My fushia died

[maddie]

I bought a few plants in different colors and they were doing fine in pots. I had to leave town on some emergency and came back home to find that they have dried up. I did not water them for a couple of day and they were dead. All my other plants had wilted but were revived a bit of watering and misting? Do I have to grow them away from the direct heat? It can get hot out here. I want some more of those Fushias.. but they are quite expensive here and I don't want to have them dying on me. These are not native to this soil.

 

[Jennywren]

I grow my Fuchsias in shade. You could try trimming it back, give it a good soaking, by leaving it in a bucket of water for an hour or so, then putting the pot into the shade and water regularly..ie...don't let the pot dry out again. It may come back.

 

[taskeinc]

Fuchsia's are not easy to care for and need plenty of water during the summer months. Before the first frost (depending on where you live) it's best to prune your Fuchsia. During winter months you only need to water the Fuchsia a couple of times. If they dried up in the pots they were in, it's a good chance you did not soak the plant well before leaving, or if you did water it, the plant was root-bound and should have been in a larger pot.

As Jennywren mentioned, Fuchsia's do better in shade and partial sun. If there is still some life in your plants, more than likely it will come back in spring, just cut it back.

 

[maddie]

Thanks Jennywren and taskeinc. I have given it a good soaking. I never leave my plants like that and go away. This was a real emergency and I had to leave in a hurry without giving the keys to the person who looks after my plants in my absence.
I do hope it comes back to life. If not I will get some more. I really love those flowers. I will shift it to a shady place where there is a bit of sun in the morning. It was thriving and blooming so well and it did not occur to me that it may not like being in that heat. Now, I have learned my lesson, I will take good care of them. I feel so sad.
Taskeinc thanks for that beautiful picture. You actually make me jealous now.

 

[Pat]

When you have to leave your plants for a few days a good trick is a sponge in the pot to hold water in the soil. Another thing is to wrap a plastic bag around the plant from the bottom up after giving the plant a good watering, don't cover the plant just the top of the soil.

 

[Tmann]

Have you ever tried those pellets that expand when they get wet and absorb water then release it back? I can't recall what they are called.

 

[maddie]

I generally fill a plastic water bottle with a pin hole and shove it into the container before I go away for a few days.. but as I stated it was an emergency.. my Cousin was ill and subsequently passed on. I had no time for anything and had to rush off.. My fushias died.
All that I did later did not help my plants. I cannot even find one locally to replace them.. I have checked in so many places now. Hopefully I will find one soon .. I love those flowers so much.

 

[suzjbibby]

I thought I'd killed my fushia like that once it was very dead and dried up looking, I didn't bother moving it so as I was watering the other plants around it, it was getting watered too and I was surprised to see new shoots come out all over it after a couple of days

 

[maddie]

I thought I'd killed my fushia like that once it was very dead and dried up looking, I didn't bother moving it so as I was watering the other plants around it, it was getting watered too and I was surprised to see new shoots come out all over it after a couple of days

Lucky you.. I did all I could to save those plants.. to no avail. Hopefully, I will find those pretty plants again. I keep looking for it each time I visit a nursery.. those colors are really so pretty.. But I guess this is life.. some to keep and some you have to let go.

 

[Arzosah]

Fuschias are usually really hardy, though the cultivated varieties may be much more tender. I went on a driving holiday round Ireland ages ago, and discovered for myself what fuschias are like in the wild - you know the tiny red flower, still drooping but very thin, not lush at all - there are miles and miles of that fuschia on the west coast of Ireland, its a hedging plant, open to the Atlantic gales and everything. And a lot of rain, obviously, in the west of Ireland! Drought might be the worst thing for it is there any website you trust that you can order from, maddie?

 

[maddie]

Fuschias are usually really hardy, though the cultivated varieties may be much more tender. I went on a driving holiday round Ireland ages ago, and discovered for myself what fuschias are like in the wild - you know the tiny red flower, still drooping but very thin, not lush at all - there are miles and miles of that fuschia on the west coast of Ireland, its a hedging plant, open to the Atlantic gales and everything. And a lot of rain, obviously, in the west of Ireland! Drought might be the worst thing for it is there any website you trust that you can order from, maddie?

Arzosah, I have been looking around for websites to order from.. There seems to be nothing close by.. I don't to end up paying so much on shipping.. There is one place I could check.. locally ..which is far off.. I hope I can get a weekend off to drive there and find the colors I am looking for.
Sometimes you learn lessons the hard way.. and I have learned mine with my fuchsias.

 

[Arzosah]

My word, that doesn't sound very local either! Making that sort of journey, I'd want to be able to really stock up, or at least do other stuff as well, to make a trip like that worthwhile. Hope you find a solution - its lovely to have plants in the garden that you really love.

 

[ChanellG]

When you have to leave your plants for a few days a good trick is a sponge in the pot to hold water in the soil. Another thing is to wrap a plastic bag around the plant from the bottom up after giving the plant a good watering, don't cover the plant just the top of the soil.

I'm going to have to start trying that plastic bag trick! I'm not crazy about the sponge idea, but the bag makes sense because it acts like a cloche, but still lets the plant breathe.

 

[maddie]

I prefer to use a small bottle of water with a tiny hole in the cap and bury it deep with the cap into the soil. This usually works for me.. It keeps my plants well watered for a week in summer.

 

[ChanellG]

I prefer to use a small bottle of water with a tiny hole in the cap and bury it deep with the cap into the soil. This usually works for me.. It keeps my plants well watered for a week in summer.

Maddie, I was thinking about trying that. What size bottle do you use and how big of a hole do you put in the cap? I'm not that concerned about my outdoor plants because it rains often, and I'm not usually gone for more than a few days, but my indoor plants are another story.

 

[maddie]

Maddie, I was thinking about trying that. What size bottle do you use and how big of a hole do you put in the cap? I'm not that concerned about my outdoor plants because it rains often, and I'm not usually gone for more than a few days, but my indoor plants are another story.

I generally use a half liter bottle with a hole made with a tiny pin. I shove it deep down into the container and the plant is safe for a week easily even in summer. the hole may be just about 2mm. I usually make one that is less than one mm.. for easy flow.

 

[ChanellG]

I will have to try it. I made a garlic "tea" to deal with a pest problem and I didn't have a spray bottle at the time so I used a bottle with a hole in the cap. The water dripped freely at first and then it seemed to have trouble. I suppose it could have something to do with the liquid (I added pepper later.)

I just found some terra cotta pots at great prices. I plan on transplanting my lavender in the next few days or so if time permits. If I can work it in, I can try using the bottle watering system then.

 

[maddie]

I will have to try it. I made a garlic "tea" to deal with a pest problem and I didn't have a spray bottle at the time so I used a bottle with a hole in the cap. The water dripped freely at first and then it seemed to have trouble. I suppose it could have something to do with the liquid (I added pepper later.)

I just found some terra cotta pots at great prices. I plan on transplanting my lavender in the next few days or so if time permits. If I can work it in, I can try using the bottle watering system then.

It could be that the garlic bits got stuck in the hole..garlic is sticky.. so the hole could have been clogged with the pepper and the sticky tea.. I have not had any issues with my bottle drip irrigation system so far.
I love terracotta pots.. I used to use only those.. but most of my pots are plastic .. only because they are more durable and easy to work with.. once I have more space I will shift to terracotta pots for sure.

 

[ChanellG]

It could be that the garlic bits got stuck in the hole..garlic is sticky.. so the hole could have been clogged with the pepper and the sticky tea.. I have not had any issues with my bottle drip irrigation system so far.
I love terracotta pots.. I used to use only those.. but most of my pots are plastic .. only because they are more durable and easy to work with.. once I have more space I will shift to terracotta pots for sure.

That could be it. The garlic pieces are too big, but maybe the pepper is the problem. I have a spray bottle now though; in the future I can just strain the mix through a coffee filter and put it in the spray bottle.

If the rain lets up soon I will go and get a few of those pots for the lavender and the onion at least..