You can mix some John Innes No-3 in the last pot just to give it a little bit of extra weight. Do not forget to increase the size of the cane as the plant grows, and tie in just to hold the plant up straight against the cane. Take out the side shoots, making sure you always leave three pairs of side shoots at the top. This will allow you to still make a standard if something happens to the very top. Leave the leaves on the stem. They will drop off in time.
When the plant reaches the required height, remove the tip. This will encourage the side shoots to grow, thus forming the head. Stop these side shoots at every 2-3 pairs of leaves depending on the internode length. This pinching forms the training of the fuchsia standard. The head should be in proportion to the stem and pot. All flower buds should be removed until you are happy with the head 4-5 weeks after you have stopped pinching. You should have buds appearing. Keep watering and feeding with a balanced feed and enjoy.
If you are growing for showing, remember that the stem of a mini-standard should be between 6" and 10" from the soil level to the first branches. Quarter-standards should be between 10" and 18". If you are growing just to enjoy, a plant should have approximately a 3-foot stem and an 18-inch head.
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Untitled by donnabking | Sep 12, 2015 6:23 PM | 6 |
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