At this stage of your introduction into the ways of the fuchsia it is best to have at least the basic knowledge of feeding to enable you to grow a good plant and even maybe a show winner. All plants need some form of food to sustain them and fuchsias need more than most, they are in botanical terms "gross feeders".

If you imagine yourself being fed on a staple diet of bread and water all the time, you would be a skinny little weakling making meagre or no growth and feeling utterly ill and dejected. This is the same way with the plants, when watered the food in the compost will sustain them for about six weeks as I said earlier, but a correct balanced diet will increase their size and vigour.

Without becoming too involved we will find that the proprietary plant foods that you can purchase will have on the label the letters N. P. K. and a percentage figure. This will read something like this;

7% N 7% P 7% K

This in layman’s language means that in the feed there is present,

7% Nitrogen (N)
7% Phosphates (P)
7% Potash (K)

This is therefore a balanced fertilizer in the ratio of 1 : 1 : 1.

A number of feeds are proportionally higher in some of these nutrients, maybe 14% N: 7% P: 14% K. The ratio then becomes 2 : 1 : 2 or perhaps 7 % N : 7 % P : 14 % K which gives a ratio of 1 : 1 : 2.

These three nutrients, Nitrogen (N), Phosphate (P), and Potash (K) are known as 'macro' or major nutrients. Their main functions are,

NITROGEN (N):

helps in the production of leaves and stems (these are collectively known as vegetative growth). Too much will cause the plant to make soft, lush growth, with very long internodes (internodes are the stems between the leaves) which are susceptible to attacks from aphids and fungus.

Used in moderation early in the growing season and as directed by the manufacturer, nitrogen can give the plant a darker shade of green and increase the size of the plant considerably

PHOSPHATES (P): (Phosphorous)

will assist in the formation of the root system and all the experts agree that a plant is only as good as its root system. This nutrient is usually found to some degree in all feeding programmes.

POTASH (K):

Potassium) is given to your plants more than any of the other nutrients. If high concentrations are given the plants take on a stunted appearance which is in effect counteracting the purpose it is used for, which is to encourage the production of flowers and help ripen the wood (stems).

If you overdo the feeding of potash and your plants do take on this stunted appearance with rather more than the occasional yellowing leaf, it can be rectified by applying a dose of ‘Epsom Salts’ at the rate of 1/2 teaspoon per plant, well watered in.

You should have no problems if you use a proprietary feed either liquid or granular, in these proprietary foods you will also be feeding traces of the lesser or 'micro' nutrients.

These are also required by your plants and include MAGNESIUM, IRON, COPPER, ZINC, MANGANESE, BORON and MOLYBDENUM.

Although as stated before, fuchsias are termed gross feeders, you can overdo it. The best policy to adopt is one of little and often. Do not be tempted to overdo the dosage, if the label says a teaspoon give a level teaspoon to be on the safe side.

Another point worthy of mention is that the plant should not be dry when fed. If necessary water first then feed later. REMEMBER -- IF IN DOUBT, LEAVE IT OUT.