Ive been thinking a lot about hanging baskets lately. Hanging baskets are a Mothers Day gift staple and for good reason. Theyre beautiful, they last longer than cut flowers, and for much of the country the timing is perfect to start gardening. The thing Ive been thinking about is that hanging baskets are one of the hardest things to keep looking good all summer. The reason is simple. Theres a whole lot of plant material to a relatively small amount of soil. This is true of almost any hanging basket, but is especially true of the huge baskets you buy at garden centers. The small soil volume means the basket will dry out quickly and keeping up with watering can become challenging. It is possible to keep a hanging basket looking good all summer, but it will take constant attention from the gardener.
Your first decision will be if you are going to buy an already planted hanging basket or if you are going to plant it yourself. The next step is to consider the size of the hanging basket. I am a big believer that the bigger the planter, the better off you are. Small pots will dry out faster than larger pots because they have less soil. Watering will be your biggest challenge in maintaining your hanging baskets. Choosing a larger pot now can make maintaining your basket much easier. I use 14-inch diameter, deep hanging baskets, so I have a reasonably good soil volume to plant material.
Once you decide on pot size, pay attention to the material from which your pot is made. Most hanging baskets are either plastic or coco-fiber/moss. There are a few wood, ceramic, and terra cotta hanging baskets, but they are few and far between. The pros of plastic are they retain moisture well, are inexpensive and are easy to find. The con is they are plastic and you may or may not like the way plastic looks. The pro of coco-fiber/moss baskets is they are decorative. The negatives are they dry out faster, can be harder to find, and the coco-fiber/moss liner will need to be replaced periodically. You can get around the dry-out factor by lining the basket with plastic prior to planting (this is what I do). Ceramic pots are similar to plastic as far as the pros go and they are decorative. Wood and terra cotta will both dry out faster than plastic, but not as fast as a coco-fiber/moss basket.
You can make life a lot easier if you choose plants for your baskets that suit your environment. This is true whether you are buying a pre-planted basket or planting your own. First, decide if your basket will be hanging in sun or shade conditions. Choosing plants that are adapted to the amount of sun your area will get is key to having happy plants. Once you know sun/shade conditions, it is time to start choosing plants for your basket. What traits are most important will vary for each gardener. Some questions to consider: does a plant need deadheading, is it drought tolerant, does it wilt quickly, is it heat tolerant, does it need a lot of fertilizer, and what color do I want (thats the fun part).
The keys to maintaining your hanging basket really fall into three categories: water, fertilizer, and other maintenance.
Watering is the hardest part of maintaining a hanging basket, or any container plant. You cant keep the soil too wet because it will result in root rot problems, you cant keep it too dry or the plant wilts and dies. You want to hit the happy medium. Here are the rules of thumb for watering hanging baskets:
1. Be sure your pot has drainage holes
2. Water only when the top of the soil is dry to the touch
3. Water until water comes out of the drainage holes
4. Dont allow your pot to sit in standing water
Your container plants are only getting nutrition if you provide it to them. After watering, fertilizer is the most important thing to keep your plants thriving. I usually recommend adding a slow or controlled-release fertilizer to your hanging basket right after you buy or plant it. This will provide your basket with a good constant dose of fertilizer. Be sure to follow the directions on your fertilizer package to make sure you dont damage your plants.
Until next week, this is Ruth the Grower saying, Giving the basket a haircut will rob you of some flowers, but it will increase branching, tighten the habit, and help keep the basket looking good long term. Your flowers should come back within a few days to a week and your plant, given enough fertilizer, is likely to start growing more strongly again. Keep writing to ruththegrower@aol.com.
