Picture it: The perfect hanging basket. It probably looks a little different from mine, depending on your favorite flowers or colors, but I bet that it’s full, lush, and colorful. Hanging baskets are a fantastic choice to brighten up your porch or to hang from a hook by a patio or entryway. Here are our top tips for keeping your hanging baskets healthy and full all season long:
Right Plant for the Right Place:
Pre-planted hanging baskets contain plants selected to thrive in similar light conditions. Hanging your basket on the north or east side of your house or under a tree? Choose a basket that features shade loving plants like begonias or impatiens. Hanging your basket in the blazing sun? Try geraniums, lantana, or verbena.
Consider that weather conditions may vary across the season. That pansy basket that thrives in direct sun in the spring may become leggy and wilt during the summer. Move it to a cooler or partially shady spot to extend its life.
Keep it Watered:
The number one way people kill their baskets? Under-watering. Hanging baskets are self-contained and can only hold so much water. That means you will need to water every day in the heat of summer, sometimes even twice a day. Water in the morning for best results and check in the afternoon if you need to water again.
Not sure whether to water? One of the best ways to check is to lift the basket. Does it feel light? Give it a drink. Feel like a bowling ball? Lay off the water for now and check later.
Deadhead:
You bought your hanging basket with cascading blooms but now it’s looking a little sparse with dead flower heads. Dead blooms do not mean dead plants! Clip back the dead blooms to encourage the plant to send out more flowers. It’s amazing how good a basket can look when you remove the brown petals.
Hate deadheading? Million bells (calibrachoa) and Supertunias are two plants that don’t require deadheading. Or consider a basket that has more foliage than flowers to reduce your need to pull off old blossoms.
Feed it:
Fertilizing is the key to keeping your annuals blooming and looking fresh all season. This is especially true for hanging baskets and containers. Even if the basket is planted with high quality soil and compost, it will need periodic fertilization to keep it going strong. Signs of nutrient deficiency include low bloom output and yellow leaves. Remove the yellow leaves and give the plant good fertilizer.
We recommend Bud & Bloom to mix into your watering cans. You can also give it a healthy sprinkle of a slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote early in the season to keep your basket looking beautiful.
Need help picking out a hanging basket? We have hundreds over the course of our main season. We can also help you create your own! Stop in soon!
Colonial Gardens is an independent garden center located in Phoenixville in Chester County, Pennsylvania since 1967. We carry one of the widest selection of annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs, and food gardening crops in Southeastern Pennsylvania. We offer professional landscaping services and a full-service florist. Visit our greenhouse for unique houseplants and our gift shop for gifts and garden accessories. In the fall and winter, join us for our family-friendly seasonal events and Christmas shop.