Fuchsia 'Mrs Popple' Planting and Pruning

Hi All,

I have a few questions about this fuchsia, no experience with these.

1) Can I plant it now or should I wait until May/June? This website seems to suggest delaying planting until late Spring/early Summer.

Fuchsia 'Mrs Popple'

2) RHS advice: "Plant the base of the stem 5cm below the soil surface..." So the soil surface should be level with my finger in the photo, correct? It's just that there are new shoots below that point, so I'm a bit confused now!

3) Pruning group 6, so basically prune it like a Buddleia davidii, is that right?

Thanks,

Nick

 

1.(only my assumption here) perhaps the reason for planting at that time is to avoid frosts so that new roots won't end up frozen and kill the plant.

2.if it says 5 cm then yes you're right (well actually you're 1.5mm out) new shoots may be stopped a little but should grow through, if not new ones should sprout further up.

3.yes. if you prune it like a buddleia then you can prune it like I do with mine around this time of year, always reaches 3-4ft of new growth and flowers.

 

Hi,

Have been friends with Mrs Popple for 40 years and shes as tough as old boots and can hande just about anything !

Depends on the size of plant you want each year, you can leave the stems long like yours is now and if the frost does not damage them, they could have buds all over.

However for a more well formed bush, find its better to cut them down to about 6 -9" high once the flowering stops or around now if not.
Some of ours grow so well we have to prune them back any time of year to stop them comimg over the driveway.

Now is the perfect time to plant, just add some bonemeal or growmore etc to the planting hole along with some nice compost etc to help it on its way.
Would say at the same depth or 10 -20mm deeper would be ok.

Full sun or 90% shade ours have always done well.

The only thing that we have to do, around April May time is some insects (never seen) seem to attack the growing tips /first buds with little marks , but we find using a gerneral insecticide as soon as see the signs helps ensure the first flush of flowers are saved.

 

Thank you, @mazambo and @ricky101!

I'm not that brave when it comes to pruning! Plus I have a shared access path close to where I'm planting it with the neighbours upstairs, they might absent-mindedly step on emerging shoots. I think I'll prune down to 6 inches as Ricky suggested, then it at least indicates that something is growing there.

Don't have those Ricky, will Fish, Blood & Bone and MPC suffice, do you think? Another thing is my heavy clay soil, think I'll add a load of small crocks at the bottom for drainage, since I don't have any grit ATM.

Oh dear, hope that doesn't happen to mine! I'm a tad concerned about that now as I'm trying to garden insecticide-free for the pollinators, I wonder if there's a more natural spray I can use as an alternative?

Thanks again for the replies guys, hugely appreciated!

Nick

 

Hi,

FB&B is ideal about a handful of it folked into the bottom of the hole etc along with a few handfulls of compost is all it needs for now.

Would not put crocks in as the roots become very thick and spreading/deep so will soon bypass any such objects.

Find the bees do like the simple single flowers of Mrs. Popple, though saw very few honey bees last year, the few that were around being the small bumble types.

All plants will likely be troubled with some pest or disease at some time of the year, thats gardening.

There used to be 'soft soap' types of insecticide sprays but could never find any last year, but if you check the labels you should find the plant based Pyrethum ones.
Plenty of diy recipes on the web to make your own, things like garlic sprays and copper tapes to discourage slugs which we use and work quiet well.
Always put a ring of copper tape around the base of young Fuchsias this time of year as the slugs can strip all the stem buds and shoots from the soil

Check out / search the forum , sure there will be some more in here...?
A plain water jet spray or with some mild washing up liquid can work well.

 

Thanks @ricky101, I'll avoid the use of crocks then, I'm sure I can work something out re insecticide alternatives with enough Googling.

Nick

 

Two other ladies you might be interested in getting to know...

Lady Boothby - classed as a climber, but just needs tying in, and readily gets to 6 -8 ft if you have need of height /coverage, similar-ish flowers to Mr Popple.

For a large show plant then Celia Smedley has very large and profuse pinkish flowers, we often train her as a standard on a 3ft stem, but needs a strong stake and big tub to take her weight when in full bloom.
Our neighbours cannot get enough of her, always have to grow extra cuttings for them, one even said our standard was better than some of the exhibition ones he sees at the big shows, nearly blushed !

 

I bought a Mrs Popple three years ago. I just stuck it in a pot of multi purpose compost and fed it a few times (when I remembered to ). Last year I partially changed the compost and added either bonemeal or chicken pellets, cane remember which. I've been pruning it back in autumn. It's grown very well with the minimum of attention from me.

 

Thanks Ricky, I really like that one, might try growing it at some point! Do you think I could overwinter it in a cold greenhouse?

I like the sound of that Luci, having as many low-maintenance plants as I can at home means I'll have more time to create my butterfly garden and pond at my allotment! I'll have room to plant a few caterpillar foodplants as well as adult nectar plants in small drifts there, really excited about it now that Spring has finally arrived!

Nick

 

Hi,

Celia is classed a Hardy H3 , basically hardy in the warmer areas of the UK so should be fine if you can find a warm shelted outdoor spot, but do take some cuttings in Summer /Autumn just in case, usually very easy to root.

Here we thought one of our pot grown ones was lost as all the top growth was dead come spring time, about to thow it out in early May when we saw the tips of new shoots from the soil, it then continued to give a great display.

Your Butterfly garden and pond sound great, but would have thought it something to enjoy best in your own garden ??
Did make me wonder if you are allowed to have a pond on an allotment these days, seems its all down to the rules of your local site ?

 

Thanks for the fuchsia advice, Ricky.

My allotment is only about 300 metres from my home and I don't really have the space for a decent-sized pond in my garden. It would be smaller and not attract as much wildlife. But at the allotment I can have a larger one, it will take up about a fifth of the wildlife garden. The other half of the allotment will be used to grow fruit.

My mate has one (smaller than the one I plan to have) on his allotment, which is on the same site. I think you may be correct about it being down to the tenancy rules of your specific site. I've read my terms and there's no mention of them NOT being allowed, put it that way.

Right, job done! Forked in a heaped handful of FB&B, planted stem base 5cm below soil surface and pruned to just below 6 inches, thanks again for the replies, guys!

Nick