How to Grow Fuchsia from Seeds

 

Actually, the Fuchsia genus contains roughly about one hundred species and one of the beautiful one is Fuchsia magellanica. The plant is hardy in USDA hardness plant zones six to nine. Growing the fuchsia plant from seed is quite simple.  The fuchsia plant offers color from early summer until the first frost with a gorgeous fountainlike form and cascading red flowers. Actually, growing this plant from seed is a wonderful way to attract pollinators, like hummingbirds and bees to your backyard.

 

Fuchsia Plants Info

The fuchsia plant is native to Chile and Argentina. The fuchsia plant is a low-maintenance plant and it has a relatively fast growth rate and an arching habit, growing up to five feet tall and wide in ideal conditions. The plant has burgundy stems, magenta flowers and deciduous leaves, the fuchsia plant is one of the most elegant shrubs you can grow in your landscape.

Furthermore, the fuchsia plant has hardy roots that allow it to be grown as a perennial in cold areas with mulching. Fuchsia magellanica has many varieties that you can grow, including Alba (Fuchsia magellanica 'Alba,' hardy in USDA zones seven to ten), Sacramento Bells (Fuchsia magellanica 'Sacramento Bells,' hardy in USDA zones seven to nine), Cardinal (Fuchsia magellanica 'Cardinal,' hardy in USDA zones seven to ten) and many more. All these varieties should be planted in a location that receives partial shade in the afternoon. The Fuchsia plant prefers cooler daytime temperatures of around sixty to seventy degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperatures of around fifty to sixty.

The watering of the plant is only necessary when the soil surface feels dry to the touch. The plant is a heavy feeder, it actually benefits from regular feeding with a complete, soluble fertilizer once every 3 weeks during the growing season. The fuchsia plant is prone to few problems besides occasional pests, like spider mites, aphids, whiteflies and mealybugs.

 

How to Grow Fuchsia from seeds

The fuchsias plants can be easily propagated either from seed or by stem tip cuttings. Growing fuchsia plant from seed is the least expensive option for most growers as seeds can actually be purchased from most plant nurseries. The fuchsia plant seedlings appear shortly after germination and they are relatively easy to transplant into the garden.

You can actually begin by combining equal parts of vermiculite, peat moss and potting soil into a container with ample drainage holes. If there are no drainage holes you can easily create your own. Then, fill the seed tray with your potting mixture and then firm it down lightly. You have to put the tray into a container of water until it is evenly moist. Spread the fuchsia plant seeds on the potting media and then cover them with a thin layer of soil.

 

Lightly press down so that there will be adequate contact between the soil and the seeds. Make sure you mist the entire tray with room-temperature water in a spray bottle before covering it with clear plastic and then place it in a warm area.

 

How to Care for Fuchsia Seedlings

The fuchsia plant seeds actually need temperatures of around seventy to seventy-five degrees and bright, indirect light to germinate, so you may need to use a heat mat to keep the trays warm enough if your house tends to be cool. The fuchsia plant seeds typically germinate within twenty-one to twenty-eight days after being sown.

Immediately after the seedlings appear you can easily remove the plastic for several hours a day and then replace it after the break to ensure that the fuchsia plant seeds stay warm and moist. Because the fuchsia plant seed germination can be erratic, it’s actually wise to wait until about 1 month has passed before transplanting the seedlings into a new good container.

Once your fuchsia plant seedlings are mature with some sets of true leaves you can plant them in hanging baskets, window boxes or containers or directly into the garden. The fuchsia plant will actually die back to the ground during a hard freeze, which means you don’t need to cut it back each year.

 

Some of The Things You Will Need

The following are some of the things you will need;

-         Spray bottle

-         Container with drainage holes

-         Peat moss

-         Heat mat

-         Vermiculite

-         Seed tray

-         Potting soil

-         Clear plastic