Fuchsia Alert!

Gardeners around the world have been alerted to a new disease called the gall mite which has been found in a number of European countries,including France,UK,Germany and the Channel Islands.It has not as yet been confirmed in Ireland.The microscopic pest causes severe disruption of the tips of the shoots and it prevents flowering.

The disease is ranked a notifiable disease which means that an outbreak must be notified to the Department of Agriculture.Do not import any cuttings of plants from abroad-apparently healthy or not-if you see the symptoms,report it to the Dept.

Hopefully we will escape this,I am already at the loss of a fuchsia from the severe frosts and have one left so I will be watching closely!