Fuchsia Cuttings
northshields1947
Posts: 21
in Plants
When I go to the garden centre in May, I can buy fuchsias in pots for putting in tubs and baskets and which will flower the same summer. My question is, do commercial growers take those cuttings in late summer the previous year or in early spring of the current year and either way what would be needed for an amateur to replicate it without spending a fortune on heat etc?
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What do you want to replicate? Commercial production of Fuchsia cuttings!?!
If you want to take cuttings for some hanging baskets and don't have anywhere warm to keep them then what can you do other than wait until spring? Typically I use my conservatory or bedroom window for that end, though it annoys the wife!
If you do have somewhere warm you can do it now, they'll likely much be stronger come spring time and better able to flower.
Commercial production is usually done in giant climate-controlled greenhouses isn't it? I figure they'd grow exclusively from seed as they can predict the exact specimen size after x number of weeks.
Bob,
Thank you for that. No, I certainly don't want to replicate commercial production of fuchsia cuttings - I was more interested in the timing and so on. To be honest it hadn't occurred to me that they would grow from seed although you are probably right.
Fuchsias are not grown from seed,the only way to get the exact specimen is to grow from cuttings.
Fuchsia cuttings are the easiest to do. Stick them in a glass of water, leave on the windowsill or conservatory, they'll root with a couple of weeks, pot up and keep in for the winter. Pick out the middles a few times for a bushy plant. Don't let them flower until next year.
They don't root so well in heat so now a good time, I've got all mine going now. Still some more to do but plenty of time.
To Lyn
Showed Fuchias for many years way back in time and went through all the known ways of taking cuttings plus tips from fellow competitors and you know what i always came back to the old and trusted way of putting them in water just as you described.
Only mine were stood singly in Shippams paste pots then, also as you say they shoot better in middle heat conditions such as a cold greenhouse round about the end of august into early September
How does one get the cutting to stand upright in a glass of water if I may ask?
Never tried it but would like to if someone can clarify the technique!
Put cling film over the top and pierce a really small hole for the cutting this will keep it upright. Good luck.
I have a number of fuschias in my greenhouse and as I sometimes manage to knock the end off a branchlet when moving them around, I usually have a cutting or two on the way. I just trim the tips and stick into a pot of damp, slightly gritty compost and put it somewhere shady. Nearly all of them take, no matter what time of year. One of the easiest plants.
Here are mine pierre. The container was a birthday gift but any small pot will do, shot glasses would be good ? (AA battery for scale)
I'm new to cuttings and have found fuschias very easy. I've simply used tap water and they sit on the kitchen windowsill. I change the water once a week and pot them up when they have a good show of roots. Bit late with this lot but I've been very busy
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I buy vitamins and oil capsules in plastic screw lid tubs, cut down a bit they make ideal pots for fuchsia cuttings.