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.