I have a fuchsia problem that has occurred in my yard four times and now has occurred in at least one other garden here in the Crescent City area. I need help as all my reading has proven to be fruitless in identifying the cause.

Fuchsia plants, most recently Tangerine and Angels Earrings, will be growing vigorously, blooming well, when, without warning, one branch on the plant will suddenly wilt and die. On day one the stem will look slightly wilted while the rest of the plant looks fine. Within a week the stem is dead and the woody part has turned dark. When the stem is cut off the inside of the stem is very dark almost black.

Cutting off the dead stem at the first sign of a problem seems to have no effect nor does cutting below the affected part of the stem. Within a short time another stem will go through the same process. This is repeated over and over until eventually it reaches the roots and the entire plant dies.

All plants affected have been planted in the ground in good quality, well drained soil. This has not affected any of my many container grown plants. Plants around the affected plant seem unaffected, both other fuchsias and other varieties of plant. There is no visible evidence of any insect pest or pests. Roots seem healthy until it reaches the roots then they turn dark as did the stems. It does not seem to spread to adjoining plants or fuchsias but does seem to carry over from year to year in terms of new infections not necessarily in the same spot.

At this point I suspect a bacterial infection but that is just a hunch. Since none of my container plants have been affected I suspect it is born in the soil. I would like to hear from others who have had similar problems and what they did to treat or stop it. I would also like to know the cause.

Don Helsel, 1730 Bethesda Way, Crescent City, CA 95531 (donhelsel@charter.net)