Fuchsia Trees.
Most fuchsias can be trained as standards. Some especially good kinds include 'American Beauty,' 'Bluebird,' 'Cardinal,' 'Cascade,' 'Checkerboard,' 'Flamboyant,' 'Marinka,' 'Muriel,' 'Red Spider,' and 'Trailblazer.' One of the easiest is red-flowered 'Gartenmeister Bohnstedt,' the honeysuckle fuchsia. Its leaves are lovely too-metallic green with purplish undersides. Fuchsia standards are usually four to six feet tall. Start with a straight-stemmed, vigorous plant in a gallon-sized tub. At nearly every node along the stem, attach it to the stake with a Twist-em. When it reaches three feet, transplant it to a permanent 5-gallon tub, and change to an inch-square redwood stake, long enough to protrude above the soil at the height you want the full-grown tree to reach. Keep removing side branches and tying up the trunk until the growing tip reaches the top of the stake; then nip out the top. When the two new shoots that form have four leaves each, nip out their growing tips. Keep up this routine until the tree top attains the size you desire. To support and protect fuchsia standards, Tru Peterson of the California National Fuchsia Society recommends this procedure: At the time you place the permanent redwood stake, fasten a circular wire frame eighteen inches in diameter at the top. This frame needs two horizontal cross braces or spokes. As the branches of the tree form, dr-ape them over the wire frame until it is covered completely.
Geranium Trees.
Any geranium (Pelargonium) that grows strongly upward can be grown as a tree. I suggest 'Inferno,' 'Verite,' 'Canadian Pink and White,' 'New Phlox,' 'Flare,' 'Monterey,' 'Fantasy,' 'Monsieur Emile David,' 'Tango,' 'Radiance,' 'Alphonse Ricard,' 'Gypsy,' 'Will Rogers,' 'Bonanza,' 'Masure's Beauty,' 'Wilhelm Langguth,' 'Jubilee,' 'Mrs. Cox,' 'Cerise Carnation,' 'Pink Rosebud,' and 'Mr. Wren.' To grow a geranium standard, follow the basic rules for training a house plant tree, outlined at the beginning of this chapter. With careful culture it is possible to keep geranium trees in good condition for eight years or more.
Heliotrope Trees.
Start seeds of this fragrant-flowered plant in late winter or early spring. Follow the basic rules for training a house plant tree as outlined at the beginning of this chapter. Sometimes a heliotrope being trained as a tree will stop leaf growth and start blooming. When this occurs, enjoy the flowers while they last. Then clip them away carefully and select one or two new growing tips to continue training upward until the desired height is reached. If you want to find good Plants guide, simple download from itunes for your iPhone or android.
