Preparation
The greatest problem that people usually have with hanging baskets is keeping the soil sufficiently moist because a basket hanging in mid air dries out much quicker than soil at ground level. For this reason the way that the basket is prepared is very important. The outer layer of the basket is padded with moss and then inside the moss is a layer of polythene which you will need to cut and shape to fit. This will be the layer that holds the water. But you must make holes in the polythene - if not then the water will stay in the basket and produce a stagnant slushy mud which will rot all the plant roots.
Compost
Then after the polythene you fill the inside of the basket with a suitable compost. A peat rich compost is best as this will hold most moisture but there are today several bio friendly alternatives to peat. A moisture holding compost is important as the basket may be hung in a position which does not get rain.
Watering
The watering of the handing baskets is crucial. Some people in dry areas have irrigation systems with hose pipes running along the fronts of their homes to automatically water all their hanging baskets and window boxes. But for most homes with perhaps just one or two hanging baskets such a system is not practical. The best way to ensure that the basket is really soaked is to take it down and stand it in a bowl of water so that it soaks up moisture from the bottom and sides. This is a much better way of ensuring the compost is fully wetted than just pouring water on the top and hoping it reaches the soil and does not run off the leaves and over the sides.
In high places
If the baskets are hung in a very high position then taking them down regularly may not be easy. Then you will have to use your ingenuity to get water up to the basket. I have seen people with small watering cans tied to the top of long poles and hoses likewise attached to long canes. Daily watering is essential to ensure that they do not dry out - especially in hot summer weather. Occasionally some liquid feed can be added to the can or some slow release fertilizer may be added to the compost when the basket is first planted up.
Planting
How you plant your basket is a matter of personal preference but I think that most people agree that there can be one tall bushy plant in the center and several smaller trailing plants around the sides. Suitable plants for the center include geraniums and fuchsias and trailing plants for the rim include lobelia and petunias. I personally like to go for bright complementary colors.
Follow these tips and your hanging baskets should be a blaze of color through the summer.
