In my opinion the best way of showing off the full charm and grace of the fuchsia is when it is grown as a standard. It does not matter what the cultivar maybe, when it is run up on a stem, the flowers cascading down and the full beauty is clear.
This growth form always seems to instil fear into the beginner, who, it seems, feel that there is some mystique in achieving this growth form, this is not so, it is no different than growing a bush, because it is just a bush on a stick!

Like all fuchsia cultivation the secret of success is in the cutting, when I was active on the show bench, I always exhibited standards and for these standards I always tried to select a cutting with tri-form growth instead of the normal bi-form, or 'three leafers' rather than 'two leafer', doing this gave me an extra branch with which to form the head. Once the cutting is selected I would take a tip cutting, comprising of the growing tip and one pair of leaves, this would be taken from a plant that had been well watered at least 24 hours beforehand, this would ensure that the cutting would be completely turgid. The cutting would be taken and put into a mixture of 80% - 20% by volume of potting compost and perlite, this mixture should be thoroughly moistened so that when it is taken in the hand and squeezed it holds together without the moisture dripping out.
A cutting container can be anything from a 2" pot to a full seeds tray, although my favoured container is a margarine pot with a few holes punched in the bottom. They are then place on a heated bed to root.
When they are all rooted, I select the best cutting for health and vigour, and the selected few are placed back into a potting compost and allowed to grow on until they show signs of requiring support. They are then potted individually into 2" pots with a small split cane. They are then run up the cane, removing the side shoots, but leaving the leaves, the stem is loosely tied to the cane, always check that the ties are not too tight. Keep the root ball from becoming pot bound, but without overly increasing the size of the pot by indulging in a little root pruning at every second potting. The best way of doing this is to obtain an old carving knife from the kitchen and cut off the bottom of the root ball by approximately ½", then carefully cut another ½" from around the sides. Sprinkle compost into the bottom of the pot that the plant has just been  removed from and replace the plant, gently fill in around the sides and put further compost onto the top. The aim is to grow a standard in as small a pot as possible, schedules state- any size pot - however you are looking for a plant that retains proportion in head size to length of stem to pot size. If the pot is kept small it helps this aim. As we move the plant into larger pots, from a 7" pot upwards I add horticultural grit to the compost in a 1:7 ratio to assist in drainage and to add weight to the pot, because as the head forms the plant tends to become top heavy.

When the height we are aiming for is reached, then the growing tip is removed, this with the first four sets of side shoots - we start to form the head. Each of the side shoots is pinched out at the second pair of leaves, this is continued until the penultimate stop, when I always stop at one pair of leaves. Remember that for show bench work the length of stem is measured from the compost level to the first branch.

At all time when growing standards, and especially when running the stem up, it is essential to turn the plant a quarter turn each day. If this is not carried out then the sought after straight stem cannot be achieved.

In order to grow a good show standard, especially full and half standards then take your cuttings in April or May and grow them through the first year not letting them bloom and then through to the next summer in constant growth, but allowing them to flower in the second summer. This is known as the biennial method.

I feed at all times with a high nitrogen feed and never change this, I feed every time that I water and use approximately 1/7^th strenght feed.

A few suggested cultivars for standards are: Annabel, Snowcap, Celia Smedley, Barbara, Carla Johnston, Dollar Princess, Micky Goult, Border Queen, Rufus, Display and Cloverdale Pearl.
Any cultivar will make a standard - if it is treated correctly! If you have never grown a standard before, give it a try, it is most rewarding when you succeed!                           continued on next page