Tasks for August
Fuchsias planted in the garden need plenty of water and will benefit from a mulch around the roots to prevent moisture loss and overheating. Deadhead regularly and continue to spray against pests. To keep continuous flowering you will need to ‘dead head’ your plants regularly. This means not only removing any dead or fading blooms, but also any seed pods on the plant.
Keep a sharp look-out for rust when it is very warm and damp; this is when you are likely to get an outbreak. If you find red or brownish blotches on the upper leaf surfaces and bright yellowish or orange pustules on the lower leaf surfaces then you have got rust. Remove and burn all affected leaves and defoliate plants in severe attacks.
Plants and soil should be sprayed with a suitable fungicide, depending on those that are available, following the manufacturers guidelines. Keep watering well, even on rainy days, and feed regularly with a balanced plant food such as Miracle-Gro. Take notes of plants and how well they perform in various locations.
