Fuchsia cuttings

[debbiem]

I know that Fuchsias are very easy to grow from cuttings.
Where we go on holiday sometimes in Bideford they have huge bushes, even small trees, of the most beautiful fuchsia I have ever seen, some kind of Magellanica absolutely covered with white flowers slighly tinged with pink. It really is a sight to see. They have them growing in the resort itself and in the surrounding woods but no matter how many gos I have at getting a bit to grow I fail every time. I'm not usually too bad with fuchsia cuttings but this one gets the better of me. I know I don't usually have a pot or compost with me when I 'acquire' a bit but this year I'll be ready with both.
How do you take the perfect fuchsia cutting though?

[madonplants]

debbiem said:

I know that Fuchsias are very easy to grow from cuttings.
Where we go on holiday sometimes in Bideford they have huge bushes, even small trees, of the most beautiful fuchsia I have ever seen, some kind of Magellanica absolutely covered with white flowers slighly tinged with pink. It really is a sight to see. They have them growing in the resort itself and in the surrounding woods but no matter how many gos I have at getting a bit to grow I fail every time. I'm not usually too bad with fuchsia cuttings but this one gets the better of me. I know I don't usually have a pot or compost with me when I 'acquire' a bit but this year I'll be ready with both.
How do you take the perfect fuchsia cutting though?

I normally do softwood cuttings in late spring early summer, but some varieties are harder than others. Our friend who we helped move end of last year, tried to get a cutting of one in her garden that someone had given to her many years ago, so it had sentimental attachment to her. No matter what she did, they didn't take and she is quite a fuschia 'expert'. She had the whole year to try as well, various ways too. I eventually dug a piece out, but as it was quite recent, not sure if it was successful or not! She's the one with the umpteen jigsaws not done and she probably had nearly 100 fuschias to move house. Will ask over Easter, if it survived.

Keith

[Sweetleaf]

I usually root them in a glass of water, and before they get potted up, they have good root development. Its low tech but it works 99% of the time.

[debbiem]

This is it - I think it's lovely. It's hardy alright but very evasive in the cutting department!

www.habitas.org.uk/gardenflora/fuchsiamolinae.htm

[canarycreeper]

Hi Mrs. Beige ... quite a few of the small-flowered 'Magellinica' type ones seem more difficult to take cuttings from than the large-flowered ones - no idea why, but - e.g. - I have taken umpteen cuttings of Versicolour and they've all failed. However, I do think late spring/early summer cuttings are generally more successful (for me, anyway) - any chance you'd be around there in, say, May? ... cheers ...

[maggyd]

How much did you try to strike Mrs B? we usually only take the two top leaves with a small 1/2in stalk dip in rooting powder and cover with a plastic bag! as someone else said the bigger flowered ones take fairly easy but I dont know why this one should be any different. You will have to take a yogurt pot with you and try planting some straight away.

[debbiem]

Thanks Canary - we'll be going at the end of March so fingers crossed it'll be the right time of year for them to take.

Thanks too Maggyd - I've been taking much more of the plant than that so maybe that's the problem. I've got the pot ready already.

And failing all that, Crocus has one with my name on it. ;D

[yakram]

Did you know that
The first recorded species fuchsia, Fuchsia triphylla, was discovered by Father P’ere Plumier, a Catholic priest from the Order of Mimims, whilst on a plant hunting expedition in what is now the Dominican Republic. He named his discovery after the German Doctor of Medicine, Leonard Fuchs (pronounced fooks). All our modern day ‘cultivars’ owe their existence to the species fuchsias that were discovered, crossed by the early nurserymen, and later by more recent hybridizers resulting in the large diversity of colour, shape and form that is available today.

[debbiem]

Really? Thanks for the info Yakram. I wonder what Father P'ere Plumier took along with him to guarantee his cuttings would be successful? He would've had a long way to go to go back and get another one if it didn't take. ;D

I wonder if they dug up the whole plant on those expeditions?

[debbiem]

They say don't they, that if at first you don't succeed........



I think there's quite a few cuttings in the pot, and they've all taken! There were the few that didn't though - thanks for all the advice folks!

[floweringcherry]

Aug 6, 2008 8:35:09 GMT 1 @debbiem said:

They say don't they, that if at first you don't succeed........



I think there's quite a few cuttings in the pot, and they've all taken! There were the few that didn't though - thanks for all the advice folks!

They look lovely and healthy. What a lovely delicate flower.

[maggyd]

Well done that girl. I agree that one is worth pinching.

[debbiem]

Thanks everyone. When I first spotted this one, in woodland, it bowled me over it was so pretty, the size of a small tree absolutely covered with those lovely white flowers - a real sight to see.