Online Fuchsias Course

Distance Education Course -Growing Fuchsias

• Learn to Grow Fuchsias
• Start a Fuchsia business, work in a nursery, or indulge a passion

Open your eyes to the world of fuschias. Fuchsias are a colourful group of plants with many varieties to collect and enjoy. The way you treat a fuchsia plant should be different from place to place, time to time, and according to what you are trying to get from the plant. 

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Lesson Structure

There are 8 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction
   • Review of the system of plant identification
   • General characteristics of fuchsias
   • Information contacts (ie: nurseries, seed, clubs)
2. Culture
   • Planting
   • Staking
   • Mulching
   • Watering
   • Pest & disease
   • Feeding
   • Pruning
   • Protection from wind etc.
3. Propagation
   • Propagating and potting media
   • Methods of propagating this group of plants.
   • Stock plants
   • Softwood cuttings, Semi hardwood cuttings
   • Hormones
   • Creating the best cutting environment
4. The Most Commonly Grown Varieties
   • Magellanica hybrids
   • Triphylla hybrids
   • Upright (bush or shrub) fuchsias
   • Tall growers (suited to standards)
   • Dwarf Fuschsias
   • Trailing Fuchsias
5. Other Important Groups
   • Quelusia Fuchsias
   • Eufuchsia Fuchsias
   • Ellobium, Kierschlegeria,Skinnera and other groups
   • How to train a Standard Fuchsia
   • Creating an Espalier fuchsia
6. The Lesser Grown Varieties
   • Various species fuchsias
7. Making the Best Use of Fuchsias
8. Special Assignment - On one selected plant or group.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• Identify different Fuchsias
• Describe the culture of Fuchsias
• Propagate Fuchsias
• Describe the identification and culture of commonly grown Fuchsias
• Compare a range of commonly grown Fuschias.
• Discuss different lesser cultivated varieties of Fuchsias
• Determine and explain a variety of ways Fuchsias may be used.
• Discuss one aspect of Fuchsia cultivation in depth.

How Many Different Fuchsias are there?

There are over 8,000 fuchsia cultivars in existence and more and more are becoming available every year; this can make identification difficult.

Often, where a plant is cultivated can have an effect on its character, making it difficult to place. But if you study the individual characteristics, you will soon find the qualities that link each hybrid to its original parent.

Most modern hybrids or cultivars are derived from two groups:
1. The magellanica hybrids a cross between F. magellanica and F. fulgens. These hybrids most often have bi-coloured flowers; red, cerise, pink, "orange", purple or white is most common. The flowers grow from leaf axils - each with 3 buds ie. 1 vegetative and one vegetative bud with 2 flower buds on either side. Flowers come as singles (with 4 petals in the corolla) or double (with 8 ‘petals’ in the corolla) or semi-double 4 – 8 ‘petals’ in the corolla. Double flowers may be sterile as they are bred so that the stamens flatten out to resemble petals (they are not true petals). These plants grow in moist cool places and do not tolerate full sun or heat.

2. The triphylla hybrids – originating from F. triphylla and its allies including F. boliviana. These hybrids have the typical long tunnel (cigar shaped) flowers which form terminal spikes. The leaves are in whorls of three (hence triphylla). They can usually withstand heat and full sun. 

TYPES OF FUCHSIAS

The following are specific hybrids that can be used for their individual situations. Many may be available in your country.

Hardy Fuchsias