A tricky task: Here’s how to help baskets thrive through summer months
Just one look at the crowded garden centers and you will find people feverishly choosing their favorite plants. Mother’s Day is usually the peak for purchasing annual flowers, including containers and hanging baskets.
For season-long color in garden beds, annuals are the popular choice. Additionally, containers and baskets of annuals add a pop of color on porches and patios across the metro.
Beautiful hanging baskets are hard to resist in the nurseries. But once they come home, those baskets become a challenge to stay looking fresh.
Many plants are tightly packed in a small soil mass to get the color punch. Unfortunately, these attractive baskets do not make it through the season and end up in the trash or compost pile as they fail to thrive. Keeping baskets flourishing is easy with a few tips.
With summer high temperatures and winds in Kansas City, watering becomes essential. Baskets with a small amount of soil will dry out quickly. Small baskets may need to be watered once or twice a day to keep them thriving.
Reduce the need for watering by placing baskets out of the strong afternoon sun. This reduces the heat build-up in the basket. Heat is a one-two punch for annuals. First, the lack of water stresses the plant. Then the soil heats it up and weakens the root system.
Watering, of course, replaces moisture but also helps cool the soil. Less sun and direct heat may reduce flowering, but it can also save your plants from burning up in the summer sun.
Hanging baskets are heavy feeders. All the watering leaches nutrients from the basket resulting in poor growth. Fertilization is a must for survival.
The easiest way to fertilizer a basket or any container is with a water-soluble fertilizer. There are many brands on the market. The plants really do not care which one you use.
Simply follow label directions and use as recommended. Adding the fertilizer to the watering can not only hydrates the soil but also supplies the nutrients needed for growth.
If your plants run out of food, there will be no new growth and flowering. Lack of water and failure to feed quickly lead to the colorful basket ending up brown and crunchy.
Depending on the plant species, hanging baskets may need some summer housekeeping to continue to thrive. Cutting back basket plants is like pruning a shrub. Removing the growing point stimulates new shoots and often leads to more flowers.
Remove any faded flowers and yellowing leaves. Some of the plants may need a haircut or trim from time to time. Nip back any long straggly vines.
One last tip for baskets: hang them at eye level. Many times, people place them on a hook, high above their head. The view of your beautiful basket then becomes the bottom of the pot, not the most attractive part.
Use a wire or decorative string to lower the basket so the plants are seen at eye level. This not only improves the looks but also makes it easier to water and care for the plant.
Just a few minutes of care can help ensure your Mother’s Day purchases will be spectacular come the Fourth of July and maybe even through Labor Day.
Dennis Patton is a horticulture agent with Kansas State University Research and Extension. Have a question for him or other university extension experts? Email them to garden.help@jocogov.org.
This story was originally published May 19, 2021 at 5:00 AM.