SUMMER FUCHSIA CARE
by Verna Berger
Summer is now upon us, our spring garden duties are behind
us, and summer maintenance is now before us. When it comes to maintaining our
fuchsias there are some very important things to do, as without them, our
fuchsias will not show forth their full beauty. This article will not mention the importance of watering, as
we have covered that in a separate handout, nor will it mention pinching or
stopping as it is now a little late for that if you want to enjoy blossoms for
the rest of the summer. It will mainly be on plant care. It is very important to keep your plants clean. Any dead or
fallen leaves, spent blossoms, etc., should be promptly removed from the pots,
keeping them as clean as possible, not giving disease room to develop, or
insects a place to lay their eggs Spent faded blossoms and seed pods should also be removed
promptly. If you do not remove them, the plant will not be encouraged to produce
more. The blossom will eventually fall off and the seed pod will continue to
mature, causing the plant to think it is time to go into dormancy. The greatest
reward of growing fuchsias is the beautiful blossoms, so we want to keep them
coming all summer. Fuchsias are heavy feeders, so it is important to keep up
with your fertilization routine. There is no set way of doing this. Some folk
like to feed once a week while others like to give 1/4 strength fertilizer
mixture each time they water. Do whatever works best for you. Inspect your plants daily for any sign of pests. If you see
one, you can be sure there is a host somewhere. They never seem to travel alone.
Catching them early before you have a large infestation is, by far, the easiest
to deal with. For myself, Whitefly seems to be the peskiest little beastie and
the most difficult to eradicate completely. In addition to chemical sprays, I
keep a spray bottle of a non-chemical mixture handy. The recipe is: 1 Tablespoon
grated Ivory Soap, 1 cup 70% Isopropyl Alcohol, and water to equal 1 quart.
This mixture will kill Whiteflies and Aphids on contact. If
you catch them early enough you may not have to use chemical sprays as often. Mist your plants several times a day during very hot weather
to prevent Spider Mites from taking hold and destroying your plants. They can
completely defoliate a plant overnight if not detected. If spider mites are
detected on a plant, isolate that plant from the others immediately, and spray
with a miticide, or you stand a chance of losing all your plants. We'll have more information on changes in care as we approach
the autumn season. Well-tended plants will usually bloom their hearts out until
a good frost, so continue your regular care and have a great Fuchsia Growing Season.