Fuchsias

I thought I would share my vieo on fuchsias, in case anyone would like to see it

(ps, please click to see it on youtube its self rather than in the window if poss - it will help the view count)

 

Absolutely beautiful, we love fuscias here, and they over winter in this mild west country.
They are so reliable and varied.
Ours have some great colours.
I did lose a spectacular standard one in a patio pot a couple of winters ago whereas the established shrub ones in the ground always bounce back. (I'll be ready with some sacks if we get any bad winter spells)

 

They're pretty much my favourite garden flowers Jymi - but I've never been able to grow them successfuly! I garden on a rocky, acidy slope, suited to alpines. But my neighbours grow them (as seen here) on a balcony. I've also featured some from the garden of the Victoria Theare in Halifax.

 

Interesting, we have been to a concert in that town centre theatre many years ago, but never heard of its garden ?

 

Years ago i tried in vain to grow a blue mop head hydrangea in our garden and the nearest i got was red with a purple tinge.
I just had to accept I'm in an alkaline area and it grows pink, red and white ones but not blue.
I guess you are limited to hanging baskets and tubs for fuchsias. Whilst my fruit trees, strawberries, raspberries are good here I'm not sure if my blueberry bush will survive.
On the label it clearly stated "plant in acid soil" grr.. It was only 3 quid from homebase and i just wanted it!

 

Yes, some varieties resist going blue and get stuck at purple. Typically one is supposed to amend the soil more but it always bothers me to exceed the recommend application rate because the roots are so tiny and fibrous. I too settled on a medium-to-light purple color that I seem to enjoy looking at in the late afternoons. I cannot explain it otherwise than say it seems to glow between the sunny late hours of 7-8:45pm, as the sun is going down before sunset. However, blueberries are more finicky of alkalinity; hydrangeas tolerate my pH 7.6 alkaline as long as I amend the soil in Spring every year.

 

Talking to my neighbour, i mentioned my recent purchase of a blueberry bush.
In our alkaline soil i doubted it's chances and i said to him I'd best put it in a pot of ericaceous compost.
He replied 'why not put it in the ground dressed with plenty of conifer clippings'
Does anybody here think this will make much (or enough) difference to the ph around the plant?!

 

I have conifers throughout my alkaline backyard but they do not acidify the soil deeply enough, may be down 2-3 cms or less. Since you cannot easily add more clippings regularly (in future years to acidify more), the soil will tend to revert back to its approximate original pH level.

You will need patience when growing them in pots but it can be done. As with most fruit-bearing species, it can take a few years for the plants to produce fruit. I assume you are considering something like half-barrels for pots? When choosing plants, be aware that blueberries need "cousins". You may want to get at least three plants to cross-pollinate. You can pick different plants that produce fruit at different times of the growing season to extend your blueberry harvests. Large berries tend to be good for eating while small berries are usually preferred for cooking.

While blueberries need acidic soil (and much of the Dallas area sits on alkaline soil), it’s actually the local water that can be a problem here. A lot of treated residential water has calcium bicarbonate and other salts. While some tap water may be OK, it’s hard to know without getting a water sample tested. Sodium is like death for blueberries. So over here, they appreciate "high-quality water" or they do not thrive unless you switch to rainwater.

Just remember to wear gloves and a long-sleeved shirt when you pick them! Good luck!

 

Thanks Luis, that is very helpful.
On reflection i might just stick with my lovely raspberries. Mrs Jymi loves blueberries but despite their high price in the shops she might just have to bear it! ☺
3 half barrels filled with ericaceous compost, and then fighting the leaching local limey water may just be a bridge too far..

 

Well, look around various plant nurseries to see if they offer varieties where pollination is not much of a problem. You can limit purchases to just one plant but I found it better for my blueberry-addicted household to have three; they Agriculture Extension Service also recommended three as the ideal number with different harvest dates so consumers could enjoy them for a longer time. I started with two half-barrels and then added a third. You can start with one and see how that works for you. But fighting the limey water was a problem for me. I purchased several rain barrels.