That is certainly good information to hear, and perhaps that is how I lost my favorite one last year (I tend to fuss too much with favorite plants). Are there signs we can observe to understand if one is getting water logged? Something to do to save it if that happens?

I agree with you, John, about the ideal environment. Many people in my area (Sonoma County) grow fuchsias, but only in the shade. Our temperatures can approach 100 degrees in summer (and sometimes exceed 100 degrees), and we have virtually no humidity, so growing them in the shade with lots of watering or misting is the absolute rule here.

I think the nurseryman was referring specifically to fuchsias grown in hanging baskets. The excess water just runs out of the baskets, so it's virtually impossible to overwater them. When I lived in Piedmont, I learned that growing fuchsias was fraught with challenges for those of us who had moved there from San Francisco. The morning and evening fog and the cooler temperatures had provided all the moisture the fuchsias needed in San Francisco. Piedmont, although it was just across the bay from San Francisco, lacked the fog and had a Mediterranean climate, so we had to forget our old practices and learn new ones.

Morning All. (Well it is here)

Tina. with plants in pots, I find the easiest way to test them to see if they need water is simply pick them up. If they feel light, they will probably need a drop. I have found after a while you get to know the weight, and when they need watering. I don't think I could take the heat you get over there, let alone the plants. Good old British weather with lots of rain.

John

Mike, when you mentioned there being a fuchsia nursery in Leucadia, were you maybe thinking of Weidner's in Encinitas? I think they're still there....

Weidner's Fuchsias in Encinitas..
https://www.google.com/search?...

Mike, you need a day off to go visit Weidner's...and while you're there you could go visit San Diego Botanical Garden in Encinitas also (previously call Quail Garden...and they should have left it at that...) and while there you could also go to Leucadia Pizzeria and have Teriyaki Chicken Pizza...really good, although it would cut into your fuchsia money because, sadly, the last time we were there the large pizza had gone up to about $40 and we decided we would no longer be getting Teriyaki Chicken pizzas. But you could go to Rigoberto's or Raoul's...or the Whole Foods there has a great deli....then you could take it to Moonlight Beach to eat....

Do it................

Finally morning here, also! :D

I can imagine the weather there for you John is much like it was for Zuzu in San Francisco - a misty, cool haven for fuchsia. Only an hour's drive away to the east of S.F., though, it is indeed nearly desert-like in the summer. The air-conditioning people love us, and make yearly courtesy house-calls to check the health and readiness of our household cooling systems, or we'd never make it through the simmering months ourselves.

All of my potted (on patio) fuchsia were transferred to shaded beds last fall. I just couldn't seem to get the right watering rhythm or sun-shade location down. But, I see the wisdom of learning to use the sense of touch to guide the new starts I've made from cuttings, thanks! As Zuzu says, the ones that are in hanging pots are particularly hard to gauge, as the water indeed runs right through. They need double watering (waiting a few minutes after first water, then adding more - it runs out slower and seems to afford a bit more absorbance). Then, the heat, and worse case hot winds, quickly dry the pots out again. So, perhaps this summer I'll try something else you mentioned ... an occasional plunge into a bucket of water each week until the bubbles stop to ensure they get deeper stores of moisture.

Any thoughts about planting medium that helps absorb or is best for fuchsias would be most welcome. Now that I think of it, there are water-absorbing crystals available ... I wonder if I should be including them in the bottom of the hanging baskets? I've wondered if they are ecologically responsible, but maybe now it is time for me to do some real reading about it.

Oooo cross-posted before I saw pizza and Weidner's ... wish I had a compelling reason to take a road trip south!

Tina

The water crystals certainly do work, I use them. I know over there you don't use a lot of tea, but I use used tea bags, as they soak up the water, and I put a couple in each basket or pot. Another trick is to put a saucer or pot in the bottom of the basket, so you have a reservoir of water for the plant to use. Also a couple of ice blocks in the top of the basket to melt slowly sometimes works. Anyway that's all for now as it's getting late here, and I will soon be ready for bed. I don't know what the time difference is between us. So from me it's goodnight.

John

It is 2 pm to your midnight here on the west coast usa ... at best a nap time out here sleep well, and thank you for those awesome suggestions, I will be trying them all! Great solutions

Very disappointed to see that my f.magellanica macrastema has fuchsia mite. I thought it was mite resistant.

I lost a megellanica, I think after a month frost (and had thought it was a good performer for cold) ... it is such a lovely fuchsia ... so sorry to hear your's is struggling. My lycioides' nearly perpetual gall mite disfigurement is something I welcome as a barometer of how well the others are fighting the mites. Maybe magellanica is a good candidate to cross with a more resistant fuchsia?

Hello everyone.

I had fuchsias planted in the ground at my last house. I don't know the cultivar but they had magellanica-type flowers. I used to be in zone 6 and had snow every winter. We had a terrible winter in 2006 and I lost two fuschias out of 10. We had 1-3 feet of snow for a month I think? Now, I can't remember. I lost several plants that year but most of the fuchsias had made it. The only problem was that they wouldn't leaf out until June and wouldn't flower until July. Then they would lose their leaves in October. The beauty was short-lived.

Where I live now also saw a bad winter in 2006. Down the street, there is a 5' x 6' magellanica 'aurea'. It has been there for 20+ years and still going. This is a hot year, but we had frosts until May last year. I posted a pic of it in the plantfiles. It is a beauty and inspired me to buy one.

This is mine.



It is 2'x3' right now. I feel I'm trying to kill it with fertilizer but it is eating everything I give it. I love this plant. The deer like it, too, so I keep it bobbexed. I have a lot of spider mites, plus aphids, and I'm looking at ways to attack them naturally. However, this plant doesn't seem to have any problems. I don't know why I don't see the ladybugs here like I do a few streets away. They would find plenty to eat if they came

Awesome aurea, Pwinget! I sure hear you about the pests this year ... I'm trying to figure out why the ants like my gardens so much, and at a loss of how to deter them. We have dogs so we can only try non-toxic products. Still, it almost seems like the ants are happy for the extra treat!

Has you fuchsia bush flowered for you yet, or is it still brand new? I imagine it will be quite a beautiful sight once it does!

Red spider mite (their not spiders, and if you look closer, their not red. Like a hot, dry atmosphere, so if you can mist the plant regularly, you can control them, also there is a natural predator, (not sure of it's name, will try to find out) you can buy that will control it. With aphids, Pyrethium an organic insecticide will clear them if it is available over there. HTH.

John

Thank you, John.

Chalyse, I planted my fuchsia last year. It kept getting eaten so it didn't grow very much. However, this year it's amazing. It has grown substantially since I last posted. It is starting to bloom, yes, but I rather it grow than bloom at this point. It has many months of blooming left so I'm not in a hurry.

Just found some details of predators for red spider mite, and would you believe it, the best one comes from the US. It's called "Amblyseius Californicus", so no guessing what area it comes from. I have been on the internet, and it seems readily available over there. Don't know how well it works, so If anyone tries it could you let me know how good it works, so I can recommend it over here.

Hello,this was my plant last year..they all came from cuttings...mom trimmed back hers an gave me a bunch of sticks!!

That looks great! How many cuttings are in that container?

zuzu said:That looks great! How many cuttings are in that container?

It is already a good 15 sticks In the pot..this year I had bad luck..I moved it to my wooden deck and I think I might have root damage from the deck getting so hot, a lot of the sticks are really dry!! What an idiot I am!!