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Helpful Hints for Hanging Baskets

Hanging baskets are a great way to quickly beautify outdoor spaces. Petunias, begonias, moss rose, fuschia, sweet potato vines, pansy, the list of annuals, perennials, and green plants for hanging baskets is a long one! The care for your baskets will vary depending on what types of plants you have, but there are some general guidelines you can follow to help you keep your outdoor hanging baskets beautiful all summer long.

Watering Tips

As the days get longer and hotter, watering will become more important and frequent. You should water your basket daily, and sometimes twice a day if it becomes extremely hot and dry.

There are two ways to test if your basket needs water: by weight and by touch. If you lift your basket and it feels heavy, then it probably has enough water. If it feels light, water it. This method takes practice, but can be pretty accurate once you master it. To test your water level by touch, stick your finger into the basket to the first knuckle. If it feels dry, you should probably water.

When you water your basket, water the basket until water pours through the drain holes.

Fertilizer Tips

Give your plant an initial dose of slow release fertilizer. This helps give it nutrients to get started.

As the plants in your hanging basket get bigger, they will need more fertilizer to sustain themselves. You should fertilize once a week to once every two weeks.

Light Requirements

Where you hang your basket will depend on what kinds of flowers you have in your basket. Before you purchase a hanging basket, make sure you can provide the plant with full or partial sun, depending on which it needs.

To give your basket an even amount of sunlight, rotate the basket weekly, or every few days. This will also help the flowers grow more evenly.

Other Tips

Pests can take over a hanging basket quickly. Check your basket daily for pests like aphids, spider mites, and mealy bugs. The sooner you can catch them, the sooner you can prevent damage to your hanging baskets.

Some flowering baskets do not require deadheading, but for those that do, pinch these spent blooms at the stem to remove them and encourage new growth.

If you find your basket is looking a little unruly, don’t be afraid to trim it back. The blooms will grow back quickly, and the overall look of your hanging basket will be improved.

Looking for more plant care questions? Click here!

 


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Comments

  1. It’s very helpful. Thank you for information.

  2. Bonnie Thompson says:

    my hanging baskets green leaves are a faded green almost yellowy.
    flowers are faded as well. Not enough fertilizer??

  3. Jamie Woods says:

    Hi Bonnie,
    How often are you watering your baskets? It sounds like they may be getting too much water. Even with the high temperatures, sometimes the baskets will not require as much water because they will go into a dormant mode. Check your soil before watering. Also, make sure you are watering at soil level, and not pouring water over the leaves and flowers.

  4. Hi, I have some Petunia seedlings that are doing well, but are on short stocky side. The blooms tend to touch and once that happens, wither . Can l do anything to stop this?
    Many thanks 😊

  5. Jeffrey Balch says:

    Wilting petunias are usually a sign of too much water, or not enough sun. If your petunias are receiving too much shade, that might be your issue!