Nurturing Fuchsias through Hot Weather
Nancy Fraser, Editor
Oregon Fuchsia Society Newsletter, June, 2003
American Fuchsia Society Bulletin, July/August 2003

In order to keep fuchsia plants contented, growing and flowering, we have o meet the conditions with which she surprises us, we must do the best we can to shepherd our plants along toward their best and brightest displays of color and bloom. With summer’s arrival a review of hot weather hints might be particularly timely!
Fuchsias like water, but they do not like wet roots. It is more dangerous to a plant to over water than under water it. Too much water can not only damage the plants’ appearance, but also its roots and its survival. Different plant varieties have individualized tolerance for hot weather. Other variables are the density of the potting soil, the drainage of the pot, the pot color (dark pots absorb heat more easily than light ones,) the location of the pot or plant, the degree of sun and wind that surround the plant, etc. A plant that is struggling to survive is more susceptible to plant diseases and harmful critters (especially red spider mites in hot weather). It can be very easy to over water plants when the weather is very hot, and we see plants start to wilt as the day goes from morning to the heat of afternoon. Unless the plant is being fried by being directly in the hot sun, the wilted appearance is actually somewhat normal. Pushing water onto a plant that cannot absorb it can do a lot of harm.
During extreme heat, a plant will wilt because of excessive transpiration of water. The plant is trying to cool itself by pulling moisture from the soil through its system and out the leaves. There are several things that you can do to help the plant and reduce its stress:
• Check plants daily, perhaps several times a day
•Do not water indiscriminately. Check the soil to see if it is moist before giving more water.
• Water plants in the morning before the heat of the day. Consider misting later in the day.
• Keep the plant in the shade. Provide shade creatively for plants in the ground.
•Keep the plant well watered; do not allow the soil to dry out.
• Increase the moisture around the plant by misting the foliage above and below the leaves and keeping the area around the plant damp (the method of choice for ground plants) but potted plants benefit from moist surfaces, also.Lower baskets to the ground and increase the humidity around them.