How to Grow a Double Fuchsia Flower
Fuchsias are trailing plants, bushes or vines from humid regions in Central and South America. Certain species are winter hardy while others die to the ground under freezing weather, regrowing in spring. A third group -- tender fuchsias -- dies without the possibility of a return in cold temperatures. The flowers also distinguish one plant from another. Single fuchsia has four petals. Semi-double produces blossoms with five to seven petals while double fuchsias display at least eight. Double fuchsias usually grow as hanging basket plants and require simple care to thrive. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Hanging basket with drainage holes
- Well-aerated potting mix
- 20-20-20 fertilizer
- Hand shears
Instructions
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Grow double fuchsia plants in well-aerated potting mix containing vermiculite or perlite. Fuchsias require constant passing water, but they cannot survive in soil that holds moisture.
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2
Feed fuchsia a 20-20-20 fertilizer on the same day weekly through the growing season. Apply it at the rate listed on the label of the brand you selected. Alternatively, choose a slow-release formula that nourishes the plant for up to four months, requiring only one to two applications per season.
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3
Shade the fuchsia basket from the afternoon sun and shield it from drying winds. Fuchsia thrives in humidity. Keep overnight temperatures no higher than 65 degrees Fahrenheit for the plant to set flower buds.
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4
Irrigate double fuchsia as often as it takes to keep it from sitting in a dry medium. Apply water until excess flows out of the drainage holes.
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5
Clip faded flowers and their seedpods to promote continuous blooming through the summer.
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6
Cut fuchsias back to a few inches from the pot's rim after the first frost. Pluck all foliage remaining on the leftover stubs. Move the basket to a cool but frost-free area indoors. Water the plant once a month until spring. Acclimate the plant to the outdoors after the last frost gradually, leaving it outside for longer periods of time each day.
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Tips & Warnings
Winter temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit and total darkness delay blooming until mid-summer.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
