The paper-wrapped seeds are then left in a warm room to dry out, this usually takes about seven days. The air tight containers are stored during the winter in a dry cupboard. The seeds from each cross are sown separately in small square plastic pots - these fit into the propagator case more easily than round ones.
The compost is now lightly firmed with my fingers, and levelled off with the base of another pot. The seeds are sown thinly over the surface of the sand and pressed firmly into the surface using a flat piece of wood.
To obtain good germination the seeds must not be completely covered as some light is required to initiate germination. The pots are then soaked in water and allowed to drain. After draining the pots are put into a propagator. I sometimes place them in a seed tray and cover with a sheet of glass. Whichever method is used the propagator lid or the sheet of glass is covered with newspaper to exclude some of the light.
After sowing, the lid or the glass is taken off every morning and the condensation wiped off until germination takes place.
Germination is very variable and can take from 14 to days, but the average time is 30 days; more rapid germination can be obtained by soaking the seeds in water for two days. When the seed leaves can be seen they are dusted with a fungicide to combat 'damping off. The compost is kept moist at all times but not sodden, the water being given from the base to avoid disturbing the seeds.
The development of the first true leaves is the signal for the next stage of growing. The seedlings are pricked out when the first true leaves appear. This occurs in a very random way and it is necessary to judge the time when the majority of the seedlings can be handled. Before handling the seedlings, I let the compost dry out a little as it makes it easier to untangle the roots.
I find this method gives better results than pricking out singly into small pots and then potting on into the larger size pots. Great care in handling is required during the initial pricking out.
The Fuchsia genus contains roughly species, with one of the most beautiful being Fuchsia magellanica hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9. Growing fuchsia from seed is quite simple. With a gorgeous fountainlike form and cascading red flowers, this plant offers color from early summer until the first frost. Growing fuchsia from seed is a wonderful way to attract pollinators, like bees and hummingbirds, to your backyard.
Fuchsia is native to Argentina and Chile. This low-maintenance plant has a relatively fast growth rate and an arching habit, growing up to 5 feet tall and wide in ideal conditions.
With burgundy stems, magenta flowers and deciduous leaves, it is one of the most elegant shrubs you can grow in your landscape. It has hardy roots that allow it to be grown as a perennial in cold areas with mulching, according to Oregon State University. There are many varieties of F. That means if you save the seeds from them and plant one, the new plant that grows might not look like the one it originally came from.
But I wanted to give you a heads up in case you were hoping to exactly reproduce a particular specimen that you particularly love. To do this, isolate the plants if you have multiple different hybrids or species, either with covers or by putting them indoors or in a greenhouse.
Use a toothpick to gently remove the pollen from the anthers of a flower on one plant, or gently snip off the anthers themselves. Apply the pollen to the other fuchsia by brushing the ends of the anthers or the toothpick to the stamen of an open flower. Allow the flower you pollinated to produce a berry, and then harvest and save it as described in this guide. Keep in mind that some fuchsias are sterile. Seeds start forming shortly after the plant starts flowering. In fact, once blossoms form, the berry bonanza is right around the corner!
Depending on where you live and what species, cultivar, or hybrid you are growing, that means you can start saving in the spring, throughout the summer, or even into the fall. Watch for flowers to start turning brown or dry, or dropping off the bush. This is the ovary, where the seeds are forming inside. Spread the seeds onto a plain sheet of paper and set the paper in a warm, dry place for a week or until the clear sap dries out completely.
Scrape off the fuchsia seeds from the paper and pick through them to find any that appear moldy or shriveled. Place the seeds inside a jar and label it with the fuchsia names and the dates the seeds were gathered. Place the jar inside the freezer for two days to eliminate any insect pests or eggs that might be present. Place a desiccant pack inside the jar during storage to help keep the seeds fresh.
Store the jar inside the refrigerator until spring. Seeds will lose their viability over time even if stored under the right conditions, so it is best to use fuchsia seeds within three years. Fuchsia seeds need consistent warmth to successfully germinate, so it is best to wait until after the last spring frost to start them.
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