CRITERIA
Basket cultivation allows the plants to be viewed at eye-level, from their best angle. The centre and the top of the basket should be filled with growth, this to continue over the edges, cascading down to at least the depth of the basket, covering it completely. Uniform growth, clean foliage and an abundance of flowers according to variety must be evenly distributed from the crown onwards down to the tips of the trailing branches. You ought to avoid the 'bald head', where active growth (and flowers) is present only on the trailing growing tips, but the top of the basket is bare. It is however acknowledged that some cultivars only produce flowers on the end of the branches. As typical of that cultivar, this is not considered a cultural fault and therefore will not be down pointed. Plant growth should still fill the centre and top of the basket though.
For show purposes baskets must be commercially produced as hanging baskets and of open mesh construction. The top to be circular in shape, size and depth to comply with show schedule. A recent change has been to allow flat bottoms, solid bases and straight sides. Baskets to be top planted only with one or more fuchsias. To be viewed from the top and sides only, displayed in an elevated position. The basket itself should not be visible when viewed at eye level.
METHOD
With fuchsia baskets you have to bear in mind that different cultivars grow and mature at different rates. Using several different cultivars in one basket could result in an uneven and unbalanced look. It is far better therefore to stick to just one cultivar per basket though you can use as many plants as you like.
It is common practise to plant up baskets in early spring, by placing five or seven plants (ex 3½" pots grown on from autumn or winter cuttings and having been stopped at least twice) in a 12", 14" or 16" basket. One is placed in the centre and the others evenly spaced around the edge. Use trailing varieties and place them at a slight angle to encourage them to cascade over the edge.
Shaping (pinching out at every two or three pairs of leaves), watering and feeding should be attended to regular. Take good care to be particularly careful with watering in the early stages, when there is such a large quantity of compost in proportion to the still small volume or roots. Loam based compost is too heavy for basket so use a good quality peat based potting compost, complimented with hortucultural grit, vermiculite or perlite to aid drainage, some slow release fertiliser and water retaining granules. Water retention is also aided by lining the basket with polythene and piercing drainage holes a couple of inches up, not at the very bottom to create just a little reservoir. Fuchsias, like most plants, do not like to have their feet permanently sat in water, so don't overdo it and make sure you make adequate drainage holes further up.
The best position for baskets varies depending on what you put into them. Some plants are quite happy on sun baked walls, but many , and this includes fuchsias in my opinion, prefer a semi-shaded position and even do well on the north side. Much easier on the watering too! Avoid windy corners. Drying winds do a lot of damage to young plants and also make the baskets dry out far too quickly. Remember that regular watering and feeding is essential during summer months and be especially careful on windy days, this dries baskets out just as much as sunshine.

HANDY HINTS

• Don't put the centre plant in straightaway, but grow separately for a while, stopping at the same time of course. This helps the airflow.
  
• To gain height at the top, the centre plant can initially also be stopped and shaped like a bush plant
  
• On planting up the basket remove some of the lower leaves so they won't lie on the wet surface compost and risk being caught by botrytis.
  
• Remove some of the larger leaves from the middle of the basket to allow better air circulation, again trying to prevent botrytis (the biggest problem in basket growing) striking.
  
• Though the basket will be completely covered eventually, in the early stages the sun beating down on the bare polythene lining can burn the roots, hence an extra outer lining of moss, fibre or netting is advisable if basket are situated in a very sunny position.                      continued on next page