Fushia cells

[Suspect Sprout]

Ok, I have 4 trailing fushia's in cells that are about 3 inches tall. What do I do with them next? do they go into bigger pots and do I have to pinch them out?

Thanks in advance

[nick the grief]

when you say in cells, what size cells? I wouldn't pinch them just yet I'd pot them up into 3.5" pots (if they are bigger than the cells) give them a couple of weeks to settle down and them take the tops out & root them then you'll have 8!
Like this





if you keep doing this you'll get nice bushy plants & loads of them to fill the baskets.

[Suspect Sprout]

Hi, the cells are about 2.5 inches high by about 1.5 wide. The seem strong/stable enough to go into bigger pots.

When you say 'take the tops out & roots them' and then i'll have 8, what do you mean by this?? To get 8, surely i'd need to split them in some way?

Thanks

[smallblueplanet]

... I wouldn't pinch them just yet I'd pot them up into 3.5" pots (if they are bigger than the cells) give them a couple of weeks to settle down and them take the tops out & root them then you'll have 8!
Like this.....if you keep doing this you'll get nice bushy plants & loads of them to fill the baskets.

Fushcia newbie here nick - that sounds a neat idea - I've got two trailing plug plants (c.3cm) just potted up into 9cm pots - exactly how & when do you root the tops and how long can you keep doing it for?

Also do you know how to get them to grow from seeds? Just go no results from trying them in a heated propagator.

[nick the grief]

SS, see diagram attched to the note (I added it afterwards)If you cut above the 2nd pair of leaves on the parent plant, you'll et shoots coming from the leaf axils. When these get to 4 pairs of leaves do the same again.

Right, hope your'e still with me so far, the "tops" you've taken out - cut just under the bottom pair of leaves then remove the leaves (they'll only rot away) dip in to rooting compound (optional but it makes me feel happier) and then insert in a nice open compost (John innes seed/cutting mixed with sharp sand in eaqual parts is good or multipurpose with sand or perlite) if you've only go 4 cuttings you could but them in a 31/2" pot and then put them somewhere light (not direct sunlight) & warm (bottom heat if you can will be quicker) cover with either a plastic bag to help or a propagator top or a large pop bottle with the bottom cut off (sort of mini cloche) don't let them dry out and they should root in about 2-3week Hey presto 4 more plants! then got to step one and start over again.

As to how long can you go on for SBP, well indefinately, you just won't get any flowers. When you take a cutting you are basically stopping the plant to make it bush out. It takes somewhere between 6-10 weeks from stopping to flowering, so if you wanted to grow Fuchsia's for showing you would make the last stop 6-10 weeks before the date of the show & keep everything crossed

As for seeds. never tried them myself I know people who have a go at breeding them so it is possible. I'll look aout a link for you

Hope that answers the question - of to get a cup of tea now as I don't have beer in the house like Geordie

[smallblueplanet]

eek!!! what kind of house do you live in nick? :-)

thanks will pass the info on to the 'head gardener'. just checking, so you can take off the tops to root when there are 4 pairs of leaves?

[nick the grief]

You can root smaller bits but it's easier when you first have a go to do it like that. And if you leave two pairs of leaves behind there's enough to feed the plant (cos you've just halved the leaf number & therefore food)

As to Beer, I was born in a pub so I have seen more than my fair share of it. I still enjoy going out for a pint though so don't assume I'm tee total

[smallblueplanet]

Oh oh, now I'm confused - how many pairs of leaves are left on the cutting to be rooted - just one pair?

Not tea total no :-)

[Suspect Sprout]

cheers Nick, just looked at them now and they're big enough to cut, so will move into bigger pots this weekend, give them a couple of weeks and then cut them.

Shall I put the new (from the top) cutting into the cell as it's smaller than a 3" pot?

What's the idea behind mixing with sand?

[nick the grief]

Okey Dokey, they say a picture paints a thousand words so look at this, it will explain it better than I can & I dn't want to lift his piccies

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/gfoster/index2.htm

Hmmm, That Failed! Guess i picked th wrong day to give up smoking!

Right, click that link then go to >Growing Fuchsia then >cuttings.

That will show you what I mean & the sand makes the compost open & free draining. If they sit in "wet" compost they just rot off.

[smallblueplanet]

got it, thanks

menu - growing fushcia/cuttings

[nick the grief]

Thats the little tinker

[Suspect Sprout]

ah right, cheers

[Jaxom]

Nick what a good site. I have bookmarked it and will now try and grow a standard. I have cuttings in the greenhouse that I took last autumn so I have a head start.
Jax

[nick the grief]

I always do that Jax & pot them into something around 5" then when it comes to the our plant sales we can sell these for £2-£3 pounds easy but whe have to sell a lot of samller plants for the same money!

It is a good site Isn't it. I've got some more book marked if you're into Fuchsias