FUCHSIA-GROWING TALK GIVEN BY MRS. A. C. MACKIE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 135, 24 June 1937, Page 11

FUCHSIA-GROWING TALK GIVEN BY MRS. A. C. MACKIE

"Fuchsias are coming to the fore again as one of the most beautiful dec-4 orative plants for glass-bouses. and also for display work at shows," said Mrs. A. C. Mackie, of Napier, when she spoke to the members of the garden circle of the Hastings Townswomen's guild at their meeting this week. ' 'Sjkichsias are very easily grown from both seed and cuttings, the latter being the most common for rapidly-increasing stock of the plants most fancied," continued Mrs. Mackie^ wlio had brought a standard fuchsia plant with her 5on which to demonstrate each step in the growth. "From the tirne of taking cuttings to the flowering period is only about three months, and by then tho plant is at least 12 inches in height. If larger plants are "required, keep potting into larger pots until the required height is reached. A pot of four mches wall produce a good display from a plant one foot high, a six-inch pot wiy give two feet of growth. Should preference be given for the standard type — like the etandard rose — it must CQntinue to be potted on until three to ■ six feet high. It is possible for the plant to reach this height from one sea- - son's growth, but under no circumstances must a flower form on the plant, and all side shoots must be pinched out as . they appear, so that the whole of the growth continues upwards. The leaves on the main steui must be left to grow, as they are the breathing organs of the plant, and without them the standard would only sliow spindly growth. " . The speaker said that .any fuchsia, with the exception of the hybrid va- ' rieties, was adaptable to a standard and suggested "Mrs. Bruant," a dark colour, or "Snowball" as good double varieties to grow, and "Colloseus" and "lioyal Purpie" as good single ones. "The cuttings from which to grow

the plant should be at least three inches long," said Mrs. Mackie, "all the leaves being taken off except the three or four at the top. These should be slruck in equal parts of loam^ leaf mould and sand. Liqnid manure should not be given until the plants are in bud, as the soil compost should be onough for the plants to live on untiil the buds appear. The soil must be kept moist. Somctimes it is found that the flowers drop. off before the buds have opened, : and this shows that the plant is being overfed with both water and manure. Care must be taken never to allow the soil to become dry in the pot, and the plant must have air and light, but not .bright sunshine. The winter treatment of the fuchsia is of great importance, as it must be kept away from draught and frost, and the soil kept slightly on the dry side. As soon as the plants show signs of growth in the eaxly spring, cut hard back or prune in tlib same way as you do a rose." Mrs. Mackie deseribed some beautiful displays of fuchsia wliich she had seen, the plants of various heights being placed in steps, and slie urged the members to all grow fuchsias with this idea in view.