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Essential Hanging Planter Tips
Here we give some tried and true advice on Hanging Planter – tips we
think will help you get the most out of your plants and planters.
Add More Plants To Your Planters
 There
is no such thing as a modesty here – when in doubt add more plants to
your planters.
While you might opt for a subtle combination of flower and foliage
colors or go for something bright and brassy – the secret is that your
annuals 99 times out of 100 will perform their best when packed to the
brim.
Choose a Bigger Planter
We recommend that bigger planters are better.
So we never use a planter less than 14in diameter – anything smaller
simply dries out too quickly – and snap up any you find with flat
bottoms as they sit on any surface and make planting very simple.
Some hanging planters need a liner to hold the compost or soil and are
planted round the sides, base and top for an all-round massed effect.
Other planters you can simply plant into the spaces provided or just top
plant.
A Good Looking Liner Gives a Quality Finish
Moss is still often held up as king when it comes to lining a hanging
basket, but you should only ever use it as a cosmetic finish to hide an
inner plastic liner.
On its own, moss simply doesn’t keep a basket moist – unless in is the
new Angel Moss from New Zealand.
Angel Moss from New Zealand holds twenty times it own weight in water
and is easy to top and side plant.
Angel Moss looks great in hanging basket and hanging planters – with it
golden brown hues.
Your Choice of Soil or Compost is Critical
The adage “A penny saved is a penny earned” may be true for some things
but this is usually not the case when it comes to choosing your compost
or potting soil.
Your hanging planters or baskets by their very nature hold less soil –
so your plants need the best possible soil they can get for this their
particular and unique situation – as hanging gardens.
We suggest buy a special container/basket compost, one which has
water-storing granules and slow-release fertilizer added.
Miracle offers one – we have tried it with great success - however some
gardeners think it holds the water in their planters for too long –
which is something many plants don’t like.
Carefully Choose The Plants for Your Planters
The earlier you plant your hanging planters with summer annuals, the
smaller the plants can be.
Often times smaller plants are much more susceptible to cold and frost –
their tender shots having been nurtured in warm greenhouses day and
night before being subjected to the shock of the real world in your
hanging planter.
We recommend opting for larger healthier plants or if you need to choose
little plants pack them in – and protect them from the harsh extremes of
weather till they have become established and the weather is more
conducive to growth.
Don’t Hang Your Hanging Planters Out to Early
How many times do we sow the seeds of our hanging basket or hanging
planters destruction by hanging them out too early?
Half-hardy annuals make up the majority of plants used in summer
planters, and they need frost protection. Plants started early under
cover can go outside during the day from early May onwards, but bring
them in at night. From mid May they can stay out day and night, but if
frost threatens, move them near a building or cover them for protection.
Frost Protek Plant Covers – work well.
Water Regularly
Regular and thorough watering is vital for the success of your hanging
planter’s plants.
A watering can or hose is fine for just a few planter, but for a busy
watering round nothing beats a trigger-operated lance fitted to the
hose.
For deluxe watering, try an automatic dripper system which pipes water
directly to each basket.
Get to know the weight of a basket just after watering by lifting it
gently from beneath. You’ll soon start to feel the difference as it
dries out and becomes lighter. In the height of summer, baskets need a
daily soak until water just drips from the base – on hot windy days they
may need watering twice.
Evening and early morning, when it’s cooler and plants are under least
stress, are the best times to water.
Fertilize and Feed for More Flowers
Slow-release fertilizer in the soil to begin with and then a liquid
fertilizer feed every week or two are vital if you are planting annuals
in your planters.
If need be nip of old flower heads, spindly braches to encourage more
growth.
We hope these tips will serve you well and that you have the nest
hanging planters or hanging baskets – you have ever had.
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