Preparing my Hanging Baskets
And a simple trick to conserve water
Today I planted up my hanging baskets. I know it is still well before my last frost date, but if any frosty nights are forecast I can easily move the baskets into the greenhouse or garage to protect them. As always at this time of year I was raring to go, and thought the plants might as well be getting used to my garden rather than sitting on a shelf in the garden centre.
I always have a couple of hanging baskets on my garage wall. Of course they look pretty, but they also attract pollinators and other beneficial insects to my garden.
This year I have planted a white trailing Verbena and two purple varieties of Calibrachoa (million bells).
I always choose single-flowered rather than double-flowered varieties. Double flowers have less pollen and nectar, and the extra petals make it difficult for many insect species to reach what pollen and nectar there is. And I personally prefer the simplicity of single flowers.
I don’t like to overcrowd my baskets. They look a little bit sparse at the moment, but will soon fill out nicely and hopefully put on a nice show in a few weeks time.
A simple trick to conserve water in summer
Keeping your hanging baskets hydrated in hot summer weather can be a bit of a problem. You water them, and much of the water just runs straight through. Precious water gets wasted, and in no time your hanging basket is dry again.
Using a suitable compost and adding vermiculite will help a little, and an automatic watering system is a godsend. But the problem remains that a lot of the water runs straight through and is lost. You can use a bucket or bowl to catch the water that runs through to reuse elsewhere in the garden. But keeping your basket plants consistently hydrated and fed is still tricky, especially in hot dry weather.
Here is a very simple trick to help keep your baskets hydrated for longer.
When setting up your basket in spring, place a plant saucer on your basket liner before you add the compost.
Then add your compost and set your plants as normal. Now when you water your basket the saucer will act as a little reservoir for your plant roots to tap into and keep the surrounding compost moist. Any excess water will drain out of the sides as normal, so your basket cannot become too waterlogged.
You will still need to water and feed your baskets regularly, especially in hot dry weather. But more water will be retained in the baskets so your plants will be happier and healthier.