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| In The Netherlands there are two methods of breeding fuchsias in a pot
with a limited packet of soil: |
| - minifuchsia: here the fuchsia grows up in a little pot of maximum 9 cm. By
this it is the intention to breed such a large possible riche flowering showplant in a
very short time. By bringing up so, people have still some years experience and wath the
age such an in his growth limited fuchsia can achieve, that isn't still known. In The
Netherlands namely this started with it in 1993 by the institution of a national
minifuchsia competition by Regio Zuid-Gelre for the Drs. Mia van der Zee-Kruseman award.
More about bringing up 'minifuchsias' you can read in the article
'16. Minifuchsia ... a class apart'
of this Gelderse Fuchsia Info-site. |
| Minifuchsia
- 'Leverkusen', brought up in a 9cm-pot |
|
| - bonsaifuchsia: here the plant also growth up in a very
limited packet of soil in a with this filled undeep bonsai bowl or pot. By normal bringing
up fuchsias, everything of the plant is made subordinated to the flowering.
But by fuchsia bonsai's everything is subordinated to the growth.Near it
we have the choice for a certain way of growing and all may be visible in |
| 'Die Schöne
Wilhelmine'-bonsai - With this bonsai Fam. Poffers out of Hellendoorn won in 2001
the 'Vijfde landelijke wedstrijd' in Opheusden a honourable mention in the
'free class of the Jhr. Ir. N.J. van Suchtelen award'. Photo: Fam. Poffers |
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| the form that we
wish, such as rootnecks, stem, branches, packet of leaves, flowers and berries; everything
in the growth has a certain place and function and may therefore been seen in an
exact dosage. The bringing up of a fuchsia bonsai needs not always to be little; I have
seen fuchsia bonsai's of 1,20 m hight and then about 20 years old. In bonsai there is the
following classification of styles: a.with a stem growing right up; b. with a
curved rising stem; c. with an inclining stem; d.cascade or semi-cascade
e.with a winding stem; f.with a twisting stem; g.bare-washed roots;
h.with twisting roots; i.as a rock planting. Fuchsias are pre-eminently suited for the
growing style with bare-washed roots.The roots of young trees in the nature are laying
hidden in the soil. When the tree is growing older they come gradually above the earth
level. |
|
| They like to cling to the earth, like to embrace it and give also the
impression of a great age. Just like by other bonsai plants you can create them with wire
in a certain form. |
|
The
bonsai bowls and pots |
|
| These are generally very undeep. Take care that they have sloping upgoing
sides sothat the little plants can be hold out easely. A bonsai fuchsia namely needs
sometimes a larger bowl or fresh soil. Take care that there is sitting in the bottom of
the bowl little holes for drainage. The bowls also mustn't be to large; always still
lateron the plants can been placed in a larger bowl. In a bowl which is too large they
grow too fast. It is also possible to place more plants in one bowl, but take then plants
of the same cultivar variety. Otherwise it becomes a many-coloured whole and is the bonsai
effect away. Don't plant them to close together while otherwise so the roots grow by each
other, by which the plants aren't to seperate never more by repotting to a larger bowl.
The attack to the roots then is so big that then one or more are dying. |
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| This must
happen in much light (but not in the sun) and good ventilated, while otherwise the
internods become too long. Inside this will not succeed while it is there generally too
dark. Bringing up in a greenhouse is also less suitable, while it is there often too hot;
because you must screen there it is here also too dark. The best place of bringing up is
normaly outdoors in much light but out of the sun, with this you must look out for too
much rain. The bowls must from time to time been turned, except when they conscious had to
grow up to one site, for example by a 'cascade'. |
| 'Beacon'-bonsai
- A 15 years old plant, photographed end October and this one was then allready
pruned. |
|
| When bringing up and you begins from out a cutting, then place it in a
little pot of about 6 cm. In this pot you form the cutting in the desired form. To your
own choice that can be a little shrub, standard, cascade or a daviated form. Special
bonsai forms you find in books about bonsai, such as in the book 'Bonsai - The complete handbook' by Harry Tomlinson (see understanding cadre
article 'Book with much practical information')
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| You can bring up a bonsai also from an older plant. Then you begin with it
in autumn (so half September). Prune the plant first rough in the wished form and reduce
the given of water. Then wait 2 or 3 weeks and hold after that the plant out of the pot.
Shake off or scrape off the soil of the plant. Especially to the upper side then the
(naked) roots become visible. Repot the plant in the bowl to the matter in question, bring
up the plant in growth and let him grow further in winter. The following year you go over
in the definitive pruning of the wished form. |
| . |
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| Take into account that a fuchsia bonsai is to bring up more difficult than
a normal fuchsia. The plant will grow less well because the plant is standing in a more
little packet of soil and because of this also can take up less water and
nourishment. |
| 'Daniëlle
Freistein' - Very suitable for bringing up as bonsai. |
|
In spring the plant will well reasonable grow, while then the temperatures
aren't so high. Prune then regular to become a more bushy, this gives a better
flowering. Try so to prune that the plant held his desired form. Hold away the large
leaves in the centre of the regular plant. Through it the new shoots get that are growing
through the centre the chance to grow up and then there is less evaporation. Also this
gives a better light in the heart of the plant and there is less chance of existing
botrytis. At the same time there is taken up less nourishment what retards the growth.
Hold the plant also one time a year outof the bowl and cut away something of the roots,
that gives also a slower growth. |
| This can happens best in spring when the plant must become repotted. When
you want that run out a branche on a certain place - that you have stipulated by yourself
- then is for this the following possebility. Search for a hidden node (here was sitting
before a pair of leaves), make with a razorknife carefully a little cut of about 5 mm
above the node in the bark of the branche (about over 1/3 part of the contour and about 1
ā 2 mm deep). Do this only by woody little branches (see the drawing next of this). |
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|
Potting
soil and fertilizing |
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| Use a potting soil that remains well-aired and that can hold much water.
While the plants generally are standing in a too little packet of soil, you must regular
give fertilizer. I myself give fertilizer for the leaves and give more little fertilizer
(via the gifts of water, while in artificial manure also are sitting ballast additions
that can accumulate in the potting soil). A good base is 1 time in 2 weeks in the gift of
water (a 1/2 gramme/litre). |
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| . |
| 'Larissa'
bonsai - By his short internods the plant is good formed. Photo: Fam.
Poffers - Hellendoorn. |
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|
To oppose 'burning' of the roots the plant clod must be wet. At the same
time give 1 ā 2 times a week fertilizer for the leaves of 1/8 gramme/litre. To oppose
burning of the leaves then the plant may not stand in the sun. Use fertilizers of a high
quality, while in them are sitting less ballast additions. I myself have a good result
with 'Plantprod' 20-20-20 and once a month a given of water with in it 1/2
gramme/litre magnesium. The given of water and fertilizer can happen best in the morning.
When you do this in the evening there is more chance of the excisting of botrytis, while
the water during the night didn't evaporate and becomes assimilated worse by the
plant. By cold weather it is better to hold the plants something more dry. |
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| In fuchsia bonsai the same pests and diseases excist as in normal
fuchsias. Well are bonsai's incommoded by spider mites , while bonsai's are standing
generaly more dry. Therefore spray them often. Coloured there leaves to yellow with green
spots, then the plants need magnesium. |
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| From begin September there isn't given longer fertilizer. Half October the
plants become pruned. Didn't prune them too short, it is better pruning some more in
spring. For wintering is a good temperature between 5 and 8°C (for a triphylla about 2°C
higher, and they must get more light). A good place for triphylla's is high in the
greenhouse but pay attention that they dry out there sooner than plants in a normal deeper
pot. |
Use cultivars with a slow growth, small leaves and short internods
November
2008