THE HIGH LIFE
COLOURFUL, WELL-STOCKED HANGING BASKETS CAN REALLY LIFT YOUR SPIRITS ... JUST REMEMBER THREE KEY RULES
YOU wouldn’t believe the number of faded hanging baskets I’ve been asked to preside over for friends and relations.
They are planted up in May, hung outside in June, when danger of frost has passed, and fed and watered... well, whenever the householder remembers.
Ah, but you see, that is not enough. I mean, put yourself in its position.
There you are, a fully stuffed hanging basket, slung from a bracket on a sunny brick or stone wall, and they expect you to flower your hat off with very little help.
Whenever you gaze on a hanging basket that makes you go “wow”, you can be sure it has a generous parent who spoils it rotten.
For a start, it is very difficult to over-water a hanging basket, since any surplus simply runs out of the bottom. This means that in July and August, when the weather is warm, the basket will dry out very quickly.
Watering will be necessary at least once a day, and sometimes twice.
But as well as being thirsty, the plants that grow in the basket’s modest potting compost area are hungry and they will deplete any nutrients that it contains quite quickly. So, within three or four weeks of it being planted, any hanging basket should be given regular liquid feeds once a week.
It may sound overly generous but believe me, you and your plants will reap the benefits.
Diluted liquid tomato feed is a good choice as it contains plenty of potash to encourage flower production. Apply the diluted mixture to a basket that already has moist compost so it can go straight into action.
There is one final tip to ensure hanging basket beauty – go over it every few days, snipping off faded flowers and damaged stems.
The combination of these three essentials – food, drink and deadheading – will produce a stunning orb of flowers and foliage that will truly be the envy of all your neighbours.