Why Fuchsia Is Dropping Buds
Hanging like delicate dancers in brightly colored petticoats, fuchsia blooms are among the most coveted in the plant world. Unfortunately, these plants can be difficult to care for, resulting in fuchsia bud drop when things are not going just their way. If your fuchsia is dropping buds, it’s a warning sign that something is wrong. Usually, the cause is environmental and easy to remedy. Here are some of the most common causes of buds dropping off fuchsia plants:
Shock. Simply moving your plant from the nursery to your home can cause it to go into shock from the very different environment you’ve given it. Continue to water and feed your plant, it’ll eventually rebloom as it adjusts. Under watering. Fuchsia needs to be kept moist at all times, and for hanging plants, this may mean watering twice or three times a day. If your plant’s soil isn’t moist to the touch, water it. Under watering can induce an early dormancy in some fuchsias, causing them to slough both blooms and leaves. Over watering. Too much watering can be as bad as not enough. Never leave your fuchsia in standing water and remove any saucers under them to prevent rainwater from accumulating. Make sure the excess water that goes in the pot comes out the bottom or you’ll encourage root rot, which can make a plant listless and cause bud drop on fuchsia for a lack of available nutrients. Lack of fertilizer. Fuchsias are heavy feeders and can grow quickly during the summer – this is a bad combination if you’re not feeding regularly. Use a 20-20-20 fertilizer diluted to a quarter strength at least once a week to encourage good bloom development. Lack of air circulation. Because they thrive in moist soil, fuchsia can have mold problems that result in symptoms like bud drop. Increasing the air circulation and removing spent leaves and buds from the pot can help prevent bud drop. Over heating. Transpiration is vital to keeping a plant cool in warm weather – fuchsias shut down this vital process when the temperature reaches the low 80s F. (26 C), resulting in withered leaves and dropping flowers. Keep your plant cool by misting the leaves or moving it to a spot that protects it from the hot sun of midday.
