Question
i would like to know the care for the purple scaevola fan flower.my sister bought me a hugh moss basket for my b-day down in georgia and i live in michigan and it is almost sept.i would like to be able to keep it for next year also.she paid a hugh price for it down there.thank you melody  

Answer
Fanflowers can be grown in containers or hanging pots outdoors in summer and brought indoors during the winter. Grow in a sunny window (preferably southern exposure) but avoid cold drafts. It may be necerssary to place it a few inches from the window to avoid the cold. It is not a cold hardy plant. I like to place saucers with pepples filled with water around indoors plants. This helps keep humidity up which can be a big problem in heated indoors houses with central air. The humidity is often below 15 RHS which is much lower than most plants prefer. Water the plants reguarily, but do not allow the plant to stand in water. Especially in winter, wait until the top of the soil is dry before watering again. Then water until it drains through the holes at the bottom of the pot. Wait 10 minutes and then empty the saucer/outer pot. Do not allow this plant to grow in saturated soils (it will rot and die). The saucers with pepples filled with water and placed around the plants are a better solution to keep humidity high.


While you can bring the pot indoors and grow it, you can actually also root tip cuttings now and overwinter these instead. Simply cut one or several 3-6" cuttings from the tip of individual branches/stems. Remove the lower sets of leaves, leaving 2-3 sets of leaves at the tip. Preparre a small flower pot with potting soil and make a hole in the middle with a pencil. I like to use several small pixie disposable cups in which I make drainage holes with a pencil. I keep 8-10 small pixie cups in a box and root several cuttings (some always dies). Carefully insert each cutting into the hole firming the soil gently around the stem. Make sure the leaves do not touch the soil. Place in indirect light in a warm place (70-80F) for 10-14 days until rooted. After 1-2 months, transplant into larger flower pots. Grow in good light (sunny window) in winter, or use a flourescent light bulb placed close to the top of the plant.

When these small cuttings are transferred outdoors in spring (after last chance of frost) they will grow into full size plants in less than a month. When moving them outdoors, pinch out the tip of each small potted plant. Simply use your thumb and finger nails to remove the tip of each little plant (leaving atleast 3-5" and several leaves behind). This will cause the plant to become bushier and better looking.

In winter, water mature plants, and small cuttings, with a diluted houseplant fertilizer about once per month. Outdoors, in full sun, they need more fertilizer.

Good luck.