Western Cape Fuchsia Society

Meetings

The Western Cape Fuchsia Society meets at 2pm on the first Saturday of each month between February and November at the St Thomas Church Hall, Campground Road in Rondebosch. Every month there is a practical workshop during which an experienced grower demonstrates a particular aspect of cultivating fuchsias relevant to that time of the year. Afterwards members have some practical experience, for example, in June and July they can bring any of their own plants that need potting-up and they will be guided through this process on these plant/s.

 The Society also invites a guest speaker to some meetings to talk about an interesting aspect of gardening, not necessarily connected to growing fuchsias.

Visitors are always welcome to participate and at the end of the meeting, they have the opportunity to discuss any aspect of fuchsia growing with the members over tea and cake.

Should you wish to join the Society, please contact the secretary (details provided below) for all relevant information.

A membership form may be downloaded here.

WESTERN CAPE FUCHSIA SOCIETY 2025 PROGRAMME 

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Meeting minutes

Date: 5th April 2025

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WCFS Minutes Monthly Meeting

Present: 20 Members

Apologies: Joy Kessler, Francois and Annette Olivier, Estelle Naudé, Jenny Webster, Jenny Scarr, Ritas Rage and Myra and Lorraine Kloppers

Jill   welcomed all and said that it was nice to see everybody again

Barbara gave us her first talk on how to propagate fuchsias.

Cuttings taken in autumn have a longer period to grow, but cuttings taken in spring root more easily

Fuchsias grow. very easily from cuttings. Take cuttings from healthy plants at the top of the branch, with 3 sets of leaves as well as 2 tiny leaves at the tip. Do not use wilted cuttings, lie them in water if you are not going to use them immediately.

  Cut the bottom 2 leaves off the cutting, not too close to the stem

Use seedling mix or anything that has no nutrients to encourage rooting as the cutting searches for food

For planting your cutting use Master Organics seedling mix, river sand, milled bark or peat mixed with a good amount of vermiculite

To prevent botrytis - cutting going mouldy, dip the cutting in a Funginex mixture or honey water – 1teaspoon to 1 cup of water

Fill a small pot with the mixture, water it and make a small hole with a skewer. Drop the cutting into the hole up to the first set of leaves

Firm it down gently and add a label with the name of the cutting and the date it was made. Cover with a small plastic bag and secure the bag with a rubber band. Keep in a cool and light place. After 5 to 6 weeks remove the bag and check if it shows new growth. Otherwise tug it gently at the bottom of the stem. If it has rooted, remove the cover for another week to harden off. If not rooted, replace the cover for another week

Plants with 3 top leaves are good to grow as standard fuchsias, so place a small skewer ect in the pot as a reminder not to pinch it later

Kotie, Felicity and David provided delicious eats for the tea/coffee break. Thank you!

 After tea Belinda spoke on hybridising of fuchsias as it is difficult to get new cultivars.

Mick Allsop has been hybridising for 12 years and has registered 83 cultivars he has grown with the American Fuchsia Society. His plants are usually named after family members. More recent releases have been named after members of the society or their family in recognition for the help they have given him – usually universally popular names

He tries to use cultivars that are attractive, show disease resistance and that are floriferous. He also Looks at the growth habit, shape of the bloom, colour and foliage

Of the 200 – 300 cross pollinations he does every year about 1/3 will produce seed. This provides 300 – 500 seedlings of which he keeps 10 to be grown on and tested for 3to4 year or longer.

There are 1000’s of cultivars and it is sometimes impossible to tell the difference

Choose a flower which you want to pollinate. Pick a flower at the top of the plant and about to open. Open the bloom very carefully with tweezers and do not damage the style or stigma. Remove the anthers and filaments carefully. This will be known as the seed parent. (The process is known as emasculation)

Make sure the pollen you use is fresh. Certain experts believe the the optimum time to do this is between 08:00 and 10:00 am. The plant from which the pollen is taken is known as the pollen parent

Some people believe to cover the style and stigma after being pollinated. But others don’t.

Keep records of. crossings and attach coloured twine to the pedicel of the pollinated flower

Some ripe seed pods may not have any seeds at all

When sowing the seeds do not cover with soil but with a plastic cover

The raffle made R490. Thanks to all that brought plants and all that bought tickets

Tea duty for May is Deidre Thompson, Jill Lawson and Shirley Robinson