If you have a question that is not covered by this FAQ, or any other
part of this web site, then you can email
it to us and we will try to get an answer for you.
Fuchsias are not yet as popular as pansies or violas in Japan. Even so,
growing numbers of varieties can be found in flower shops, as the charm of these lovely
plants becomes widely known. but unfortunately many of them have no nametag, and in many
cases even shop masters don't know the names of the varieties they are selling.
The varieties often seen in flower shops include:
Angel's Earrings (produced in Japan)
Adrien Berger
Annabel
Annie Earl
Baroness van Dedem
Berba's Ingrid
Bon Accord
Cameron Ryle
Display
|
Easter Bonnet
Elizabeth Travis
Galadriel
Gartenmester Bonstedt
Genii
Hidcote Beauty
Joy Patmore
Linda Goulding
Marinka
|
Our Darling
Playboy
President
Royal Velvet
Shining Knight
Swingtime
Tom Thumb
Waternymph |
There are many more varieties capable of surviving in the hot climate of
Japan, and there are a great many Web sites that can provide advice on these.
To cope with the heat in Japan, one of our corespondents has suggested
the following:
- Choose or find heat-tolerant varieties. For instance, Angel's Earrings meets this
requirement. Waternymph is performing much better than I expected in spite of recent high
temperatures (33 to 35 degrees Celsius, max.).
- Hang high. We grow fuchsias in hanging baskets to hang high under eaves, trees or the
like so that we can minimise the adverse effect of radiant heat from the ground or
concrete surface. Placing them on a high shelf is also recommended. Another advantage of
these containers is portability. We can move them to a better location whenever required.
It is more difficult to successfully grow fuchsias planted in the ground.
- Prepare spare plants by cuttings. Young plants made from cuttings are extremely
heat-resistant.
If you start cuttings in April or May, the baby plants withstand high
temperatures, start flowering in September (sometimes as early as in August), and grow
vigorously through autumn. Even if the mother plant is lost during hot summer, you can
continue to enjoy the same cultivar.
Our correspondent is growing my fuchsias by the window facing south and
in the veranda facing west. There is no other gardening space in her apartment and she
lives on the fourth floor. Over the south window are small eaves, which make a good shade.
In the west veranda, a screen net is used to block 60 to 70% of the direct sunlight.
She also gives water mist to her fuchsias frequently. Depending on the temperature, she
takes them indoors temporarily.
The larger and older the fuchsia grows, the less heat-tolerant it
becomes. As you can imagine, it is very difficult to make a large bush or gorgeous
standard in the areas of typical Japanese climate.
Here is some climate data for Japan:
- Average of max./min. temperatures in January (Celsius)
- Sapporo: -1.1/-8.4 (Sapporo: prefectural capital of Hokkaido):
- Tokyo: +9.5/+1.2
- Osaka: +9.1/+2.1
- Average of max./min. temperatures in August:
- Sapporo: +26.1/+18.2
- Tokyo: +30.9/+24.0
- Osaka: +32.8/+24.8
Other Places to Look:
BPFS Web Links section on Other Places to Look.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Yoko Kanemoto of Japan, who has been a regular correspondent
of Derek Luther (one of our members) and who has passed the above information on to me for
publication on the BPFS Web site. Thanks also to Yoko for permission to use the
above.
Question: Where can
I find a list of hardy fuchsias for zone 7?
Answer:
Zone 7 consists of hot summers and mild but pronounced winters give this
area sharply defined seasons without severe winter cold or enervating humidity. The
climate pleases plants that require a marked seasonal pattern to do well. For such a big
area, it is of course impossible to state exact low temperatures, but Zone 7 minimum
temperatures range from -15oC to -12oC.
Most of Britain falls in zone 8 (minimum temperatures range from
-12oC to -6.5oC). All the photos in the Photo Section of the this site were taken from plants
grown generally in Southern England, which tends to be warmer than the northern counties
(probably in the upper minimum temperatures in the winter). So, while we can't give
a precise list of hardies for Zone 7, the Photo
File section might be a good place to start.
Other Places to Look:
BPFS Photo Section
/ Web Links / FAQ
Question: Are there
any varieties of fuchsia that can be grown in hot climate like Malaysia?
Answer:
I would be surprised if they would grow there. It is very hot and humid.
However, if there was a cool area in the shade it might be worth a try. Try a
nursery that exports I think Exotic Fuchsias in Wales (email EXOFUCHSIA@aol.com) might be able to help.
Other Places to Look:
Email EXOFUCHSIA@aol.com
BPFS FAQ
