Hanging baskets are a cheery addition to any porch and balcony. It’s (apparently) easy to keep your hanging basket bursting in color all season long if you know how to take care of them.
There are a few things you have to consider when you’re getting started such as what look you’re going for. Depending on the type of pot will depend on how you need to keep up with it because each type of container may lead to varying watering schedules, as the soil dries will dry out differently in each. Hanging baskets can be created using plastic hanging planters, wire baskets lined with cocoa liners, rattan baskets or even glazed pottery containers with attached hooks. Houzz.com tells us that nearly any type of smaller plant that can be grown in the ground can be used in a hanging basket. The plants that tend to look the best, however, are the ones that have a soft downward trailing or mounding habit rather than a stiff upright growth pattern. Opt for plants like ivies, pothos, ferns, succulents, vines and annuals like petunias, impatiens, geraniums, calibrachoa, lobelia and fuschias.
Avoid plants with an extensive root system, shrubs and trees — even if they are dwarf — as well as plants that are too large, as hanging baskets tend to be 1 foot to 2 feet in diameter. Also avoid those that have very specific or tricky care requirements, like orchids, tillandsias and bromeliads, that would make maintenance an issue.
Depending on what type of pot you use, drainage will very. Wire containers with cocoa liners will drain almost too freely; hanging pottery can retain too much moisture; and plastic provides a happy drainage medium.
If you’re using cocoa liners, consider placing a plastic saucer in the bottom of the basket before adding soil and plants — this will keep some of the water in the soil, where roots can access it before it drains out.
When using pottery, add a layer of gravel to the bottom before adding soil and plants, water sparingly to avoid rotting and choose plants that like a little extra moisture to counteract the lack of drainage holes.
Plastic pots can be atrocious but if you find a couple of ways to tweek it you can make them more aesthetically pleasing. Take off the plastic hooks and place it in a chain basket or use the trailing plants to cover it up.
The soil in pots dry quicker than soil in the ground so be prepared to water daily, or twice daily if they’re in direct sunlight. If you forget to water your plant and you find your plant dry and wilted, take it down and lovingly nurse it back by slowly watering the soil until it’s re-hydrated. You may also need to trim off the wilted foliage.
For the rest of the tips and tricks such as: fertilization, design and how to hang your basket check out Houzz.com
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