|
Growing fuchsias helps nature do her job
Fuchsias have to be some of the loveliest and most popular plant in any garden, but did you know that bees love them? Many people think that as long as a plant has pollen then a bee is interested, but our little stripy friends are quite fussy. Not only that, but they can turn their nose up at plenty of very pretty flowers. However, they love fuchsias, and in the height of summer, you will see many a bee wriggling their way right inside the brightly colored fuchsia trumpets, searching for the last drop of nectar. Many people buy fuchsia seeds to grow plants for their hanging baskets and patios, but there are varieties that if left to grow in the garden can grow to significant heights. If you ever go to the Dingle Peninsula in Southern Ireland, along with the dolphins in the bay, you will find hedges of fuchsia lining the roads, as far as the eye can see.
Fuchsias for all parts of the garden
Many people grow their fuchsias from cuttings, swapping cuttings with friends to increase the variety of plants in their garden. This is one way, and a good one if you have a plant you love that is getting leggy or past its best. It is much more fun to grow fuchsia seeds and maybe create a brand new hybrid. There are over 650 varieties of fuchsia, hardy ones for your flowerbeds and bushy ones for patios and trailing varieties for hanging baskets and the range of colors and petals is extraordinary. You will find fuchsia seeds for sale at many garden nurseries, but for the really interesting ones, find a specialist fuchsia grower. You can also buy fuchsia seeds at seed exchanges, or you can harvest seeds from your existing plants and see what grows. Seeds from hybrids or cultivars will rarely grow true to the parent plant but, the fun is in seeing what variety and flower color you get.
Growing fuchsias from seed
Planting time is best in February although you can plant as late as May and you will still get some seedlings. Open the fuchsia berries lengthways and scoop out the seeds, getting rid of as much jelly as possible. Leave the seeds to dry on kitchen roll in a warm room. Place the seeds on damp peat based compost in pots, cover with a light layer of compost or vermiculite and put in a well lit position, away from direct sunlight. It can take up to six months for some seeds to germinate, but when the seedlings appear, pot up the strong ones and grow on as normal. It is best to germinate fuchsia seeds indoors before planting out in your baskets or flowerbeds.
|
Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about seeds and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!
Didn't really find what you were looking for?
|
|
|
| |
|
|
![[Valid RSS feed]](images/rss.gif "Subscribe to our XML Feed for RSS")
(Read 500+ times)
