Best time to plant hanging baskets for a 'glorious' display (2024)

FAQs

Best time to plant hanging baskets for a 'glorious' display? ›

The experts explained: "To get a headstart, if you have a greenhouse you can plant them up earlier in spring, grow them on under glass, and then put the already established basket outside at the end of May or early June."

Plant summer hanging baskets from late April onwards, but they will need protection from frosts until late May/early June. If you do not have a greenhouse, it is usually easier to plant your basket once the risk of frost has passed. Acclimatise tender annuals to outdoor temperatures by hardening off.

When purchasing hanging baskets for summer you ideally want to have them in place by April or May to make the most of the longer days and get maximum return on your investment.

Good quality plants in hanging baskets can be grown by 5. maintaining greenhouse at 65-70 F day/60-65 F night temperatures.

During cooler spring or fall months, you may not need to water your hanging basket every day. However, when the temperatures start climbing up in the 25-40'C range, you will not only have to water everyday, you might have to water twice a day! Every time you water, you should make sure to completely saturate the soil.

What flowers last the longest in a hanging basket? There are many fabulous flowers that last all summer in a hanging basket, with some enduring into the fall. Some of the best to consider include calibrachoa, erigeron karvinskianus, fuchsias, geraniums and osteospermums.

Promote colorful, abundant flowers in your annuals and perennials by feeding them Miracle-Gro® Water Soluble Bloom Booster® Flower Food every 7 to 14 days, or Miracle-Gro® Shake 'n Feed® Rose & Bloom Plant Food every 3 months during the growing season.

For hanging baskets the general rule is to use one plant per inch of basket diameter – so 12 plants per 12 inch basket. You'll only need 5 plants per 12 inch hanging basket for bigger plants like Geraniums (Pelargoniums), Surfinia Petunias, culinary herbs and Fuchsias.

The best time to water your containers is in the morning to give them enough time to soak up the moisture before the heavy heat of the day. Plants also absorb water faster during the morning. How often should I water them? In the heat of the summer you should be watering your containers and hanging baskets every day.

Pruning Your Hanging Baskets

You can safely take off about ⅓ of each plant, so aim to prune off whatever is hanging down. Pruning will encourage the plant to bush out more and should help it fill in around the top again.

What is the best height for hanging baskets? ›

“You want the bottom of your planter to hang no higher than 7 feet off the ground and no lower than 6. That one-foot space is your sweet spot,” writes Gubler in this tutorial for her DIY hanging hoop planter.

Top Tip. Plant up baskets with summer bedding towards the end of May or early June, ready for hanging up outside when all risk of frost has passed.

Trailing forms of verbena are an elegant selection for hanging baskets. Both drought and heat tolerant, verbena is very low maintenance. Choose plants in shades of pink, purple or blue.

Personally, I put up to nine plants in the sides of the basket (in two staggered rows) and then plant as many as I can fit into the top. The more you plant, the sooner it starts to look good – but plants will need a lot more feeding and watering in summer.

Geraniums are hardy perennials, and are a good choice for low-maintenance hanging baskets. They are closely related to pelargoniums, which are also popular for hanging baskets, although they are more tender, so grown as annuals.

Trailing plants like petunias, verbena and calibrachoa are best for planting your hanging basket. They cascade over the basket sides, where their flowers can be easily seen from below.