Surfinia - yellowing leaves

I've got two surfinia plants, one in a hanging basket and the other in a large pot. Both of them are developing yellowing leaves particularly the underneath or bottom leaves and on one plant they have a few furry or mildewy spots. Does anyone know what this clould be? Am I overwatering? Should I spray with Rose Clear.
What is interesting is that on another hanging basket I have a Fuschia which is also developing some yellow leaves. This Fuschia is prone to greenfly attack. Could this be the cause or perhaps is it overwatering as well.
All these plants have up to now shown very green healthy vibrant leaves so its a bit of a mystery.

 

Charlie this is quire common this time of year, guess they are very bushy and long, so the underneath get no light or sun...I cut all mine back to half, some every day and then start feeding them, flowering from top again in a week or 2 as long as you give them a good feed 3x weekly...and they prefer the shorter days, so will flower right to frost now.

Ladybird

[ 09. August 2005, 06:40 PM: Message edited by: Ladybird ]

 

Thank you ladybird. Its happening quite rapidly, even today I've noticed a difference since this morning. Some of the leaves have gone brown and died. Also I've noticed some mildewy furry white spots on some of the leaves. Is this a symptom of the same thing you described? You are right the plant is big bushy and long but I'm worried about the whitish spots!!

 

Charlie just chop all the under brown stems right back but feed heavily on Phostrogen....

that will be a ride and a half lol

can you change the record lol

Ladybird

 

Thanks Ladybird, When chopping can I be pretty indescriminate. You say chop back about 50% shall I simply do a pudding bowl chop so to speak?. The mildew spots seem to have gone after I sprayed but more leaves are dying and going yellow so I suppose now is the time

 

Yes Charlie....quite hard... what I normally do, is cut a few all through summer, specially the ends, and they will start branching out from top again and will be as new like in Spring, but must feed them well on high potash...

Ladybird

 

Thanks Ladybird - well I've done it now and cut back quite a bit more than fifty percent - it just happened! I hope I havent overdone it, I attach a before and two after photos - the before photo was taken when I think the plant was looking its best but if you can imagine twice as much onto that then thats how it looked just before I got the clippers out. I've now fed with standard plant food (incidentally is tomato feed good for them)? - I do hope I havent ruined it - what do you think?