Do these small Fuchsia plants have a problem?

I recently dug these out of an overgrown part of the garden, still in their large pot. Some extensive trimming was required so there's little growth on them right now, however since digging them out of the overgrown weeds a week or two ago some of the mid to lower leaves have taken on some discolouration, more so on one that the other. Please see the photos below.

I did wonder if it's because they now get full hot sun every day, although before they were buried in the weeds they used to grow just fine with full sun so I guess not?

 

It does look a little bit like sun shock

 

Thanks. It's difficult now to move them to another location so is it a case of leaving them and hoping that they will adjust?

 

Depending on the variety, most Fuschias prefer semi shade, so to compensate while there is a lot of tender new growth you could shade them with some hort fleece or even newspaper to protect them from this very strong heat wave sun.

Do you know their name, if they are hardy or how tall they grow ?

Also be on the lookout on the underside of the leaves for pests which are searching for tender sappy shoots this time of year, Red Spider Mite being one of the worst as its hard to spot them before they really have hold.

 

Thanks, appreciate the advice.

I'm afraid I don't know their name or how tall they grow as it's been some years since they were purchased and then lost in the weeds.

I've seen a few red spider mites about elsewhere but not many.

 

"I've seen a few red spider mites about elsewhere but not many."

If that's the case you need to do something about them very soon! In this hot dry weather they will spread like wildfire & infest & kill other plants as well! Neem oil is very good at getting rid of them & other biting, sucking insects without killing bees or other good insects.

 

Will do. Thanks.

I think I have some Neem Oil somewhere that I bought a year or so ago, this one in fact:

Amazon.co.uk

How would you recommend that I apply it? With a spray of course but do I need to mix it with anything? Obviously water but I've seen mention of soap, can I just use fairy liquid for example? Or liquid bathroom soap (I have Carex antibacterial)?

I'll be spraying courgettes, beetroots and assorted flowering plants so I assume it won't harm or taint either?

As for the courgettes and beetroots, I guess it's not a problem to wash off any residue prior to consumption? (I know the beetroot leaves can be eaten and naturally I'd wash them first).

 

You can mix a couple of teaspoons of liquid soap with the Neem oil to make it spread & stick to the leaves. You are always advised to treat a small area first & leave it to see if there are any adverse effects before spraying everything. Make sure you follow the instructions for the oil on the bottle. Don't forget to wet the back of the leaves especially as this is where most pests hide.

 

Thanks, duly noted.

So I assume that my Carex antibacterial liquid soap will be okay to use? I can't think why it wouldn't be, but as I've never used it on plants before I want to be sure.

I also assume that Neem oil residue is easy to wash off edible plants, Courgettes for example? I mean it doesn't stick in such a way that it's hard to remove any taste of it?

 

Good point, will do.

 

Are you sure you have RSM, you say you can see them ? they are microscopic and need a powerful lenze to see them; you can typically only see them if they are in plague proportions along with their fine spider like webs, in which case such a plant is probably on its way out.

Neem oil can be a pain to mix and use and you often end up with everything, not just the plants, covered in a greasy coating.

There are lots ready mixed spray bottles on the market these days that do contain more friendly substances and a lot simpler and easier to use imho.

 

Thanks. They looked like red spider mites to me - are there any other tiny red creatures that I may have mistaken them for?

Also, what suitable mixed spray bottles are available on the market which are dog friendly?

 

If you can see them with the naked eye, probably some type of Aphid.

You need to see the particular bottle for its safety notes and if its pet friendly.

 

When I see another I'll put my camera on maximum zoom and take a photo (or use a magnifying glass).

I'm sure it was a red spider mite though.

Getting back to the use of neem oil and its oily residue, presumably it can be relatively easily washed off the crop when picked, courgettes for example?