11:37 - 11 May 2011
Hanging baskets are a wonderful way to add colour and interest to your garden. They look particularly spectacular positioned either side of the front door. Don’t limit what you grow to just flowers though, ring the changes by growing herbs or salad in a basket, or choose a tumbling tomato or small chilli pepper to create productive baskets too. Strawberries also make good basket plants and the elevation of the plants keeps them away from marauding pests such as slugs and snails.
Some gardeners consider hanging baskets to be too labour intensive, but when you get it right the results are very rewarding.
The main problems that occur with hanging baskets are easily overcome and are usually to do with feeding and watering. Hanging baskets by their very nature are exposed to the elements and especially to drying wind, which can quickly dry out the compost. There are a few ways to improve the water holding capacity of your basket so that its watering needs are reduced.
First choose the largest basket possible, but be sure that the supporting brackets will take the weight of the planted basket well watered. The more compost capacity a basket has, the less quickly it will dry out.
Plant up your baskets in late April and May and then keep them in a protected greenhouse until all danger of frost has passed. They will grow on within the greenhouse and start to flower, so that when you are ready to place them outside they are already looking good.
Choose a suitable basket liner and line this with polythene, perforated at the base to allow excess water to drain out. The polythene will reduce evaporation at the side of the basket.
Place a watering saucer at the bottom of the basket before adding the compost, this will act as a small water reservoir and also catch excess water before it drains away, holding it in the compost for your plants.
Use a quality container compost specially formulated for baskets and containers. This will not only contain the correct nutrients to support the growth of summer flowering basket plants for the first few weeks, but it should also contain a wetting agent to make it easier to water the basket compost and water retaining gel or granules that will absorb precious water and hold it within the compost, releasing it back to your plants as the compost dries out.
Add a slow or controlled release fertiliser to the compost, you can add this in tablet form after planting or mix granules into the compost before planting. These fertilisers release nutrients to your plants gradually on a trickle feed for several months and are ideal for feeding annual container and basket plants.
Plant through the sides of the basket for a more rounded display, choose trailing plants for the outer edge of the main basket and to plant through the sides, plant taller, bushier plants within the main basket.
Pinch out the growing tips of basket plants to make them bushier.
Remove all spent flowers as they fade to encourage more to form.
Water after dusk and always out of direct sunlight. If the basket compost has dried out completely then take the whole basket down and soak overnight in a bucket of tepid water. Re-hang and allow to drain.
When choosing plants for your baskets consider the size of the basket and plant accordingly. A standard 14inch basket is big enough for just one tumbling tomato plant or about seven basket plants.
Colour theme your baskets choosing two contrasting flower colours or a spectrum to create a dramatic effect.
Don’t forget that you can plant baskets with early spring flowering plants and also evergreen plants to create interest over the winter months too.
