The next step, whether for exhibition or just your own enjoyment, is to carefully select the varieties best suited to achieve your aim.     It is always prudent, especially for the novice or beginner, to choose varieties you have grown or seen grown previously.    Most nurseries list a good selection of proven basket fuchsias, both single and double varieties in a wide range of colour combinations. Select and try one or two varieties new to you which will have a novelty factor and test your expertise.

The first consideration is when to start.    This will be determined by several factors. the facilities you have available and what you wish to achieve.     Initially, I shall deal with the sequence I used when growing for exhibition.      My first consideration would be choosing the varieties I wish to grow and exhibit.    This is dictated initially by the varieties I have available and secondly a selection of known and proven basket varieties bearing in mind that double varieties are inherently more difficult taking slightly longer to bloom.   For more details refer to the chapter on 'Stopping and Timing'.

My selection of varieties would include some of my own varieties bred especially for this purpose.   These would include Lillian Annettes, a white and blue double.   Frank Unsworth, a white fluffy medium sized double, acclaimed to be the best white basket double available.      Lady Patricia Mountbatten, a pink and lilac true single.   University of Liverpool, a prolific bloomer with white and scarlet flowers, always first to bloom.     There are of course hundreds of varieties available suitable for baskets, the choice is yours.

                                                      Lillian Annettes                       Lady Patricia Mountbatten.            Frank Unsworth.               University of Liverpool

Preparation.      Having decided on the varieties to grow, acquisition of suitable plants sufficient for planting into your chosen baskets is the next consideration.      Baskets can range in size from 16 inches down to 10 inches.    Hanging pots from 6 to 10 inches, although I am sure there are sizes outside these parameters but they become unwieldy for the average grower.  If your baskets or hanging pots are for exhibition then they must conform to the sizes and shapes outlined in the schedule.     Do not confuse a plastic 'Hanging Pot' with a 'Pot Hanging'.   There is a difference.   A Hanging Pot is one that has been specifically designed and manufactured for the purpose complete with hangers.    A 'Pot Hanging" is an ordinary plastic pot with hangers, not having been manufactured as a unit and therefore not suitable for supporting a fully grown plant.

Baskets are available in many sizes and shapes and manufactured in many differing materials from wire, wicker and plastic.   For home use, I have found what I consider the perfect hanging basket manufactured in in plastic.     It has a flat bottom for ease of planting and has six removable/replaceable side lattice inserts for ease of inserting plants grown in pots up to 9cm. in size without causing damage to the root ball.    The inserts are of a lattice design allowing the compost to breathe unlike other plastic baskets and hanging pots.    An excellent design.  A little more expensive but well worth the cost.      (See photos)

                                 Lattice Inserts removed.                Lattice inserts inserted.                     Hanging pot.                     Pot hanging.

These new hanging baskets, illustrated above, are manufactured by Plantophia and will soon be readily available in most Garden Centres.  Prices will almost certainly vary so shop around.       These baskets are far superior to the wicker type of basket, which I have found go shabby very quickly.    The plastic Hanging pot, also illustrated, is admirably suited for growing fuchsia unlike the Pot hanging which is a standard plant pot with plastic hangers.  Avoid this type of hanging pot, it is not designed for this type of work and is unable to support the weight of a fully grown fuchsia.

When to start propagating?     The facilities available coupled with your expertise and enthusiasm determine when to start propagating material for your baskets.    I start late October and select only the best and healthiest plants from which to propagate.     At this time of the year most plants are past their best and in need of attention.        Briefly, I gently prune each plant and give them the hot water treatment, described in detail under 'Pest & Diseases',  to completely eradicate any pests or disease.       Next, ease down on watering and as early as possible pot each plant down into a smaller plant pot using fresh fortified compost.    They are then housed ready for the onset of winter.    Each of the actions described above are discussed in earlier chapters.         I like to start looking for cuttings about the middle of December, soon after the shortest day.      From this moment on, the plants quickly sense the lengthening daylight and increase in light intensity.     These factors coupled with a frost-free cool temperature induce the production of new short jointed compact growth.       The growth rate of new side shoots (cutting material) is governed by temperature and available light.   The highest possible natural light penetration must be achieved in your greenhouse or growing area.   Clean off any dust, dirt or old shading from the glass inside and outside this area.      Using an extra layer of polythene inside the greenhouse to conserve heat is always a compromise.       Using too much heat in an attempt to increase growth is misguided and will lead to unwanted elongation of the internodal length of the side shoots, your cutting material will be weak and susceptible to fungal attacks.      It will also reduce the flowering potential of the ultimate plant.  This is explained in more detail a little further on.         One point worth remembering which will illustrate the heat/light requirement of plants is in the knowledge that the only place where these two factors are always uniquely balanced is outside in your garden, never in the confines of a greenhouse.  To plants this is an alien environment.     As light intensity increases so does the temperature and vice versa.       Plants, whatever species, are all uniquely adapted to detect these variables and will react accordingly.      If the growing area is warmer than the ambient light factor then the plants will start to stretch increasing the internodal length in their quest to reach a higher light intensity.    They probably assume they are growing under a leaf canopy or other shade and strive to reach more light.      In addition to elongation, excessive heat leads to lush weak growth that is always susceptible to attacks from insects and fungi such as botrytis and rust.      A cool, light, frost-free area is ideal for producing material for good strong compact plants for show, display or just decoration.  If you intend propagating your own cuttings use only the best materials.    Selection and propagation of material for your baskets is identical to propagating for pot plants.      It is only when the cuttings are nicely rooted that the growing techniques change.

Having decided on the number of baskets/hanging pots to be filled the next decision is how many plants are needed for each.  This is a personal preference and must be decided on the size and number of the baskets/hanging pots to be planted.     Always use an odd number of plants.    Once you have decided the number of plants required increase it by 33%.     This strategy will pay dividends later.   If you are complacent and only propagate the requisite number then you will most certainly be disappointed.       Your cuttings have a long way to go and inevitably disasters will happen.   Having spares for each basket/pot will pay dividends later.        Once your cuttings have rooted or been acquired from a nursery, pot them up into 2.5" pots in any suitable compost.    Allow the cuttings to establish themselves for at least a week then carefully remove the growing tips.    Under no circumstances attempt to feed them as any excess nutrients will quickly make the compost too acid  and your cuttings will suffer.     Keep your cuttings in dry cool airy conditions in full light to prevent unwanted lush elongated growth. 

After a few weeks, you will notice side shoots starting to develop.    At this time start to turn your little plants a quarter turn every four/five days to ensure the side shoots develop equally.      Once two pair of leaves have developed on each side shoot pinch out the growing tips with a pair of fine tweezers.    Keep checking the root ball inside the pot and as soon as the roots have developed and start to grow around the inside of the pot, it is time to pot them up once more into 3.5" pots.  Again, don't be tempted to feed them in the mistaken belief that it will hasten growth, just leave them alone and keep checking for problems such as insect or fungal attacks and take the appropriate action.      Be patient and don't hasten to plant up your baskets too early, allow them to develop.     Only when the roots start to show signs of running around the inside of the pot should you consider building your baskets.    see photo.

In readiness for this, prepare your compost.     You will need an enriched, fortified compost for you baskets in order to sustain your plants over a long growing period.      See the chapter on 'Plant Nutrition'.    If you decide to use ordinary potting compost then you will have to resort to supplementary feeding after several weeks once the soluble nutrients have been depleted.     This is variable and totally depends on the weather.   The warmer the weather the more watering is required and the soluble nutrients will either be washed out or used up very quickly.     This is a haphazard method of growing and it is all too easy to poison your plants by making the compost too acid which in turn burns the microscopic feeding roots.    This will become apparent in warm weather when the leaves of the plant start to wilt and take on a dull appearance instead of a healthy lustre.      Unfortunately, the novice interprets the wilting and lack of lustre to either lack of water or feeding.     An attempt to remedy this only makes matters worse.         It is far better to fortify your compost, where possible, with good quality finely sieved organic material.   Only resort to supplementary liquid feeding if your baskets shows signs of needing it.     Then, only use a high nitrogen feed, never high potash as mistakenly propounded by inexperienced growers.     High potash feeding is too late and will only reduce the size of the foliage and over ripen the wood reducing the plants ability to produce food.    Remember, the leaf is the plants stomach which is used with the aid of sunlight to process the soluble nutrients into the sugars and starches the plant needs for balanced growth.    It is far more complex than this but suffice to say good healthy foliage will produce a profusion of flowers.   

      See 'Composts".