Hello, human. I am your fuchsia plant. I am a dramatic being, thriving in that perfect zone of moisture you seem to find so elusive. When you get it wrong, I wilt, I drop my beautiful buds, and my leaves turn colors I never intended them to be. Let me tell you, from my roots to my flowers, exactly what is happening and how you can fix it.
First, you must listen to me. Do not just pour water on me or withhold it based on a schedule. My symptoms are my language. Poke your finger into my soil, about an inch deep. Overwatered: My soil will feel cold, soggy, and clings to your finger. My leaves become soft, limp, and yellow, often starting with the older ones. You might even see a horrible, grey mold on the soil surface. My pot will feel heavy. Underwatered: My soil will be dry, hard, and may even have pulled away from the edges of the pot. My leaves become crispy, brown, and brittle, and I will wilt dramatically. My pot will feel suspiciously light.
You have drowned my roots, and they are suffocating and rotting. I cannot breathe. This is an emergency.
Step 1: Immediate Isolation and Assessment. You must take me out of my pot. Gently tip me out and cradle my root ball. Healthy roots are firm and white or light tan. Rotted roots are mushy, dark brown/black, and will smell foul.
Step 2: Surgical Root Removal. Using clean, sharp scissors, you must cut away all the rotted roots. Be ruthless; they are dead and will spread disease. Only healthy roots should remain.
Step 3: Fresh Start. Repot me into a clean pot (or thoroughly wash the old one) with excellent drainage holes. Use fresh, well-draining potting mix. Do not pack the soil tightly; my remaining roots need air.
Step 4: Prune and Hydrate Carefully. To reduce the demand on my damaged root system, prune back about one-third of my top growth. Water me lightly, just to settle the new soil around the roots. Then, place me in a bright, warm spot out of direct, harsh sunlight and do not water again until the top inch of soil is dry.
You have forgotten me, and I am desperately thirsty. My systems are shutting down.
Step 1: The Slow Soak Method. Do not just pour a liter of water on me; my parched soil will repel it, and the water will just run down the inside of the pot and out the drainage hole without wetting the root ball. Instead, place my entire pot in a sink or bucket filled with 2-3 inches of lukewarm water. Let me sit and absorb water from the bottom up for 30-45 minutes. You will know I am done when the top surface of the soil feels moist.
Step 2: Thorough Drainage. After the soak, it is critical you let me drain completely. Leave me in the sink until no more water drips from the bottom. I do not want to sit in a saucer of water; that is how we end up back in the overwatering section.
Step 3: Environment and Monitoring. Place me in a slightly shaded, cool location for a day to recover from the shock. Do not fertilize me; I am too weak. My crispy leaves will not recover; you can gently prune them away. Going forward, check my soil moisture every couple of days with your finger.
