Gardening: Francis Tophill advises on watering plants without a hose
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A hanging basket overflowing with gorgeous abundant blooms is one of the quickest and easiest ways to add colour and interest to the patio, porch or garden. But, keeping your hanging baskets looking their best in high summer takes work, says Angharad James, product manager at plant food company Phostrogen.
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She said: “Many gardeners struggle to keep their hanging baskets thriving throughout summer, particularly those that are planted in springtime.
“Above all, the most important thing is to choose the best location to suit your pride and joy.”
Just as gardeners would with any other flower in their beds and borders, they need to look at the needs of hanging basket plants when deciding where to put them.
Angharad explained: “For instance, a basket full of shade-dwelling fuchsias or begonias placed in direct sunlight will quickly wilt, and equally, placing sun-loving plants like petunias in the shade will mean they soon fade, too.”
Gardeners should also try to choose an area that is sheltered from the wind for their hanging basket.
The expert said: “Not only will protecting flowers from strong gusts reduce the risk of the basket falling to the ground and damaging plants and protect delicate blooms from being blown away, but it will also reduce the amount of watering required because the basket will be dried out quickly in a breezy spot.”
Of course, you’ll also need to ensure the hanging basket is securely fixed to the wall, fence or hook.
Baskets can become heavy after a good watering, so it’s important it is safely attached.
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Even though hanging baskets make for a great addition to any outdoor space, in a busy garden it’s quite easy to forget about their slightly more complex needs, aside from being placed in the ideal location.
As plants grow, they need intervention to encourage constant, healthy blooms throughout the season.
This tip also applies in autumn and winter too.
Angharad advised: “Don’t forget to rotate your hanging basket every so often to avoid plants growing unevenly and be sure to prune back leggy growth for a beautiful display.”
She also recommended deadheading flowers regularly to encourage repeat blooms and allow your plant to flourish for as long as possible.
According to gardening experts at Garden Made Simple, the “biggest problem” with hanging baskets in full sun is the soil drying out, especially on sweltering hot days.
To combat this, they suggest “always” using mulch in hanging baskets.
The experts said: “Always mulch as well as adding water retaining products such as crystals or granules, to your potting mix.
“They swell up and hold water and release the water into the soil over time.
“Adding these can reduce your watering times by half.”
It is essential to feed these plants every week with a liquid organic fertiliser to produce blooms.
Hanging baskets only have a limited amount of nutrient value in the potting mix, and the plant usually uses this during the first few weeks, especially with frequent watering.
Water before feeding the plant, so the basket stays hydrated before the feeding.
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