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Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 4/12/2008 9:26:33 PM
Posts: 3,
Visits: 7
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hi,
i've just got some lady boothby fuschias, they are small plugs with about 5-6 decent sized leaves on each and some new shoots at the top.
i've potted them into the smallest pots i had (about 3" diameter), with some soil-based compost (including sand), some perlite and some slow release fertilizer. i gave them a good water and let them drain.
i've read the tutorials on your site (which is great btw) and have just a few questions if that's ok:
1) should i keep them inside (on a windowsill) for now or put them in my small greenhouse (4-tier shelf with cover). the greenhouse doesn't get too much sun; as i have a tiny yard and there wasn't a lot if choice in positioning it - it gets mainly afternoon / early evening direct sun? my sweat peas and snapdragons seem to like it in there though.
2) when is a good time to plant them outside in the ground?
3) is there any point in pinching out the new shoots? this may seem silly as it's a climber, but would that help bush it out a bit to avoid a straight run?
4) where outside is best to plant. i have two possible positions and i have enough to plant in both maybe. one position gets quite a lot of sun from about 11am to late afternoon. the other is mainly in the shade most of the day, with some dappled light creeping through. do they need any direct sun?
5) finally, how far apart should i plant them, a solid mass would be good rather than separate individual plants being obvious?
thanks a lot,
~darkandspiky~
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SENSEI?
Group: Administrators
Last Login: Today @ 8:39:59 PM
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Welcome to the site D&S, you'll find a very friendly group of people here. I'm going to leave the advice to Kath, our Fuchsia guru but don't be a stranger, come back and talk about any aspect of horticulture in this place.
My name is Don and I'm a bonsaiholic. Now, where are those tablets?
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Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 4/12/2008 9:26:33 PM
Posts: 3,
Visits: 7
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thanks,
i'm very new to gardening (indoor and out). my only long-lasting success is a rather large peace-lilly, but these look after themselves right!
my lillies from last year have come back with some new babies, so i've planted some more bulbs to fill that area out a bit. my fox gloves i planted last year are getting a little bigger, so i should get something out of them this year. although one of them isn't a foxglove, but seemed to have been put in the wrong tray!
my yard is tricky as most of it is in the shade. but the parsley is going crazy!
this year i've got plenty of sweat peas and snapdragons (which did well last year) - it's great seeing the seedlings come through in my tray from the seeds i picked off last year!  need to wait for them to establish a bit before planting out though.
i've also got a few palms in my cupboard on a heat mat hopefully germinating - one is through so far - these are for indoors. i'm gonna have a go at some fig trees for indoors too, from seed so a good few years work ahead there!
and four banana trees for pots in the garden and inside in the winter. on my windowsill at the moment.
i'm thinking of taking some variegated ivy cuttings from the garden to bring inside - does it matter when i take the cuttings?
anyway thanks for the friendly welcome
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SENSEI?
Group: Administrators
Last Login: Today @ 8:39:59 PM
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| You might find that if any of the ivy has been in contact with the ground it will have rooted already. That would give you a great start. Start around now is the optimum time to take most cuttings. Seed for an indoor fig tree seems very slow to me when they grow readily from cuttings. What variety do you have in mind? I have some Ficus retusa [tiger bark fig] rooted cuttings already this year.
My name is Don and I'm a bonsaiholic. Now, where are those tablets?
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Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 4/12/2008 9:26:33 PM
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i'll have a dig around in the ivy. thanks. when i moved in, last january, there was loads of the plain green ivy and only a little of the yellow and green hiding in there, but having cut back loads of green and teasing the variegated growth out over the winter it's come through great.
i have some weeping fig seeds on the way. i've not grown from cuttings before - except for some jasmine that i kept in a jar of water for a while then planted straight outside last spring / summer. that's going quite well this year... not a lot, but reaching quite high. any advice on spreading it out? or encouraging more shoots from an established stem? the main problem i think is that it's going along string, a bit of trellis and along a 30 odd year old clematis that reaches 3 doors down the road! the jasmine came from my parents' and i'm not sure if they have something behind theirs on the wall, i'll have to have a look. i have a bit of netting, but the holes are quite small. would the gaps have to be larger for climbing plants?
i also have a wandering jew cutting that is doing really badly, there's only one leaf left on it. maybe i put it in pot that's too big, the cutting is tiny and only had about three leaves to start with. maybe the less leaves on it the more root growth it'll have?
while we're on cuttings (and getting well off topic for my original post) when is a good time to take honeysuckle cuttings? and where along the stem. my honeysuckle at the moment is still pretty brown and haven't noticed any new green growth yet this year.
i presume the ficus retusa does well as an indoor plant? is it fast(ish) growing compared to the weeping fig? once the seeds have germinated the growth rate must be similar to a cutting right? i bought the seeds because i didn't know anyone with a plant to take cuttings, and i'm also really into watching the plants develop from seed. the first thing i do after work when i get home is have a little peak and see what's come through. i love it! 
if i have any other questions i'll post them in the relevant forum! feel free to pm me if you like to avoid loads of my ranting on the forum!
thanks again
~darkandspiky~
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Genius
Group: Administrators
Last Login: Today @ 12:07:45 PM
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| Hi D&S and welcome to Bonsai Garden. In answer to your questions:- 1. As they have only just been potted up, I would keep them on the window sill,at the moment, bearing in mind the nights can still be cold (I'm assuming your little greenhouse is unheated), not in direct strong sunlight, and remember to turn them every day otherwise they will be 'pulled' towards the light. 2. Plant them outside when all risk of frost has gone. Dig some well rotted compost into the ground as fuchsias in open ground are greedy feeders. 3. Yes pinch out the growing tip after you have 3 pairs of leaves, you can do this a couple of times, it will help strengthen the plant. 4. Mine are planted on the north facing wall of the house, so only get direct sunlight early mornings. It seems to suit them well as every season they grow up to the guttering. 5. If you plant more than one together, plant 12 inches apart, as they do become large plants especially after the second year. I hope this helps you, if you have more questions, please come back
Kath
UK - Zone 8
"Patience is a virtue"
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