This year I am attempting to grow a fuchsia standard and one big, beautiful dahlia in pots. All seemed to be going well until a week or so ago when I noticed black discoloration and strange curling and thickening of leaves at areas of terminal growth. I haven't noticed any bugs that I could pin as the culprits. Can anybody identify the problem (or problems, if the plants are suffering from different ailments)? Is there a (preferably organic) cure? I realize that my hopes for the standard are probably shot at this point, but any advice to help me at least keep the plants alive would be greatly appreciated.

Photos:

Fuchsia: http://lh3.ggpht.com/_-51uY2z0IlY/TD...0/IMAG0487.jpg

Dahlia: http://lh3.ggpht.com/_-51uY2z0IlY/TD...0/IMAG0486.jpg

Thank you!

On Mon, 5 Jul 2010 10:33:54 +0000, Mitulove
wrote:


This year I am attempting to grow a fuchsia standard
Fuchsia: http://tinyurl.com/2bp7yzs



Not sure what it is, but to save the plant you are going to have to cut it back
to clean growth. Then a spray with soapy water in case its a bug might help.

Now you are not going to get a full standard but depending on size, half or
even a quarter standard might be worth a go. The end result in a pot would
still look good.

www.lincolnfuchsiasociety.info

Update:

I thought I should point out that I have several other fuchsias in pots (my garden consists of 75 or so pots on a terrace) and none of them are showing any signs of disease. I wonder if growing it as a standard, i.e. continually picking out side shoots and thus leaving wounds for viruses or fungi to enter has anything to do with it.

On Tue, 6 Jul 2010 13:45:35 +0000, Mitulove
wrote:



i.e. continually picking out side shoots and thus leaving wounds for
viruses or fungi to enter has anything to do with it.

No, training any Fuchsia consists of pinching out new growth, a good size plant
could easily have had hundreds of bits picked off,.

www.lincolnfuchsiasociety.info