JOE PLUMMER 
CLAS ~ PELARGONIUMS ~ GERANU 
A FEW HINTS ON THE PROPER CARE OF FUCHSIAS 
OF THE MORE THAN 5,000 VARIETIES OF FUCHSIAS GROWN TODAY BY VARIOUS NURSERYMEN 
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, SOME FIVE OR SIX HUNDRED VARIETIES ARE OUTSTANDING AND BECOM- 
ING MORE POPULAR FROM YEAR TO YEAR. MUCH BREEDING WORK JIS BEING CARRIED ON EACH 
YEAR RESULTING IN NEWER AND BETTER’ INTRODUCTIONS FOR BOTH THE EXPERIENCED AND 
AMATEUR GARDENER, 
FUCHSIAS HAVE A FEW PECULIARITIES, AS WELL AS OTHER PLANTS. THEY THRIVE IN A 
NORTHERN OR EASTERN EXPOSURE, SHELTERED FROM THE WIND. 50% SHADE !S IDEAL FOR MOST 
VARIETIES. SOME VARIETIES STAND CONSIDERABLE DRYNESS AND A GREAT DEAL OF SUN. WHEN 
USED AS POT PLANTS, THEY MAY BE POTTED IN A MIXTURE OF ONE-THIRD SAND, ONE-THIRD 
LEAF MOLD, ONE-THIRD PEET MOSS. THIS MIXTURE SHOULD BE ON THE ACID SIDE. ADDITIONAL 
FEEDINGS THROUGHOUT THE GROWING SEASON, WHICH IS FROM MARCH THROUGH AUGUST. OF 
SOME ORGANIC FERTILIZER TO KEEP THEM IN PROPER TRIM. WHERE THE CONDITION EXISTS 
THAT THE WATER TENDS TO ALKALIZE THE SOIL, ONE-HALF TEASPOONFUL SULPHUR MAY BE FED 
EACH PLANT ONCE A YEAR ABOUT JULY. THEY WILL GO DORMANT AND REST FOR SOME TWO 
MONTHS IN WINTER UNDER ALL CONDITIONS. THIS IS THE TIME WHEN WATER SHOULD BE WITH- 
HELD AND ONLY ENOUGH ALLOWED TO KEEP THE WOOD PLUMP. IN SOME EXTREME CONDITIONS 
THEY LOSE ALL FOLIAGE. FROM JANUARY TO FEBRUARY !S THE PROPER PRUNING TIME. PLANTS 
SHOULD BE PRUNED HEAVILY, AND THEN AS NEW GROWTH STARTS ADOUT MARCH, THEY SHOULD BE 
PINCHED SO AS TO GROW IN THE PROPER SHAPE. ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND THAT FUCHSIAS BLOOM 
ON NEW WOOD, AND. OF COURSE, THE MORE NEW WOOD YOU PRODUCE, THE MORE BLOSSOMS. 
HERE AT THE NURSERY WE GIVE THEM, ABOUT MAY, AN ADDITIONAL FEEDING OF ONE 
TABLESPOONFUL SUPERPHOSPHATE TO PRODUCE MORE AND LARGER BLOOMS. AFTER A GREAT MANY. 
EXPERIMENTS, WE HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE HIGHLY SATISFACTORY. WE ALSO USE A LIQUID 
ORGANIC FERTILIZER FOR THE REGULAR SIX WEEKS FEEDING CARRIED ON THROUGHOUT THE GROW- 
ING SEASON. ONE PINT OF THIS LIQUID FERTILIZER MAKES 25 GALLONS. WE FEED THIS 
MIXTURE AT THE RATE OF ONE TEACUPFUL TO EACH SIX INCH POT. SAME PROPORTIONS MAY BE 
USED IF PLANTED IN THE GARDEN. DURING THE HEAVY BLOOMING PERIOD, THE FERTILIZER IS 
DISCONTINUED ALMOST ENTIRELY. IF THE BLOSSOMS DON’T SHOW WELL. WE FEED ABOUT HALF 
THE USUAL QUANTITY. FROM OCTOBER UNTIL ABOUT MID-FEBRUARY NO FEEDING OF ANY KIND 
1S DONE. FUCHSIAS USE THIS TIME FOR RESTING AND WE ALLOW THEM TO, SINCE WE HAVE 
FOUND THAT THIS IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF THE PLANT AS WELL AS MORE AND LARGER BLOS- 
SOMS THE FOLLOWING’ SEASON. IN THE EVENT A FEW PLANTS ARE WANTED’ ESPECIALLY TO 
BLOOM AROUND CHRISTMAS, PRUNING MAY BE DONE ABOUT AUGUST, FEEDING HEAVILY AGAIN TO 
PRODUCE MORE NEW GROWTH. IN ADDITION TO THE FERTILIZATION, ABOUT ALL THAT !S NEEDED 
TO PROPERLY GROW FUCHSIAS IS AN OCCASIONAL SPRAYING WITH A FINE SPRAY FROM THE HOSE 
(N THE HOTTEST PARTS OF THE SUMMER. IN FACT, THIS SPRAYING, IF CARRIED OUT DAILY, 
DISCOURAGES THE FEW PESTS THAT MIGHT ATTACK FUCHSIAS, SUCH PESTS BEING THE RED 
SPIDER AND WHITE FLY. IF AN OCCASIONAL PLANT HAS SOME APHIS CARRIED TO IT BY THE 
ANTS. A SPRAY OF BLACK LEAF 40, ONE TEASPOONFUL TO ONE GALLON OF WATER WILL QUICK- 
LY CONTROL THIS CONDITION. 
FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE WHO HAME SOIL TESTING EQUIPMENT |! MAY SAY THAT A 
PH 4.5 1S IDEAL, HOWEVER, THIS ACIDITY MAY GO AS LOW AS 6.5 AND THE PLANTS WILL CON- 
TINUE TO THRIVE. 
PROPAGATION OF MOST VARIETIES (S SIMPLE ENOUGH FOR THE AYERAGE GARDENER. Cut 
TINGS WILL STRIKE READILY AT ALMOST ANY SEASON. TO MAKE CUTTINGS, SIMPLY TAKE A 
PIECE JUST BELOW THE NODE ABOUT THREE INCHES LONG AND PUT IN SOME MOIST SAND. MAKE 
YOUR CUT ON A SLANT AS TO HAVE MORE WOOD. THIS CUT WILL CALLUS OVER, AND THE ROOTS 
COME OUT JUST ABOVE IT. FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE WHO BESIRE, WE HAVE A COMPLETE 
SUPPLY OF THIS LIQUID ORGANIC FERTILIZER AT ALL TIMES, AND A COMPLETE SOIL ANALYSIS 
AND PLANT ADVISORY SERVICE HERE AT THE NURSERY. THE LIQUID FERTILIZER RETAILS AT 
80¢ A PINT. THE SOIL ANALYSIS AND PLANT ADVISORY SERVICE 1S REASONABLE, TOO. 
HOPING THAT THIS LITTLE LEAFLET WiLL GIVE YOU A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATION AND 
LOTS OF PLEASURE TO MANY FUCHSIA LOVERS ALL OVER. 
JOE PLUMMER 
115 Chorro St. San Luis Obispo, California 
ENTRANCE ON MURRAY AVENUE BETWEEN CHORRO AND BROAD 
