The final days of 2006 have found me back to the drawing board, so to speak, trying to find a way around extended periods of hot, dry weather conditions such as we experienced this past summer, to alleviate the stress our fuchsias suffered. My thought patterns always ended the same; been there, done that, didn’t work, etc., until I began looking through some old information collected back in 2001. This gave me some new thoughts about some old, (well known) information that perhaps I had not mentally digested too well. Let’s see if some of it may interest you. If not, you are going to be bored.
Years ago, Al Sydnor of the American Fuchsia Society posed a question before fuchsia lovers, inquiring as to what (in their opinion) the best potting medium was. He got about as many different answers as people responding. In other words, everyone has a favorite that works for him or her. So, let’s look at the basic needs.
The basic function of any soil is to provide 1) a water supply, 2) an air supply, 3) a nutrients supply and 4) support. Most premixed potting mediums will have these ingredients and some will have added fertilizers as well. 
A well renowned grower and showman of the British Fuchsia Society once said, “Whatever nutrients plants have in the pot they will have been exhausted in just six weeks, so whatever compost you use, you will need to feed it after that time”.
The pH of the soil is also very important. From my understanding, fuchsias like it around 6. That is probably not a concern if you are using premixed potting soil compounds. However, you may want to have the pH of your garden soil tested, and then make the necessary adjustments in the area your fuchsias are planted. Mixing in peat lowers the pH and adding lime raises it.                                                         
Now, here is the little ingredient that was completely overlooked: Mycorrhizae (my-koh-rý-zee), which means “fungus roots”. Dr. Fred Davies of Texas A&M relates, “Mycorrhizae are living organisms that form a symbiotic relationship with plants. That’s necessary because fungi are not capable of performing photosynthesis to make life-sustaining sugars and carbohydrates. Plants provide carbohydrates for the fungi in return for the fungi picking up more nutrients from the soil.”
Hey, wait a minute; I can almost hear you saying. Don’t we spray for fungus? Why would we want to put it into our fuchsia plants? This is one of those cases where some fungi are bad and some are obviously good.  According to my information, some of the benefits of Mycorrhizae seem to address the very problems we had with our fuchsias last summer: 1) Reduces drought stress, 2) Reduces water and fertilizer needs, 3) Reduces disease losses, 4) Reduces transplant shock, 5) Increases plant quality and yields, 6) increases resistance to soil born diseases, 6) Promotes extensive root system, 7) Promotes soil structure and 8) Reduces insecticide dependency.
Since plants treated with this little biological partner are able to tolerate a little less water and fertilizers, this means less waste of our natural resources and less pollution from fertilizer runoff.  It only makes sense that an extensive root system would offer better distribution of nutrients to the plant above the soil, which is why we grow fuchsias; their beauty.
There are several sites on the Internet that give information on Mycorrhizae as well as how it can be purchased. I’m sure it is available at local retail nurseries under different brand names; just check out the ingredient list. Mycorrhizae will not eliminate the need for fertilizer, so you will still need to satisfy the fuchsia’s hunger for that.
Many fuchsia growers use a favorite premixed potting soil as a base adding ingredients that work best for them. One of our members who grows beautiful fuchsias swears by chicken manure, and it’s hard to argue with her when she comes away with Show ribbons. A little organic matter, such as Dr. Earth, is always beneficial as well. Here are some other ingredients that are commonly added: 1) Coir (coconut fibre) mainly for water retention, 2) Large Vermiculite–for air and water retention and 3) Perlite–for air circulation.