Expert: William McMahon - 10/24/2009

Question
I have various varieties of fuschias which are kept in partial shade (some morning, some afternoon).  They are kept well watered and fed but leaves are curled.  some leaves turn yellow and fall off.  what am i doing wrong?

Answer
Hello Marilyn,The symptoms you have described can be down to quite a few different problems. The most common problem is not enough water or too much water, sometimes the soil may look dry on the top but are quite wet inside. Also incorrect feeding can cause the same problem. I use a balanced feed once a week. On feed packets it will tell you the feed strength, it will be set out like  14:12:26. In the summer fuchsias are hungry feeders. The number on the right denotes the Potash strength and in the flowering months it should be around 26. Pests can also cause similar problems, whitefly and other aphids. You can usually see aphids on the underside of the leaves if they are the problem. I hope this helps. Kind regards William