Flowers in Hanging Pots
Hanging baskets are a way to add color to a porch or home interior. They also allow apartment dwellers and other people with no garden space to exercise their green thumbs. There's more to growing flowers in hanging pots than planting them and forgetting about it. Hanging pots require more attention than flowers in the garden. Selecting appropriate varieties and giving them the correct care can help you grow attractive, vibrant hanging flowers. Does this Spark an idea?
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Types
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Container plants can easily become root-bound over time. Because of this, many people choose annual flowers for their hanging baskets, such as petunias, alyssum, nasturtiums, lobelia and trailing lotus. Some perennial plants, such as fuschia, can be grown in hanging pots, as well. According to North Coast Gardening, many growers treat these as annuals. Flowering herbs and fruit plants may also be planted in hanging baskets, providing both visual and taste treats.
Food
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If you've ever brought home a hanging plant, only to see the blossoms fade after a few weeks, you may not have been feeding it enough. According to HortChat.com, a horticultural help site, growers usually fertilize their basket plants every time they add water. This keeps them blooming attractively. Use a combination of soil-soluble and time-release fertilizers for best results. If you're planting hanging baskets from scratch, consider mixing controlled-release fertilizer directly into the soil before you plant.
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Water
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Container plants need more water than the same plants in the garden. The ground stores water for garden flowers, allowing them to go longer without moisture. Water your hanging baskets regularly to keep them from drooping. In hot weather, water twice a day, ideally in the morning. Regular light watering stresses the plant less than infrequent heavy watering. Avoid irrigating your hanging baskets late in the day, though. Wet leaves and roots left overnight encourage fungal growth and root rot.
Sunlight
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One major benefit of hanging plants over garden planting is their mobility. It's easy to move your basket to the location where it'll get the best sun. Plants with brown-edged leaves or fading may be getting too much sun and should be placed in a shadier spot. If your basket isn't getting enough sun, it may become leggy, spindly or bare of flowers. Avoid west-facing locations during the hot part of the summer, since these can become very hot.
Maintenance
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Most hanging basket plants need a little regular maintenance. Remove the wilted flowers from your plants every few weeks to prevent the plant from setting seed. This process, called deadheading, will keep your basket flowers blooming attractively. Overgrown baskets may need periodic trimming to prevent them from looking scraggly.
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References
- Photo Credit Flowers and old stone tower image by Christopher Dodge from Fotolia.com
