Micro fuchsia The last time we had a warm Summer with low rainfall was in 2006. After the arctic conditions in March, the warm sunny weather was very welcome. I enjoy propagating plant material for training as bonsai, and one species that has benefited most from the warm summer is the micro fuchsia. This is a rare species of miniature fuchsia, fuchsia Encliandra X Hemsleyana which grows high up the Andes mountains. This species grows to a maximum height of two feet in the wild. The tiny evergreen leaves and tiny bell shaped flowers make it an excellent species to “bonsai”. Our micro fuchsia are grown in a gravel bed, so regardless how much rain falls, it is free draining. Because we had such a hot Summer this year, they grew at a faster rate than in previous years. I was watering daily, and constantly pruning back long shoots back to keep them in shape. Even now they are still growing vigorously in this current temperature. Bonsai enthusiasts are a breed apart, and those who are adventurous enough, love nothing better than to create their own bonsai masterpieces. So it is with me, every time I pruned each plant, rather than discard the cuttings, I inserted them in damp compost. Within two weeks they rooted. I am still taking lots of cuttings, and will do so before Winter sets in. You will know when the cuttings have rooted successfully, when they put on new growth. I have got literally dozens and dozens of rooted cuttings that have the potential to become bonsai, and you don’t need to use a rooting compound, as they root very easily. This evergreen micro fuchsia will flower all year round if fed with tomato plant food at every watering, as they are hungry little plants. They are indoor outdoor bonsai, and like most bonsai, love some fresh air from May through Summer. These plants are for sale along with our other bonsai species, and seem popular with customers looking for flowering bonsai. So far they have proved to be a popular seller, and I explain to customers who buy them, just how easy it is to grow their own, from even the smallest of cuttings. Now micro fuchsia are very easy to care for, in Spring and Summer you give water when the compost feels nearly dry, then water thoroughly. In Winter, water sparingly as with other fuchsia species. They require a cool but frost free location in winter, just like in their cool damp native climate. Before the first frosts of Winter, I transfer all micro fuchsia plants and cuttings into our poly-tunnel, where they can over-winter, protected from the icy winds, and then return to their outdoor growing beds once the last frosts have gone.
Posted on: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 13:35:49 +0000
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