Should I give up growing gall mite-ridden fuchsias?
Jackie Beeson, by email
A CHRISTINE SAYS Fuchsia gall mite is not an easy pest to try to get on top of. None of the available insecticides seem to give very good control. Fuchsia magellanica and its cultivars are among the most susceptible.
Some of the half-hardy fuchsias are less susceptible, such as Fuchsia thymifolia and Fuchsia venusta, and cultivars such as ‘Miniature Jewels’. But these would need to be grown in pots or containers and brought inside during the winter. This would create more work for you and, as you say, at age 76, maybe you could consider moving away from fuchsias and trying some other small plants and shrubs.
Those holding the RHS Award of Garden Merit will do well in most conditions and will not be too difficult to establish.