Growing Standards – Practical Tips                                  Jan Wiggelinkhuizen

 

The question most frequently asked at workshops is what to do when a young growing standard (the whip) flowers before reaching the desired height?  

A few practical points and tips may be relevant:

 

• The size of a standard is dictated by the vigour of its growth and the length of distance between successive leaf nodes – the internodes.
• Use small-flowered, small-leaved and short internoded cultivars such as Nellie Nuttall for miniature (15-25cm) and quarter standards (25-46cm); vigorous growers with long internodes and large flowers and leaves, such as Celia Smedley, are excellent for half (46-76cm) and full standards (76-102cm). The height of a standard is measured from the soil surface to the first branch. Larger standards take 2 years to grow a really good head but should last many more.
• Standards take up more space than potted bush plants and the available space is a factor in the choice of a cultivar.
• Rooting several cuttings allows you the choice of the strongest grower later.
• Choose a strongly growing cutting, with equal size leaves for symmetry. Cuttings from upward growing branches are stronger than horizontal cuttings. Choosing a late flowerer allows more time to reach the height you want.
• Cuttings with 3 leaves tend to be more vigorous and will shoot branches from each of the 3 axils - this shortens the time needed to form a good compact head and the weight of the head is more widely spread making branch breakages less likely.
• Root cuttings in January – March - not easy (in South Africa) when the mother plant is in full flower and the weather hot – a propagator is essential.
• High Nitrogen feeds encourage green growth rather than flowering – always ensure an adequate supply of nutrients when aiming for height. Fuchsias flower more readily when root bound, so do not allow this before time. Repot into larger pots at the first sign of being rootbound i.e. when roots are starting to circle the side of the root ball when the plant is tipped out of the pot.
• Growing the whip in a drainpipe will encourage rapid increase in height as the plant reaches for the light at the top, but in my experience is quite tricky – botrytis is a problem and the whip is pale and weak with long internodes.
• Choose a self-branching cultivar by preference. Self-branching cultivars spontaneously shoot new branches from the leaf axils which facilitates shaping for show purposes.
• Three or four pinches over a period of 4-5 months will produce a good size head, but to do this rooting must be done early in the year. The natural growth habit influences the shape of the head: Upright cultivars tend to produce cone-shaped heads, narrow at the bottom, wide at the top; bush cultivars form a hemispherical head and trailing fuchsias give an umbrella-shaped head and will require more support.
• During the early stages of growing a standard side branches will shoot from the axils of the leaves on the stem from the bottom upwards, often erratically in non-self-branchers. Most growers remove these early side branches as they appear, but keep the topmost 3-4 to form the head in case the growth tip is lost. The leaves are left on the stem to provide food by photosynthesis.
• For straight stems tie the whip to the stake at every node. In addition most standards will require supporting ties within the head to prevent branch breakages – this is best done from underneath the head using long forceps and the stake must be long enough.

 

If the whip starts to flower at the tip the head cannot be formed as flowers now grow from the axils instead of side branches.

To answer the question posed one has two options - either grow a shorter standard after pinching out the growth tip or as I prefer enjoy the flowering whip as is until the next year. It will continue to grow in height albeit at a slower rate and strengthen.  Removing any buds from the axils as they appear is said to encourage branching but is not very effective. Self-branchers more readily continue to form side branches especially later in the season, even while flowering at the tip.

 

In late autumn/early winter time the growth tip is removed and the topmost 3-4 sets of side branches are pinched to shape an early head, leaving more nodes on the lower branches of the head and fewer on the topmost branches. Using fewer branches to form the head risks a disastrous split as the weight of the head increases. I do not defoliate the rest of the plant, as is done with pruning. This is really a good pinch rather than prune – much as one would deal with a young plant. Once a head is formed the leaves on the stem are taken off.

 

Except for cultivars which tend to grow horizontally such as Autumnale, it is possible to grow standards from almost any cultivar, including trailers which grow into weeping standards, but self-branchers form the best heads.