I love fuchsias, but I haven't found any to take the summer heat of Texas. I would love to have some on the porch....shade there....but it gets so hot here.
Can they take heat???
morganc: I believe you can grow fuchsias anywhere, even the southeast, but you will need to choose "heat tolerant" varities.
Here's a website that lists heat tolerant fuchsias:
http://www.fuchsias.net/
Here's, also, some previous posts I've made about growing fuchsias in the southeast:
Quoting:
Go to this website http://www.americanfuchsiasociety.org
They might have the answer for you in their Fuchsia Articles. They are definitely worth a read. I discovered the site yesterday and they have good info in some of the articles about misting Fuchsias because it cools the plant down when its too hot outside, and they confirmed a thought I've had recently that the potting mix for Fuchsias needs to have sharp drainage (more so than I have been doing), and there's advice about fertilizers, and so much more. I've been taken notes furiously!
At the aforementioned website I found out some more info. Go to Fuchsia Articles then click on Specific Fuchsias. There are several articles of interest. Like The First All-American Fuchsia, so named after the U. of Georgia performed tests to see which plants survive the heat & humidity of the deep south. The results were Angels Earrings (trailing) and Dainty Angels Earrings (semi-erect/lax bush form). It is thought one of the parents of the hybrid Earrings is Fuchsia glazioviana which comes from the hot, humid interior of Brazil. Here's what my Fuchsia book says about F. glazioviana:
Height: 20"
Spread: 6'
Habit: Spreading bush
Hardiness: Hardy
Flowering: Summer
This is not a high-octane ornamental and its small, thin pink flowers are rather understated, but it has a touch of the wild about it and is a good plant for a cottage garden. Although very vigorous, it has a casual, relaxed feel and is a welcome change from some of the frillier cultivars. In many areas it will survive outdoors over winter, although a severe frost will damage the topgrowth. New stems will shoot from the base of the plant in spring, but you would be well-advised to protect the crown with a thick layer of shredded bark. (DK Garden Guides: Fuchsias)
From what I have been reading, to have Fuchsias in a Southeast garden, you need to pick plants which have a natural habitat in tropical areas where heat and humidity are the norm.
Quoting:
And for those who live in the really warm states, from what I have read you need to try Fuchsias that have a natural habitat in tropical climates that are hot and humid. Some Fuchsias come from higher elevations where it is much cooler and they cannot survive the heat and humidity of summer. Remember to not use white or black pots when potting, or plant inground. Keep the roots cool, and during the heat mist the plants, but only when they are not in the sun. Use a sharp draining potting mix, also, because Fuchsias do not like wet feet.
Quoting:
What's your weather been like? If it has been really hot it might have gone into what I call a holding period, where all growth slowes down until the temps fall below the 90s. I usually have that problem in July and August. All the blooms disappear. I water less frequently at that time. Mist the plant during really hot weather because moisture is lost through the leaves, which can cause wilting, but remember, only when the plant is in the shade.
If it were me, and I wasn't ground planting, I would choose 12" to 16" terracotta pots, or terracotta-colored plastic pots (that's what I use). And if you are basket growing, I use the coco liners (12" or larger) but line the inside with a plastic bag (with a 2" hole cut in the bottom for drainage) so the potting mix doesn't dry out too fast. I plant eastern and northern exposure, but in Texas I would think northeast and northern would be the best. Just remember to spray the fuchsia foliage with water once a day when it is warm, and probably twice a day when temps are in the 90s or worse. And when the temps are 90 or worse, your fuchsias will probably take a time out (no blooms) until the temps drop. Mine do. Fuchsia roots need to be cool, not hot, and not water logged, when its hot outside, so during the heat of summer a shady area is best. If you pot plant you can move the pot around.
Thank you so much.....going to be buying some this spring.
Will they still bloom with lots of light, but no direct sun on porch? Even our spring can get into the 90's and summers into the100's.
Texans laugh at directions that say "plant in full sun" on most plants!
I plant my uprights into 15 gallon containers and it gets into the hundreds here as well. As hummer_girl mentioned, some do better than others in the heat. The key is a large and healthy root system. Plants in the ground generaly have a root mass at least twice the size of what you see above ground, that is why growing anything is a pot can be a challenge. Just keep your plants smaller than the pots they are in, use quality potting soil, and you should be okay. Choose heat tolerant varities. And keep them out of the full sun where you are. Maybe some rising or setting sun, so you will get a nice show of blooms. Plus, when they are first planted, make certain they are kept cool and in the shade until they have had a chance to put new roots out into the new soil.
I bought my Fuchsias from a vendor here at DG.
I've found the Cardinal and Lycoides are heat tolerant. We don't have the humidity like in TX, but we have hotter temps. It sometimes gets up to 115 once to 117 here where I live, so I tried a couple (okay several) kinds of fuchsia. Not only did those two survive the summer heat, but also neglect (had to travel). They are going into the ground in March, and are currently living in 10 gallon pots packed deep with mulch. I've been overwintering them near where they will be planted to hide the ugly propane tank.
Usually when they say full sun, I make sure they get some afternoon shade. The heat is worst at the end of the day. I get it about laughing about the planting instructions.
Give it a try and see how it goes. I'll be posting some photos when I go to plant them and tell the whole tell.
WIB,
SW
Luckily, where our property is there is not the humidity. Except for a couple days here and there....thank goodness.
If they do better in ground, I have a couple spots in mind where they would get morning light then shade rest of day.
How are they on winter? Normally our winters are mild, similar to southern California, but there are always a day or three where we get a freeze.
I am working on a list morganc, which will let us search for varieties by such characteristics as cold hardy, heat hardy, sepal color, corolla color, height, etc. It isn't easy to find just one source of info that has both. And that will let you do a search and give you a list of results. The Plant Files here at DavesGarden is incredible and I hope to see the fuchsia portion grow. Meanwhile, I am getting a new website built just for this list. I am thinking of naming it "ALisitOfFuchsias.info" I figure that is a sentence many of us fuchsia fiends have typed into Google at one time or another!
Oh! How about "FuchsiaFiends.info"!! LOL! I like that!
Although I only collect uprights and for now, the database will only have uprights, a friend of mine has convinced me to also add hanging basket varieties........that is going to take allot of work though. The list of uprights is over 1500. There are far more hanging basket varieties. So for now, his list of hangers might not have much infor to go with them until I have more time next winter.
Honey, I plant them in a pot where I plan on placing them. If they are unhappy I move the pot til I find out where they are happy. The two out in 10 gallon pots have been fine, but I didn't fill the pots full of soil. I left some room 8" - 10" I think to stuff in leaves for mulch. I think I would try it in a pot for a full year before planting in the ground. If you do plant in the ground remember to take cuttings to propagate before winter, just in case they don't make it.
PC, h_g, and GGK, are all pretty knowledgeable, and I'd rely on what they have to say.
My method where I'm kinda between Zones works for me. I'll be posting some of my babies. I already posted on the how to mulch thread. Also on the ID thread. There is no forum for the ones I have in my unheated, recently flooded gh. They are in pots, but will be moved and transplanted to different areas in the yard, when all danger of frost is over. Probably in March for me.
Let us know what you decide on.
WIB!
SW
I like Fuchsia Friends, Pedrick.
Cuttings won't do because I would want a big plant....maybe I'll just leave them in a pot on the porches. Lots of light, no direct sun to fry them, and a few degrees cooler. Then If need be, I can cram them in the Greenhouse with all the rest of our tropicals.
Fuchsias like humidity. Even if you're not watering the pot, the foliage likes to be misted or sprayed with water, especially when temps are high. My front porch is eastern exposure, the outer edge getting more of the rising sun than the deeper areas (the porch is about 5' deep). I have fuchsias in hanging baskets around the outside edge and in pots here and there, everything gets a touch of rising sun each day, and a lot of indirect light until the sun moves past the roof into the southern zone. My fuchsias do beautifully. And when it's time to move them indoors (or a greenhouse) for the winter, you can cut back the mother plant to about 6". Inside the greenhouse fuchsias will be happiest in the coolest area and will appreciate being misted regularly. When you overwinter, the roots will require less water, but never let the rootball dry out. If you have the time, go through the threads in this forum, there is a lot of info about all year care and planting of fuchsias contributed by some very knowledgable gardners. And don't forget the "Sticky" thread for links and GardenGuyKin's instructions for pot planting fuchsias.
I have some inside that I am considering putting outside while the weather is nice. How much (if any) sunlight can they take? Are they about like azaleas in their light requirements? I'm assuming they bloom better with sun as long as it doesn't burn them?
Thanks
I would make sure they've been exposed to some direct sunlight while still in the house before you move them outside. Any plant, no matter what it is, will get burned if it isn't allowed to adjust to full sun after a period of time without it. Which is why greenhouse grown plants often fry when people take them home. Toughen them up a bit and then make sure that when you move them outdoors, they are in a similar position for a while. I mean, a location where they will get about the same amount of sun you were giving them indoors. In your zone, it is going to be important to plant them where their roots will be shaded and only the top foliage of the plant get's full on sun. And even then, it should be either morning sun or late afternoon sun. Let us know how it goes! Post some photos of them!
These are all in pots. I bought 16 different kinds from a mail order place two month ago . They are small. I replanted them in small azalea pots. They wouldn't survive our winters or our summers. Right now they are in my window greenhouse facing east. Even though they are in green house window there are many trees that create shade, especially in the summer.