Ned-H3_Chapter

What are the difference in planting and caring between Ned-H3 and the more usual methods?

a. Position - A potted fuchsia can be taken from the hot house in the middle of May and perform without any problems during the whole summer. The position in the garden for the fuchsias, considered as winter hardy, must be carefully chosen, to allow adequate space for growth in both directions.

Winter hardy fuchsias must stand in the full sun

During the testing, and later observed in my own front and back garden, it becomes obvious that the achieve good growth from out the roots, the fuchsias should receive plenty of early season warmth. The fuchsias in my backgarden only receive full sun from the latter part of spring on. These plants remain small, with few shoots. On the testing ground and in my front garden, the winter hardy fuchsia grow rapidly and well, because they receive the full sun from the early spring on, and also for the rest of the growing season.

Ground cover (Ducea's e.o.) near the base of the trunk, is removed during March, to ensure the ground is well warmed.

b. Caring - An advantage that winter hardies, who can winter in the garden, have is that they need less water and fertiliser; nor do they need the old flowers removed. They are welcome thus in the larger gardens and public parks.

Ned-H3 from certain parentage are generally less susceptible for pests and diseases. Yet these fuchsias left in the garden to winter can suffer from problems, that the cultivars left to winter in a glasshouse, never or hardly ever noticed.

Roots unsufficient grown out - Plant hardy fuchsias with sufficient growing out roots. The here just planted is delivered by a commercial nurseryman, who sells them grown out in pots with diameter 210 mm.

c. Cuttings - During the trial the team did lose many rooted cuttings. The cause: during the next first winter the roots were insufficient to winter. It often concerned plants that were propagated in the spring and then transplanted in 9x9 cm pots. It is our experience, that this method of propagation is of no value. To ensure the continued popularity of winter hardy fuchsias, it appears to be best for the nursery owner to advise clients the following: 'Remove the plant out of the garden at the end of the first season, prune a little and re-pot into a pot and let the plant winter in frost-free position. Sparingly water and keep the fuchsia in a growing status. Remove all fallen leaves from the plant, to ensure botrytis does not occur.' After replanting into the garden in the latter half of May, the plant will be able to winter subsequent winters.

For the grower it is best to take cuttings in August or September and start the rooting process then. After repotting twice, the plants will have sufficient roots to offer them for sale in pots of 12x12 or 15x15 cm. These good plants can easely be sold for a little more money.

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Plant more deep - Hardy fuchsias can better be planted with the root neck about 10 cm under the adjacent soil level.

d. The type of garden soil - Winter hardy fuchsias will grow in the soils of gardens and parks, where other plants can grow. Loosen up the soil. A richly manured garden soil has the effect that some Ned-H3 winter hardy plants grow to have a lot of leaves and few flowers (examples are F.magellanica molinea 'Alba' , 'Hawkshead' and 'Sharpitor').

Please note that it is important to check whether either potatoes, strawberries or dahlias have grown on the same patch. Should you plant your fuchsias into soil that had had been used in the past for the aforementioned plants, then you will risk losing your plants to the wilting disease Verticillium dahlae. Biological control of this wilting disease is not yet in practice not yet available (refer to later in this article placed supplementary information 'Biological remedy of verticillium dahliae is not ready to be used in practical circumstances'). If in doubt enlarge the hole and fill with a special fuchsia soil mix. This will certainly ensure, for a number of years, that the plants are not affected by this disease.

e. Fertilising - Little if any fertiliser was given during our trials. A lot of fertiliser resulted in a lot of foliage and few flowers. In my own front garden I have some 75 winter hardy fuchsias, most are 10 years or older. The numbers of times they receive a dusting of fertilisers are few. The last few years the fuchsias in my front garden have grown to large shrubs (or even to too big). Some varieties should have received even less fertiliser (for example winter hardies with variegated leaves).

The working group gave a little of the 14-14-14 fertilizer pellets during May. For my own garden I do the same, but than with fertilizer pallets 12-10-18 (thus formulation is readely available to me ). During 1991 no fertiliser at all was given and as you can see from the photos in Ned-H3 hardy fuchsias photo gallery . These pictures were taken at the end of August 1991 and show healthy fuchsias.

f. Watering - The keeping of a collection of fuchsias to winter in a glasshouse or in a pit, provides the lover of fuchsias with a lot of work. This because the plants need water when stored like this. Fuchsias wintering out in the garden, do not need this regular care. The holding of a collection fuchsias which winter in the glasshouse and after growing are standing in a pot, delivers a fuchsialover much work, principally because of he must give an additional given of water. During a number of hot days whilst the trials took place, no extra water was given. However in the beginning, the young plants need a generous dose of water and for a period there after need extra moisture.

A planting in a public garden in Rheden - For Fleurig ' 93 (a show from Regio Zuid-Gelre) the working group provided a planting of hardy fuchsias. About 500 plants, sponsored by Nursery K.Streng outof Reeuwijk, were after wintering in a frost-free glasshouse, planted the following year in a public garden near the 'village pump'. In the extreme warm summer of 1995 they had to endure heavy. The providers of the public garden then didn't give namely any extra givens of water. However, only some dwarfshrubs as 'Tom Thumb' didn't survive this barbarian providing. For me is that heat-tolerance of that hardys inconceivably!

During a hot and dry spell flowering reduces. Practical experience has shown that a regular spray of water helps the flowering. The spray must be applied underneath the foliage. A covering of tree bark readily available from your garden supplier helps to reduce weeds and helps to retain moisture. For myself I prefer to use the ground cover plants Duceas etc..

Small Ned-H3fuchsias, such as'Tom Thumb', ' Lady Thumb', 'Son of Thumb' and 'Alice Hoffmann', dislike in summer hot conditions. For that reason they need extra watering during hot spells.

g. Winter protection - As winter approaches (November/December) apply around the base of the winter hardies that you are leaving outside in the garden soil a light layer of leaves. A cover of some 10 cm thick, should be applied to the base. Also in between all the branches, that grow out of the ground. Do not use the leaves of any oak tree. The use of a peat is not recommended as it has no insulating properties once it becomes water logged.

It is strongly recommended not to prune these fuchsias to any extent until after the winter !!!

h. Care following the winter - After the second week of April the frozen branches can be pruned. The layer of leaves can now be removed, ensuring that you leave any shoots unharmed. Early May give a small dose of pellets 14-14-14.

Do not work the ground around your fuchsias until after the end of May. This will limit damage from any light frost (refer ' How to prevent damage to your winter hardies during a night time frost' ).

For the summer period you only need to water during extreme hot periods, always best kept off the foliage. Naturally be alert for any pests and diseases.

i. Fighting pest and diseases - Our experience from the testing grounds is that Ned-H3 plants were less susceptible to the known pests and diseases. Especially those that have as parent a species F.regia.

We suspect that the grub of the Vine weevil has no effect on the winter hardies. These grubs are not held in a pot and will thus not vigorously eat the roots to ensure survival. In the past I noticed that several hanging fuchsias, in pots placed in wooden flower-boxes, had their roots severely eaten away. Since I plant the non-winter-hardies (without a pot) into my garden, has the problem mostly resolved itself. I have never noticed that any of my permanently planted fuchsias had their roots totally eaten.

The Aphid and the Whitefly have we hardly noticed, because these fuchsias are left outside all-year round. Mostly it is the glasshouses that are the source of this summer problem.

Never was there much damage from Stinkbugs, probably as there were no birches in the neighbourhood of the testing ground nor near my home.

The Red spider mite did have a negative influence in both locations. Mostly the small leaf varieties (as'Papoose', 'Hawkshead ' and the F.magellanica's) are effected, This problem, which causes the leaves to fall, can be treated with some succes, through watering, as we mentioned earlier also enhances flowering. Should the problem be extreme, then one is able to use a commercially available preparation.

Some seasons we noticed Leafhoppers at the end of the flowering season. They flew up as we walked by. We took no action against this insects, who cause brown spots on the leaves.

The Fuchsia Rust was with some regularity to be seen during the late season. We never took any action as the spores do not survive without their host. there is less chance of this rust if it likely hosts, such as Epilobiums are not in the immidiate vicinity. However great care is required when taking cuttings off effected plants. A prevention spray is in this case recommended. Should the spot be far advanced, it may be possible to try the following. A little pruning and removal of as much as possible of the effected foliage and a subsequent remedial spray. At first, depending on the choice of spray, growth is retarded, but later on new branches may develop as well as normal re-growth..

A specific pest that the winter hardy fuchsias winter in the garden suffer from, is the Beet flea beetle. This beetle causes many small holes in the foliage, especially during a warm spring. The young shoots are an easy prey for this insect. At times these shoots will die. Later in the gowing season the beetle will attack and disfigure the further grown out of plants (refer for the life-cycle and also a milieu friendly catching technique 'Flea beetle is a troublesome perforator of leaves'). The agricultural sector suffers this problem at times with a crop of beets.

The most disabling problem is the already mentioned wilting disease Verticillium dahliae . This pest created a lot of strive at the testing ground in 1990. The fungus causes the effected plants the drop their wilting leaves from some of the branches. This occurs suddenly and later the branches die. The lower of the effected branches show a light purple to grey discolouring of the wood. The fungus enters the plant via its roots. The disease does not occur, as far as we know, in potted examples when stored indoors during winter. As there is no remedy obtainable for this problem, it is necessary to evaluate and check whether in the past potatoes, strawberries or dahlias had been grown in the soil. The varieties of this named plants have not effected by the fungus, but are certainly the reason for the problem. Be careful not to use compost in which potato peels were processed.

Biological remedy of verticillium is not yet ready to be used in practical circumstances

There is currently being worked on a biological remedy against this mould. This is performed by the Agricultural University of Wageningen You may find information on website of AgriHolland Nieuws http://www.agriholland.nl/nieuws/ .

A publishing in October '98 indicated that other plants and trees are effected by this mould. Mentioned were lime tree, elm and maple. In horticulture the chrysantinums, roses, tomatoes and aubergines. The damage to crops has enormously increased over the years. Intensive use of the land and the strong survival strength of the mould are contributing. The development of an alternative to the chemical cleansing of the soil (not a choice available to the hobbyist) will be most welcome.

Mario Nagtzaam has concentrated himself on developing a remedy for verticillium, using the ground mould Talrames flavus (this mould is situated around the roots). According to the literature, is this mould able to limit the effects of verticillium. Up till now the field trials are inconsistent, and for this reason can not be used in practical circumstances.

Subsequent research will need to directed at finding the conditions in which the fungus limits the effect of the wilting disease. The last available information was March 2000.

Wilting branches - By the pest Verticillium dahliae

How do we develope a garden lay-out for the winter hardy fuchsias?

Earlier it was indicated that fuchsias are difficult to transplant during the growing season. The size of the plant is often difficult to judge at the initial stage and the wrong position may be chosen. That is why the working group measured over a number of years the height and diameter and recorded same for future use. The measurements were taken at the end of the season, namely November 1. Take a look at Ned-H3 winter hardy fuchsias photo gallery , of this Gelderse Fuchsia Info-site. You will see nine different galleries of Ned-H3 cultivars, and after each cutivar name the flowering quality mark (G, N or N/G) and the height and diameter recorded. In this way there exists an indication of the difference necessary to the next plant, when fuchsias or simular variety are planted in groups. No experience within the working group exists, when planting next to non-fuchsias. As an aside I should mention that the plantings in my own garden do show that they are too close together.

In the collection Ned-H3 fuchsias there occurs as planting forms: 'semi-covering the soil', 'dwarfshrub', 'shrub' and 'hedge-shrub' [ see 'In Ned-H3 there is choice out of various planting forms']. Rightly you miss in the row the planting form 'standard', 'pyramid' and 'trailer'. From a Ned-H3 standard or pillar the trunk freezes, and however he runs out after that again from the roots with stems, so in future it becomes a shrub. Trailers when planted in the garden border are as a rule not attractive, because of the stems with flowers, laying on the soil, become besmeared with spatters of soil.