How is fuchsia cultivation and care carried out at home? Flower Maintenance Tips
It’s easy to care for fuchsia, even for beginner gardeners. But it is enough to make only one mistake, and the plant will die.
Fuchsia is a representative of flowering plants, which received this name in honor of the German biologist Fuchs.
At home, fuchsia is characterized by a long and lush flowering, which can be achieved only if all agrotechnical rules are observed.
In this article, we will learn how to cultivate fuchsia, care for it, and give tips on flower maintenance at home.
How to grow?
Here we will tell you how to grow fuchsia at home.
Choosing the right pot
Ceramics pots are suitable for growing fuchsia, but it is better to refuse plastic ones, since they heat up quickly. And this negatively affects the root system of the flower. Do not buy too much capacity immediately.
When growing fuchsia, increasing the size of the pot remains to be done gradually. This will allow the root system to braid the earthen lump gradually.The composition of the soil and its proportions
For the full growth and development of the plant, he needs a high-quality substrate. For fuchsia, you can prepare the soil yourself by combining such components in equal quantities:
- peat;
- turf land;
- sand.
For high-quality drainage, put pebbles or expanded clay on the bottom of the tank. The soil must be loose and breathable. The circulation of air at the horse system contributes to the flow of oxygen to the flower. In addition, the soil should fit snugly against the walls of the pot and support the flower well.
Necessary humidity
Grow fuchsia with a moisture content of 55-60%. She loves humidified air. So you have to spray it. When it is hot outside, spray in the morning and evening. In autumn and spring - 2 times a week, and in winter it will turn out from this (how to keep fuchsia in the winter in the basement and in the apartment can be found here).
Features of lighting and proper location
First thing it is important to choose the right place for comfortable flower growing. Moreover, the place of deployment should be constant, since permutations are unacceptable for fuchsia, as well as a turn of a flower pot. Because of this, she will fall leaves.
Lack of light can cause a sharp extension of the plant, as well as a lack of flowering. So you have to take care of high-quality lighting. If it is sunlight, then it must be diffused. In winter, it will be necessary to illuminate with fluorescent lamps. Grow a flower on a windowsill that faces west or east.Temperature mode
For the cultivation of fuchsia in summer, the optimum temperature remains + 18 ° С - + 20 ° С. If these indicators are overestimated, then this will adversely affect the condition of the plant. In winter, keep the flower at a low temperature: + 8 ° С - + 10 ° С. How to water fuchsia? The flower positively responds to abundant moisture, especially when the earth begins to dry out very much.
In summer, carry out watering every day. Only make sure that there is no excess moisture, as this can cause root decay. In winter, water 2-3 times a month if the temperature is below 0 degrees. Even being in the cold, the soil at the flower should not completely dry out.
Top dressing
For full growth and development of the flower requires fertilizing. Mineral and organic compounds are used for this. They contribute to improved growth, prolonged flowering, increased resistance to harmful substances and parasites. The composition of fertilizers should contain the following substances:
- boron;
- selenium;
- iron;
- zinc.
There are two types of top dressing: root and foliar. The first type involves the penetration of the nutrient composition into the soil and the absorption of substances by the root system. With foliar top dressing, spray the leaves of the plant from the inside.
Fuchsia is demanding on fertilizer application. So their bust or lack of negatively affect the condition of the flower. Immediately after planting, it is not worth making nutrients within 3 weeks. But when fuchsia has taken root, then you can make a schedule of fertilizers. To bring them with each watering 3-5 times a week. Moreover, the earth should not be too dry or waterlogged. For young plants it is useful to use compounds with a high concentration of nitrogen. For stronger and adults, increase the content of phosphorus and potassium.
Since the range of nutrient mixtures for fuchsia is wide, this complicates the choice. For the right choice of fertilizer, you should be guided by the following recommendations:
- Carefully study the composition. Complex fertilizers are preferable to simple ones, as the flower will be able to receive the entire portion of various nutrients and microelements.
- When caring for fuchsia, it is preferable apply liquid concentrated formulations. They are not only effective, but also simple in terms of application. It is enough to dilute the cap with water, as written in the instructions, and water the flower.
So, we summarize the above. When growing fuchsia, it is important to choose the right substrate, pot and top dressing. As for the capacity for the flower, it should be low and at the same time wide. It is still fashionable to grow a flower in peat tablets. Plant 1 seed per tablet moistened with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
As for the substrate, it can be prepared independently using components such as peat, turf land, sand in equal amounts. The soil should contain a sufficient amount of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.Reproduction and transplantation
Fuchsia propagation occurs in two ways:
- The seeds. The peculiarity of this method is that the new plant can be very different from its parent. This is due to the fact that the flower self-pollinates. As a result of growing from seeds, you can get a greenhouse of different colors of the same kind.
- Cuttings. At the bush woken up in the winter, cut off a young shoot. Its length should not exceed 20 cm. After removing all the leaves from the bottom of the spine, install in clean water. After the formation of roots, the stalk is transplanted into the soil.
As the flower grows, transplant it into a larger pot. This manipulation is carried out every year, so that the root system is not closely fuchsia transplantation is performed in the fall or spring, when the plant is at rest.
Details about how best to plant a flower - seeds or cuttings, read in this article.
Seed preparation and germination
You can get the seeds of the plant with your own hands. To do this, select a flowering plant, select the flowers that have just appeared and remove the anthers concentrated in the stamens on them. Next, put the pollen of his father's flower on the pestle. with such pollination, lay the flowers in pre-prepared tissue tubes, tie them with threads.
Seeds are formed within a month. As soon as the testis is fully ripe, then remove the bag, and carefully pick the fruit from the plant. Dry it slightly and shake out the seeds contained there.
How to care?
Further care of the seedlings is simple, but requires compliance with a number of important rules:
- Place the container with seeds on a warm and sunny windowsill. Make sure that direct sunlight does not fall on the pot.
- For seed germination, a temperature of 18-22 degrees is required.
- The soil should always be wet, not wet. If the soil is waterlogged, then mold will form on it, which will destroy even the strongest seedlings.
- As the soil dries, spray it from the spray gun. Once a day, ventilate the seedlings with the ground to saturate the soil with oxygen.
- After 20-30 days, you can see the first shoots. From now on, regulate watering. Gently moisten the bent root floor with droplets from a syringe.
- You can open the container already for a longer juice, so that the seedlings adapt to room conditions.
- As soon as 2 plants appear in young plants, pick them up - plant them in separate pots. Plastic cups of 100 or 200 ml are perfect for this. Make holes at the bottom of the container, lay a layer of drainage and nutrient mixture. Carefully transplant each sprout into a glass, preserving the earthen lump and filling the ground from the sides of the seedling.
Disease
Like any plant, fuchsia can be affected by disease. You can select only the most common:
- Powdery Mildew You can recognize the disease by characteristic whitish spots. The main reason for the development of the disease is an excess of moisture. For processing using Topaz or Fundazole.
- Chlorosis. Promotes yellowing and dry leaves. Yellowing occurs due to excess moisture or lack of magnesium. To combat the disease, a weak solution of manganese is suitable.
- Infectious diseases. They can be recognized by the presence of dry brown spots on the inside of the leaves. Cut off the affected parts of the plant, and process the plants themselves with Bordeaux liquid. Conduct treatment 3 times a day for 10 days.
Of pests for fuchsia, a whitefly and a spider mite are dangerous. Insecticides are used to combat them. Treatment should be carried out 2-3 times a week until all parasites are eliminated.
Conclusion
Fuchsia is an ornamental plant that actively decorates balconies, loggias and window sills. Its main advantages remain rapid growth, abundant and long flowering, unpretentiousness in terms of care. Observing the above rules, the flower will always delight with its beauty and excellent health. Now you know how to grow and form fuchsia.