Fuchsia leaves turning yellow
Fuchsias are a staple of British gardens, these perennial shrubby plants are found everywhere. Grown for their bright flowers, which with a little attention can flower all summer, and hardiness for those cold British winters. The first written description of a Fuchsia comes from 1690 by the French monk Minim after he discovered them on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. There are over 100 different types of Fuchsia, most of them originating from South America. With a little care and attention, they can look good year after year in UK gardens.
Fuchsia Leaves Turning Yellow
Yellowing of your fuchsia leaves is a completely normal process, depending on the time of year. If your leaves are starting to turn yellow in the autumn then there is no need to worry. As the days get colder and shorter your fuchsia will start to shed its leaves, they will turn yellow then fall off.
The older leaves near the base of the plant will also turn yellow, even in summer, this again is normal and nothing to be overly concerned about. Just make sure you clean them away regularly to prevent them from building up, causing airflow problems which, in turn, can lead to fungal issues.
So I have talked about normal reasons why your fuchsia leaves may turn normal, but what about abnormal? If your fuchsia leaves are turning yellow in the middle of summer, or if the plant looks unhealthy and sad in general then yellowing leaves may be a sign of a more serious issue.
Why could my fuchsia leaves be turning yellow?
Watering
Fuchsias are a picky plant when it comes to water, they don’t like too much and they don’t like too little. Both underwatering and overwatering could be causing your fuchsia leaves to turn yellow.
The best conditions for a fuchsia is moist soil, not wet and waterlogged, but also not dry. It sounds really tricky but it isn’t, just ensure the soil is moist.
Too much sun
Fuchsia are a shade loving plant, they don’t enjoy being out in full sun. In fact, being in full sun could be the cause of yellowing leaves. Left in direct sunlight for too long the leaves on a fuchsia can begin to burn, overtime this can lead to yellowing of the leaves and even death of the plant. With sunburn, you may notice a scorching of the leaves as well as yellowing. Look out for burnt edges on the leaves if you think this may be your issue.
Poor soil conditions
A soil lacking in important nutrients can cause the leaves to turn yellow. If they aren’t getting enough of the good stuff then the plant overall will be unhealthy and may not be able to keep up chlorophyll production leading to a yellowing of the leaves. Adding a good general-purpose fertiliser can help fix this. If your plants or in a pot then replace the soil every few years.
