Sunday, July 27, 2008

... Others Not So Much

While daylilies may shrug off hot weather, fuchsias have an entirely different response: generally, they curl up and die.


Fuchsia bud



In flower.






Fruiting -- or seeding. Maybe both.



Fuchsias can be grown in hot, dry climates with certain precautions:

First, make sure that specimens kept in containers have sufficient room for the roots to spread. A pot-bound plant should be moved into a larger pot. Keep an inch or more of soil between the rootball and the wall of the pot. Plastic pots trump the clay ones, in this instance.

Second, water regularly and keep the soil moist. You can mist the foliage too, but the roots must have consistent water, especially when the weather is hot and dry. As we learned the hard way, even a few hours' delay in applying water to these plants can be lethal in summer. A layer of mulch will help the soil retain moisture, but it's no substitute for regular water.

Third, give them some shade. Even varieties marketed as being able to take full sun will have an easier time in partial or full shade.