Q&As
These are some questions posed by our customers over the years.
Question 1. I was wondering if you were growing a fuchsia like magellanica as a hedge how would you go about pruning it for the best display of flowers but still maintaining the hedge?
Answer: I would trim the hedge in early spring as the new growth starts, just to tidy it up and keep control of the height and width that is required.
Question 2. Do you have any recommendations for a couple of hardy varieties which would be great introductions to new fuchsia growers?
Answer: Two of our favourite hardy fuchsias are
Garden News. (Hardy) 1978 (Handley). Double. Tube pink, short and thick. Sepals pink on outside, frosty rose-pink underside, broad and short. Corolla shades of magenta-rose, base of petals rose-pink. Blooms of attractive shape, mainly in fours at each pair of the leaf axils, continuous flowering. Upright bush, one of our largest flowered hardies. 2½-3ft (75-100cm).
Whiteknights Pearl. (Hardy) 1980 (Wright) Single. Tube and Sepals palest pink green tips. Corolla clean baby pink. Extremely free long thin flowers. Growth upright - makes good bush. Suitable for training into pillars, standards etc. 3½ - 4½ft
Question 3. Do you have any tips for looking after the tender varieties over winter?
Answer We as exhibitors prefer to over-winter our tender fuchsias in a semi-dormant state where a minimum temperature of 40°F (5°C) needs to be maintained and at the end of January onwards when light levels start to change increasing to 45°F (7°C). This could in a heated greenhouse (you can partition part of it off so you are only heating part of it to keep the cost down) or in a nice sunny conservatory.
Question 4. I’ve read some mixed advice as to whether you should add bonemeal to the planting hole or not. Would you recommend this? Would using mycorrhizal fungi be beneficial to use?
Answer: As a hedge will probable be in the same position for many years, every little helps. Certainly improvement of the soil with the addition of garden compost, bonemeal, Blood ,fish and bone or just general fertilisers such as Growmore would be excellent . The use of mycorrhizal fungi in the planting hole prior to planting to encourage root growth is not essential in my opinion, as most fuchsia plants are pretty easy going and are just raring to romp away, but hey if you have some why not use it.
Question 5. If there’s anything else you would like to add which could encourage new fuchsias growers.
Answer: There is such a diverse range of styles, of colours, shapes, habit and hardiness with fuchsias that you will be spoilt for choice. So whether you select your fuchsia because its trailing, bush, climbing, standard or just because you like the name, buy it and enjoy.
|
