hi please could you send us a message on wildflowers with pictures and information on them

How much sun are they getting and how often are you watering?

My daughter had the same problem. I did some research today and talked to a gardener. The Problem is.....

THRIPS!!!

This is a little tiny bug that you can almost not see at all. The gardener said to use Orthonex - Garden Insect and Disease Control. This will kill those buggies dead and the plant will then be able to revitalize itself.

Additionally, the book "Backyard Problem Solver" by Jim Baker - "America's Master Gardener" gives the following organic solution: (p. 156) "Use garlic Tea Tonic and spray it on every affected plant.

Recipe for Garlic Tea Tonic: (p. 99)
5 cloves of unpeeled garlic, coarsely chopped
2 cups boiling water
teaspoon of baby shampoo

Place the garlic in a heat proof bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Let the mix steep overnight. Strain through a coffee filter and pour the liquid into a hand held spray bottle along with the baby shampoo. Store at room temperature and it will last more than a week. (NOTE: Also saves roses from thrips!)

Thrips are black on roses and white on fushias. Thrips do not like garlic!!!

Could it be whitefly? I had whitefly on mine and they were a bit like that. You can probably find a pic on the web. They are a common problem on fuschias, so good to know how to deal with them, even if it isn't that this time:

I got rid of mine with a solution of mildly soapy water with a little bit of horticultural oil. Be sure to apply it under the leaves. I find one of those pump sprayers with a thin hose and fine sprayer (cheap at home depot!) makes it WAY easier to get it under the leaves. For those plants in pots, I found that a charming spouse holding the plant upside down also helps get the undersides of the leaves and provides a happy half hour of pair bonding.

-E!

Ebang, I wasn't clear on your post. Does one get the charming spouse at HD also?

I have a fushia plant that has bloomed three times this summer. I had no idea how to care for it and was only watering it about 3 times a week. During the second round of blossoms most of the buds dropped off before they opened. I started watering the fushia everyday, but my plant just kept dying. The leaves yellowed and the whole plant just dried up. This happened during the month of August when it was really hot. I thought my fushia was a goner for sure.

I finally (end of August) decided to move the plant to a spot that received less sunlight (about 3-4 hrs worth). By the middle to end of September my fushia had beautiful green leaves and buds all over it.

It's been cold here lately, but the buds are continuing to open. I do bring it in the house or garage at night so it doesn't get hit by frost.

As far as the little white spots, I only noticed them because you mentioned it. I don't know anything about the bugs.

It's such a beautiful plant I want to keep it growing all year long. Does anyone know of a way to do that?

~Sibbie~

I have been keeping them over winter for a few years now. First I take cuttings and put them in water (They root very easily and make lots of new plants) and then move indoors to a bright location. I never keep them wet, allow the soil to dry between waterings.
They can also take cooler conditions. Last winter I kept a few in my 50 degree greenhouse and they did fine, as did the ones in my 65-70 degree basement under flourescent lights. When it begins to get closer to spring I start to fertilize and water a little more often and eventually move back outdoors. They do drop alot of leaves and sometimes look very sad, but I've never lost one and by early summer they are looking great again, full of blooms and buzzing with hummers.