Fuchsia dying or struggling this year

BlondeHeadOn

Has anyone else had problems with fuchsia plants this year?  I usually grow four or five different varieties around the garden, but this year I have only one healthy plant which is a hardy one which survived the winter (the only fuchsia that did).  All my other hardy fuchsias died, and I bought replacements most of which have also died.  These are of different varieties and hardiness.

Usually they do great in my garden, so what's wrong this year?  

Farway

Mine are OK, could it be aphids? Loads of them about.

Or, fairly new, gall mite?

Are they in the ground or in pots? Got any pictures?

BlondeHeadOn

Mainly in pots, now the in ground ones have died.  Mostly against a wall, so partly shaded through the day.  

I bought some new fuchsias online in May, which I do every year, and potted them on as usual ('garden ready' plug plants)  but this year they all died within two weeks even before they were put outside.  I then bought a few larger fuchsias of different varieties (different seller), and they were planted out but either died or are struggling. 

I seem to be death valley for fuchsias at the moment.  Usually, they grow really well in my garden!  

I'll try and take some photos and post them later.

fatbelly

I can't grow fuchsias any more because of gall mite. Every fuchsia in the area, wild or cultivated, seems to have it.

However, it doesn't kill them, just distorts the growing points

gwynlas

My in ground fuschias amaze me by appearring every year but I have a couple in pots that appear to be struggling without any visible cause/

twopenny

I'm not an expert on fushias but it does sound like something is attacking them.

Id be inclined to get them out of the pots and look at the roots and soil. Around the inside of the pots.
If nothing there wipe the inside of the pots with something to disinfect and pop them back.
It's also worth doing this to check the watering. Sometimes the soil is dry in the middle or outside only.

I've had a lot of established plants in pots show signs of distress suddenly where the soil has dried out and watering not getting into the air pockets that have formed. 
Busy tipping 2" of water 3 or 4 times with bubbles still coming up despite thinking I'd been watering.

With the sodden winter and spring and dry summer they are having roots or leaves dried or soaked in a way they aren't used to.
And I'd say buy from a reputable dealer but it's become an industry now with so many taking up gardening during the pandemic.

-taff

What compost are you using in the pots? Becaue I have found with some peat free that it doesn't wet very well. The bottom part of the pot will get soaking but own't go any further up and then the roots go crazy looking for something to eat. I'd say water and feed from the top and do it regularly, liek practially daily, especially int he weather we've had.

BlondeHeadOn

Many thanks for all your comments so far, very helpful things to try!  

I've taken some photos, so hopefully these will help with nailing down the culprit!  The fuchsia photographed is the variety Snowcap, bought new from a local nursery in June, and usually this would be about three times this size by now.   I planted it into a 3L pot to keep it away from other plants.  

Looking at these photos, I'm beginning to think fuchsia gall mite may be the problem?  

twopenny

That was a very big pot to put it in when the rootball is small.
Should only be an inch or so bigger otherwise it will grow roots not shoots and there's too much potential wet compost or air pockets to do damage.

The leaves look very much like some of my plants in pots. It's the hot dry air and wind.

I'm in danger of loosing a large pyramid bay tree and a witch hazel. Long established in pots.

-taff

You'd have some deformation of the leaves if it were gall mite wouldn't you?

They look scorched to me from wind and lack of water. I'd clean it up a bit, water, feed and put it out of the wind and see what happens. And keep it moist, it's only a baby.  

fatbelly

Not gall mite

I agree with the above. If you want to encourage fuchsias to flower you need to constrict their roots. I have seen beautiful plants in 3-inch pots.

I don't think that growing medium is helping though. It looks horrible. 

I am either using John Innes or a Moorland product in red bags that Poundland sells. If I was growing fuchsias - I used to before the gall mite hit - I would incorporate 1/3 perlite.