Jason demystifies how to care for hanging baskets! This informative short video full of simple tips that cover all your questions on caring for your hanging baskets!
Location - Where do I hang my hanging basket?
This all depends on how much light you have in your yard, and how much light the plants in your hanging baskets need. Some hanging baskets are full sun, others need more shade. For your full sun baskets, make sure they get at least 6 hours of direct sunlight during the day. (A south facing position, with no obstruction from trees, is perfect.) For your hanging baskets that need some shade, try hanging them in a north facing position, perhaps shaded by a tree or overhang.
Water - How do I water my hanging basket?
To decide if your hanging basket needs watering, simply lift it up with one hand from underneath. You can tell by the weight of the basket whether it needs watering or not. On cool days, or weeks, your hanging baskets may not need watering every day. During the hot stretches of summer, you may need to water your baskets once (or twice!) a day. We recommend using a water wand, so you don't need to pull down your baskets every time you water. Stick the end of the wand deep inside the basket, rather than watering on top of the leaves or blooms. Keep going until you see the water come out of the bottom of the basket consistently. Hanging baskets that are 14" or larger will need at least 2 gallons of water, each time you water them. This will fluctuate depending on how many plants are in each basket . If your basket has dried out completely, and the soil is crumbly and cracked, you will have to water several times in order to saturate the soil so that the plants can again suck up moisture.
Fertilizing - How do I fertilize my hanging baskets?
Your plants need nutrients to grow and bloom during the growing season. There are many kinds of fertilizers including water soluble and slow release. Water soluble fertilizer is a powder that you mix into your watering can and then feed your plants every time you water. Slow release fertilizer is added on top of the soil, then some of the nutrients are released whenever you water. Use both for best results during the summer.
Shaping, pruning and deadheading - How do I keep my hanging baskets looking great?
You can easily pinch off unruly leaves and branches with your fingers, in order to keep your baskets looking neat and tidy. This will also encourage plants to grow bushier and spread out. When it comes to deadheading, simply remove the finished blooms with your fingers. This signals the plant to create more flowers, resulting in beautiful blooms all summer long!
