or filtered water.

Tip
On hot days, spray fuchsia leaves with soft water, this will protect the flower from overheating. To constantly humidify the air, pour water into the pan or put wet pebbles.

What to do if you overlooked and fuchsia leaves sagged? These actions will help restore the crown elasticity, and the whole plant - a healthy look:

• water abundantly;
• spray the bush from the spray gun;
• cover with non-woven fabric.

The soil should not dry out between waterings. It is enough to wait for the drying of its upper layer - 1-2 cm.Excess water that stagnates near the roots is detrimental to the flower. With the onset of autumn, the amount of water decreases.

From spring to autumn, it’s time to fertilize - an actively developing plant needs nutrients. A sign that the flower lacks top dressing is shredding of leaves and slow development. During the growing season, fertilizers are applied once every 2 weeks. Fuchsia is suitable complex fertilizer for flowering plants with a low nitrogen content. purityis.decorexpro.com/en/ magazine recalls that watering with fertilizer is carried out on slightly moistened soil, and foliar top dressing - on the back of the leaf.

Flowering and dormancy

During flowering, it is advisable not to disturb the plant: do not rearrange the flowerpots and do not rotate them, moreover, do not transplant fuchsia. When it blooms, it is badly affected by any changes in care. In "gratitude," the plant can drop buds.

From the day the flowers began to set, and while they are holding, fuchsia needs potassium and phosphorus - select the appropriate liquid fertilizer, give it with watering once a week.

After a comfortable wintering, fuchsia blooms well. Provide her with the proper conditions:

• temperature - from +8 d +15 degrees;
• it is allowed to take the flowerpot to the insulated balcony;
• watering - 1-2 times a month;
• no top dressing;
• removal of pests, if any.

Transplant, pruning

Fuchsia is resettled annually in a new pot. Fuchsia must be prepared in advance for moving to a new place of residence. For this, preventive pruning is carried out: old, dried out and elongated shoots are removed, healthy ones are shortened by a third. Before planting fuchsia, make sure that its root system is not affected by the disease. If rot is detected, then it is cut to a healthy tissue.

Finding the soil for fuchsia is easy. It grows well in a universal substrate for indoor plants. Loose soil containing peat, sand and ash is preferred. To make a substrate for growing fuchsia yourself, take:

• leaf soil - 3 parts;
• peat - 2 parts;
• sand - 1 part.

Do not forget about the drainage layer. It should occupy at least 1/5 of the pot. Transplanted fuchsia is not watered for about three weeks.

Tip
The ideal time for a transplant is the beginning of spring.

The pruning procedure will be useful not only before transplanting. Periodic adjustment of the bush will provide the plant with a beautiful shape and abundant flowering. The first pinching can be done after rooting the cuttings. Then pruning is done every spring before flowering. Lateral shoots are cut over every second or fourth pair of leaves. You can form a standard bush by fixing the central shoot on a support and removing the side shoots.

Breeding

Propagation by seeds is a difficult process, rarely yielding good results. A plant grown from a seed often does not retain all the properties of its parent. The vegetative method of reproduction is used more often and more successfully. Such seedlings develop faster and begin to bloom earlier.

A 10-20 cm long cut is cut with a sharp knife and only the top pair of leaves is left on it. Apical and stem cuttings are separated during spring and summer. The stems should be slightly lignified, and the buds should be mature. If it was necessary to separate the stalk in the fall or winter, then the seedling should be provided with conditions close to summer.

Petiole can be perfectly rooted both in water and in a sand-peat mixture. After 2 weeks, the first roots should form - the seedling is ready for resettlement in a small container.

Tip
Do not wait for the roots to grow, immediately plant fuchsia in the ground. If the container is sufficiently voluminous, it is allowed to plant several cuttings at a small distance at once.

Growing difficulties

Pests and diseases are the result of improper care. If you are attentive to your flower, then avoid a lot of problems.The main cause of the disease is excessive soil moisture. No less rarely, the disease provokes a lack of nutrients and light.

Diseases and pests of fuchsia:

1. Rust - brown rounded spots on the bottom of the leaf. Sick leaves are removed, the plant is treated with Topaz.
2. White flies. Pest larvae feed on plant sap. Treat the leaves with a soapy solution, if necessary, use insecticides.
3. Chlorosis - leaves turn yellow and dry. Reduce watering in winter. Yellowing of the leaf veins indicates a deficiency of manganese.
4. Powdery mildew on the leaves arises from soil overmoistening. Treatment with the drug "Topaz" or "Fundazole" will be required.
5. If the plant slowly grows, fades quickly and has a sluggish appearance, try increasing the amount of light and nutrients.

Tips

How to choose fuchsia seedlings in the store:

1. Check for roots sticking out of drainage holes.
2. Leaves should be large. Even solid seedlings with small leaves take the desired decorative look for a long time.
3. Seedlings in the store should be stored in a well-lit place.
4. Check if the watering is done in the proper amount. Overdried soil is the beginning of flower diseases.
5. Inspect the undersides of the leaves for pests. If there are no dots or spots, feel free to buy the plant. For complete certainty, shake the bush slightly: what if whiteflies fly out of it? It is difficult to get rid of these insects.

Riddles of Fuchsia

Interesting facts about the flower: history, folk signs and beliefs, references in different areas of life.

1. Florists call fuchsia “ballerina,” “gypsy earrings,” or “Japanese (Chinese) lantern.”
2. The color "fuchsia" is one of the names of the shade of purple in the world of fashion and design. Some argue that the fuchsia color name includes all shades from light raspberry to dark violet.
3. Many types of flowers were named after a botanist or wildlife explorer. Fuchsia is no exception; it owes its name to the “father of botany” - the German physician Leonard von Fuchs.
4. Fuchsia fruit is a berry. She is edible.
5. A relative of fuchsia is a plant of fireweed, useful for humans, or Ivan tea. It is an excellent honey plant, a source of tannins and vitamin C.
6. Popular signs say that fuchsia has magical properties. It is often recommended to grow people in creative professions. The plant evokes intuition, helps to find non-standard solutions. The flower harmonizes the space around it, contributes to a surge of energy. It is believed that the growing fuchsia in the house smooths out conflicts, helps to reach mutual understanding between different generations.
7. Fuchsia is a suitable plant for people with problem gastrointestinal tract and endocrine system.
8. There is a version that fuchsia, growing in a single woman’s house, repels men. But this is only speculation: in many happy families, the windowsill is decorated with fluffy fuchsia skirts.

A variety of varieties allows you to choose fuchsia for every taste. You will not be mistaken if you take one of the graceful “ballerinas” of the plant world as a gift for the florist. With fuchsia it is easy and pleasant to start studying floriculture. But be careful: it is likely that you will want to decorate it with elegant flowers throughout the space.