During the summer, much focus is placed on what to grow in the ground, greenhouse, and pots, and that includes hanging baskets. Containers in all forms can be used for gardening, but they differ in their shape, placement, and the conditions they create for plants. Hanging baskets are typically shallow and designed to be suspended, while pots are generally deeper and designed to sit on a surface.
Many gardeners would have already filled hanging baskets with colourful blooms; think petunias, fuchsia, verbena and bacopa, but the work isn’t done yet, according to gardening experts Jim and Mary Competti at This Is My Garden. They warned: “Unfortunately, most baskets that are purchased or planted in the early spring don’t make it past mid-summer. In fact, sadly, some don’t even make it to late spring without their foliage fading, and their once plentiful blooms becoming more scarce with each passing day.”
Keeping hanging baskets in bloom is a mean feat if you’re unequipped with the right advice and tools.
The gardening maestros suggest that “you need to fertilise” them to keep newly planted baskets flowering.
However, it’s not a one-time task, but rather one that should be done regularly. Hanging basket plants have restricted soil available for energy absorption and cannot spread out to seek additional nutrients, which makes fertilisation vital.
Jim and Mary warned that without fertiliser, hanging baskets “simply will not be able to survive the entire summer”. Timing is essential when it comes to feeding, and gardeners should know that liquid fertilisers are the best choice.
How to fertilise hanging baskets
Unlike roses, which can be fed a few times a year, plants grown in hanging baskets need a low, slow, and steady stream of nutrients.
Adding too much too quickly encourages the roots and foliage to expand too fast. “The result will be a plant that outgrows its basket and stops blooming because of it”, said the gardening experts.
Opt for a liquid fertiliser that contains more phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen. While nitrogen promotes growth, phosphorus and potassium are essential for blooming.
A light dose of fertiliser should be applied to your baskets every 10 to 14 days for best results.
West Coast Gardeners recommend a 15-30-15 water-soluble fertiliser with micro-nutrients.
They said: “You can either use it every second watering at full strength, or use it every time you water, but at half strength.”
Simply dilute the fertiliser with water to ensure a lighter dose.
Like all container-grown plants, water tends to be absorbed more quickly than those rooted in the ground. If you have forgotten to water your baskets and they have become bone dry, and the plants are wilted, avoid fertilising them.
Instead, water regularly and wait until the soil has absorbed enough clean water to become soft and the plants have perked up. From then on, you can safely continue your regular fertiliser schedule.