At a recent talk given by Carol Gubler, various
abnormalities that you may find with fuchsias was discussed on the night -
which affects both blooms and leaves. In fact Carol showed an example
of a ‘Siamese twin’ bud - which contained two seed pods and distorted petals.
Following on from this I thought I would include some information
in this months newsletter, of the various abnormalities that
you may come across in your garden - which are quite common.
I have also been approached by members asking about ‘weird blooms’
and leaf
discolourations. This article will hopefully answer some of those questions.
discolourations. This article will hopefully answer some of those questions.
Leaf Discolouration:
There are various reasons why leaves will become discoloured.
Yellowing leaves could be the result of a mineral or trace element
deficiency, but if you are feeding your plants regularly then the cause is
more likely to be either under-watering, over-watering, very hard water or
simply the plant discarding older leaves - which is quite normal. Triphyllas
seem quite prone to this and if yellow leaves appear let them fall naturally.
If you remove the leaf you will find two will probably appear in its place!
Another leaf problem that affects fuchsias, mainly early in the season, is discolouration due to chilling. This can be caused by a sudden drop in the overnight temperature or a cold wind that may be blowing. Certain varieties are more prone to this, such as ‘Marinka’, but any plant can be affected depending on the how cold it has been. This year I left susceptible plants in the greenhouse until the last month of June - and still they were affected. ‘Wapenvelds Bloei’ and ‘Marinka’ were particularly badly hit but some others also had their leaves turn silver - another sign of the plant being chilled.
Although the ‘bronzing’ or ‘silvering’ of the leaves causes no permanent damage, and new growth will be normal, it does sometimes severely affect the potential for entering the plant in a show. Red marks or blotches are other leaf problems that you may come across. These are quite common on some varieties, particularly ‘aubergines’. Once again these do no permanent damage to the plant and should not be confused with the marks you will get if the plant is being attacked by either red spider mite or fuchsia rust. A quick look on the underside of the leaf, preferably whilst using a magnifying glass, will be able to tell you whether the leaf discolouration is being caused by disease or pest infestations.
Blooms can also be affected. It is quite common to find blooms that have five, six or even seven sepals. One bloom of ‘Katjan’ I had several years ago had nine sepals. The bloom below was found on a plant of ‘Herps Piermont’ this year and there are six sepals clearly visible.
I have already mentioned that Carol showed a ‘Siamese’ bloom - these again appear to be quite common, or at least they do in my garden! Perhaps it is something to do with the excessive heat we have experienced for the past couple of years, or the sudden change in temperature - one week it is very hot the next it is cold and damp. The plants probably feel much the same as we do, unsure exactly what is going on!
The effects of heat and light levels can also alter the size and shape of a bloom quite considerably. A plant grown in shade will appear paler than one of the same variety grown in a brighter position. Blooms also lose their colour and become smaller as autumn approaches. Below are shown two blooms from the same plant. Seen like this some people may believe that the plant has ‘sported’ but unless all the blooms are the same on a particular stem then it is the weather conditions, the light level or the temperature that is causing the bloom to become paler and smaller.
I hope that this article will prove to be of use to you and that it has answered some of the questions you may have had regarding your plants.