Discussion Topic
Hanging Baskets
Posted on 07/19/08, 01:39 pm
I have a hanging basket of petunias and lobelia which of hang down over the edges. The plant is going downhill fast as the branches are breaking off daily where they go over the side of the container to hang on outside of the basket. Does anyone know of anything I can do the support these branches? They seem very heavy, too heavy for the stem to accomidate. If I cut back I won't have enough plant left to survive the season. Anyone have any pearls of wisdom??
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Reply #1 07/19/08 7:26pm
Hanging baskets are something I always have trouble with; the baskets they come in are overplanted, and end up needing a larger pot to sustain the plant; I usually end up transplanting them into a larger container and using stands for them as the season progresses. Water is always a major problem, and I absolutely despise those coir hangers! There is no way to keep them watered! But I have never had trouble with stems like you are describing; you do, however, need to do some judicious cutting back, in order to keep them from becoming leggy. -
Reply #2 07/20/08 1:05pm
Your going to laugh at me, but my front garden is shaded and I had a lot of problems with my hanging baskets, bugs, watering, mould etc, this year I couldnt be bothered so I bought some artificial hanging flowers and stuck them in , from the road youd never know any difference lol, problem cured :-) -
Reply #3 07/20/08 1:30pm
I just saw the very same basket at the store marked down to $2.00, and they looked equally bad there! I've trimmed back all I could and will not but them in a hanger as taking them out to water breaks them off even worse! -
Reply #4 07/22/08 8:52am
One more thing is that the watering leaches out nutrients, so, even though I prefer to garden organically, for hanging baskets, if I can't find a good liquid organic fertilizer, I will use Miracle Gro or something like it. -
Reply #5 07/24/08 3:46pm
I know at this time of year, hanging baskets with petunias never look good. However, the ones I have planted in the ground are thriving. -
Reply #6 07/26/08 11:00am
It's the middle of summer......why shouldn't they thrive now? Doesn't make sense to me, unless this level of heat dries out the basket but not the ground...hmmmm..yeah, that'll work for an explanation! -
Reply #7 08/14/08 4:00pm
This is a little late, but hanging baskets do much better if you add water retaining gel and a slow release granual fertilizer when you plant up the baskets or window boxes. You will find you water far less and the plants look happy much longer. The granuals and fertilizer is a bit expensive, so I buy mine when it goes on sale after the season is over and store to use the following summer. Hope this helps, Eily -
Reply #8 09/08/08 11:35pm
HI!! THIS IS MY DREAM GROUP..HAHA. personally, i keep those petunias pinched back from day one..are they regular petunias, or wave/tidal wave? lobelia tends to get ill looking after the intense heat of summer hits, so there is not much you can to about them unless you move them to a shadier spot in the afteroon. but back to the petunias..the are heavy feeders, especially in containers. deadhead the reg. petunias, and fertilize, fertilize, fertilize the waves..(you wont have to deadhead them if they are well fed) you can cut it back some...you dont have to cut way back..and next year you will know..keep them pinched and bushy, they wont get leggy..
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