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How To Create Spectacular Hanging Baskets

Like the window box, the hanging basket allows the gardener to add elevated colour to what may be a dull house exterior or garden. In return for this lift, you must be prepared to devote some time to religiously watering and dead-heading your baskets occupants.

Forgetting to dead-head once in a while can be forgiven, but missing a watering or two can be the end of your baskets colour for the year. Baskets are elevated so are more liable to dry out with winds, water evaporation will also take place in warm weather. Check the baskets moisture levels daily, you will find that watering once a day (in the evening) will be best. Because most hanging basket composts are peat-based, they can be very difficult to re-moisten if they dry out. It will pay you to incorporate some water-retentive granules to the compost. These granules absorb moisture and provide a reserve of water for the plants.

Feeding is almost as important as watering.  Apply a liquid feed every second or third watering also use a slow release fertiliser as well so that the plants are never starved of the nutrients they need. A shake of “Osmocote” or some other slow fertiliser when filling the basket will aid steady and voluminous growth. It is almost impossible to overfeed a hanging basket, attention in this area will provide flowering plants until the first frosts of Autumn.

Watering, feeding, and dead-heading your plants regularly will put you well on the way to the heaving  hanging basket we all strive for.

Hanging Baskets – What to do

If using a mesh basket, you will need some form of liner to prevent the compost falling out. This could be plastic film, an artificial liner or moss. Moss ensures excellent drainage and high humidity both of which help the plants to grow well, but you will need to water more often than with the other liners which are easier to use, although you will usually have to punch holes in them to insert the plants.

The plastic pot type baskets can only be planted at the top and it’s a simple procedure to fill with compost and put in the plants, remembering to leave space at the top for watering. With wire baskets, when using moss, line the bottom of the basket with a layer of moss about 1 inch thick and build the moss up to about halfway up the sides. Then fill the centre with a moist, good, free draining soilless compost, preferably one specially prepared for hanging baskets. Alternatively you can make up your own by adding 20% Perlite to a standard soilless potting compost, plus a wetting agent, water retention agent and a slow release fertiliser. These will ensure that the water is distributed evenly, that it is held for as long as possible and that the plants are fed through the season.

Insert the first layer of plants by carefully pushing the leaves through the mesh, pack plenty of moss around the plants and fill up the centre with compost, gently firming round the roots as you go. Make sure you leave a space large enough to take the roots of the plant which is to go in the centre and build up the outer layer of moss as you go. Before planting the top, first arrange the plants to their best effect and then plant firmly, making a slight dip in the centre to prevent run-off when watering. If possible, finish off the top with a layer of moss to improve the look of the basket and conserve water.

Provided you are using a good compost and you are prepared to feed and water regularly, you will find the best effect comes from putting plenty of plants in the basket. With bedding plants it is a good rule of thumb to put in at least one plant per inch of basket diameter, that is 12 plants for a 12 inch basket. However if you are using only strongly growing plants such as Fuchsias or Geraniums, then it’s better to restrict it to 5 per 12 inch basket.

Once planted, give the basket a good watering with a watering can with a rose attached to settle the compost around the roots. Protect from frosts by bringing indoors or covering overnight but by the end of May the baskets can be placed in position. Just keep an eye on the weather forecast in case of an unexpected late frost.

We hope that you find this article of interest we believe we are the best for friendly service and advice and we hope that you will give us a call.

Take a look at several videos on how to make and maintain a hanging basket.

How To Build Moss Hanging Baskets
Regular potting soil is generally good enough for making moss baskets although there are specialty mixes available that are geared towards hanging baskets. The most important thing to think about here is the weight of the soil

How to Plant Up a Hanging Basket
Dull walls or fences aren’t much to look at, but you can instantly transform them with a hanging basket or two. Head to your garden centre now and you’ll find shelves jam packed with lots of tempting annual plants that can be planted