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Bolivian Fuchsia

Fuchsia boliviana

Germinating the seeds

When to plant -- Plant your seeds right away for best results.

The seeds are easy to germinate. Use any small containers with drainage holes.  Use a well-draining soil mix, such as 2 parts high-quality potting soil to 1 part perlite.  Fill each container to almost to the top.  Don't compress the soil.  Water it so that it's uniformly moist. Place 2 or 3 seeds on top, and sprinkle a thin layer of soil on top - just enough to barely cover the seeds (1/8", or 2 mm). Lightly water or spray this top layer.  

Place the pots in moderate temperatures (about 65-75 degrees F / 18-24°C).  Avoid letting them get too hot.  If using a heating mat, check the soil temperature with a thermometer. 

Keep them in a bright spot, but not in direct sun.  Ensure that the soil surface never dries out, possibly by enclosing the pots in a humidity dome or large bag.  Leave the dome or bag open a crack to let some fresh air in.  You may need to drip a few drops of water on them each day.

Most of the seeds should sprout within 4 weeks, but allow up to 8 weeks for any slow ones to sprout.  Once they sprout, they will need more air circulation to avoid getting stem rot.  Water the soil whenever the surface looks dry, but don't keep it always soggy either.  If you have more than one seedling in each container, snip off the weaker one(s) when they are 4-6 weeks old - or very carefully remove them. 

I recommend growing them indoors until they're at least 3 months old.  For lighting, you may use a fluorescent bulb kept about 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) from the plants.  Do not use incandescent (screw-in) bulbs, even if they're called "plant bulbs".  You can also put them in filtered sunlight.  Protect them from strong, direct sun. 

Fuchsias don't like dry air.  If the indoor humidity drops below about 40% humidity, consider using a room humidifier set on a timer.

Watering - Aim to keep the soil evenly moist most of the time.  Do not let the soil dry out.  A moisture meter probe works well for monitoring this. You can buy it at garden and hardware stores for about $5. 

Feeding - Your Fuchsia likes average fertilizing. Feed once a month during periods of active growth, using an ordinary all-purpose fertilizer at 1/8 the recommended dose the first 3 months, 1/4 strength the next 6 months, and 1/2 strength after that.  Most potting soil contains fertilizer, and if yours does, your seedlings won't need to be fed the first 3 weeks. 

It's normal for an older leaf to occasionally turn yellow and drop, but if it seems excessive, the plant may need more fertilizer (nitrogen).  Or the soil may be too dry.  If the newer leaves turn yellow with green veins, the pH of your tap water is probably too high.  Switch to bottled water if this occurs.  It's normal for the growing tips to appear a little reddish or yellow-green initially. 

Repotting - Repot your plants to larger containers whenever the plant becomes root-bound.  Water the soil before repotting, to keep the soil ball from breaking apart, which can damage the roots.

Growing outdoors - Fuchsia boliviana prefers filtered sunlight, with protection from strong afternoon sun.  Morning sun + afternoon shade is fine, as is tree-filtered sunlight all day.  The plant prefers moderate temperatures and cool nights.  The ideal temps would be between 45 and 80° during the day (7-27°C), and 40-70° at night (4-22°C).  In warmer areas, give the plants afternoon shade, and don't place them near a wall where heat can collect.  Keep the pot shaded to avoid overheating the roots, and mulch heavily to keep the soil moist.  Black pots are not recommended.  Protect the plants from all frost. 

Pests to watch for - whitefly, aphids, scale (little lumps on the stems or leaves), mealybugs, and possibly spider mites (tiny "dots" under the leaves).

If you have any questions, feel free to email me. 

Have fun growing them!

Jeff

Strange Wonderful Things

 

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