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solada

By Solada

Cheshire, United Kingdom Gb

HI ,we are now in Spring and the garden is waking up.
I have a Holly`s Beauty Fuschia which has been indoors over Winter,it has started growing like mad but the foliage is tall and weak,so to speak,Any suggestions what to do with it...please.



Holly_s_beauty

Answers

 

Its hard to tell whether that's meant to be a standard fuchsia or not - if its not, cut it down, move it somewhere cool but bright. The lack of bright daylight and heat indoors has forced new, lanky growth. If its a standard fuchsia, cut back the soft new growth to the main stem, again repositioning somewhere cooler and brighter. If you don't have anywhere cooler and brighter, you'll have to risk hardening it off now, over a week or so, till its outside in a sheltered spot till freezing temperatures are no longer a risk, but that's a risky business, because this fuchsia is not hardy. Repot if necessary.

31 Mar, 2016

 

It was indoors but by a window in a relatively cool place.It looked like it was dead until now. I did repot before I put it outside in a sheltered corner.So although it seems a shame,you think I should cut it down to the old stem.yes?Will this encourage a stronger regrowth?
When you say a "standard" fuchsia",meaning not "hardy".
If so,I know it is the former.
Thank you for your reply.

6 Apr, 2016

 

No - 'standard' refers to a plant grown on a long, straight, woody stem, with no growth up the stem, and all the growth at the top. Shorter versions are known as 'half standard'. Holly's Beauty fuschia is not, in fact, hardy, its a tender variety I'm afraid.

As for cutting it down, if you want bushy growth from the base, it should help to do that, also removing the stick support because this particular variety of fuchsia is a trailer, with lax stems, meant for flopping over the edge of a hanging basket or pot, rather than standing upright.

6 Apr, 2016

 

Thank you,you obviously are an experienced gardner where as I am quite a novice.
When I bought this fuschia,it had a support stick in it,The flowers are beautiful,absolutely huge...when in bloom.
Will follow your advice.

7 Apr, 2016

 

Forgot to ask,when does one start feeding one`s plants.?
I am assuming once it begins flowering but am probably wrong.

7 Apr, 2016

 

Let's suppose you were keeping your fuchsia in a greenhouse till the weather's warm enough for it not to be caught by frost (roughly mid to end of May). You could feed it weekly to ensure its growing on well and really bushy by the time you put it outside. But given you're having to just keep it indoors without quite as much light as the plant would like, I'd start the feeding towards the end of this month so as not to encourage too much sappy, weak growth while it still has to remain inside. Later on, don't forget to harden it off before leaving outside for summer. As for being experienced in gardening, plenty of people on here are good gardeners - just happens I did it professionally, more or less retired now though.

7 Apr, 2016

 

Thank you...Oh dear,you will think I am rather stupid ,but "harden it off"????

7 Apr, 2016

 

Ha ha, I wondered when I said it if I needed to explain! The process of hardening off is quite simple - you need to stand the plant outdoors in the warmest bit of the day (but not in sun) for 2 or 3 hours, then bring back in, and do the same every day over the next week or so, extending the time its outdoors until its acclimatized and you can risk leaving it out all night - preferably choose a mild night. the only time you don't need to do this procedure is if you're moving a plant outdoors when the temperatures are high and warm at night - but even then it will need acclimatizing to direct sun.

7 Apr, 2016

 

Thank you for the explanation which you did so very clearly.

14 Apr, 2016

 

And I can see I forgot to say that not knowing what 'hardening off' means does not mean you are stupid - it just means you didn't know, and there's no blame or shame in that. The list of things I don't know is likely endless... we can't all know everything about everything, can we;-))

14 Apr, 2016

 

Thank you,I am beginning to realise there is so much I need to learn about gardening and plants,however,I now know where to come ?

16 Apr, 2016

 

Well, its like everything we don't know much about - we think its simple, and it turns out its not. There's many a man who's found that out when trying to do DIY... and cooking, that can be complicated, but might seem simple. At least, that's what my son's found out now he's had a go, lol!

17 Apr, 2016

 

Very true?

20 Apr, 2016

How do I say thanks?

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