Find Your Ask the Expert: hanging baskets of petunia’s
My son bought me two of the largest, most beautiful hanging baskets of petunia’s for Mother’s Day. I was with him and the lady said to “water them every evening until water come’s out of the drain hole, and feed them 1/3 cup of the mixture on the Micerial Grow Box,” and I would have flowers until frost. I mixed the Miricial Grow Plant food as directed, one scop to every two gallons of water.
My plants are still as beautiful as the day he bought them, and I do what the lady told me to do. My question is: Do they do this just to keep them beautiful until they sell them or if I am doing the right thing by following her advice? I clean out the dead leaves and such around the soil each morning when I feed them, and I pick off the dead flowers at that time as well, I have had a few that have the stem has turned brown and like a “stick,” I just cut those out at the base of the “stick” and every thing seems fine.
They do not get the 3 full hours of sun the lady said they should have, only the morning sun as they are at the overhang of the porch. Some days I put them on a plant stand in the yard so they will get full sun all day. They are so full and beautiful that the multi-pink one almost touches the ground when on the plant stand. The red, white and purple one is not as long but is perfectly shaped and very full of blooms.
My husband thinks I”m “nuts,” and that I water and feed them two much, and that they might be beautiful now but I am gong to kill them. He say’s the plants will rot at the soil line and die because I water them too much every night. I stop watering ss soon s the water comes out of the drain hole.
Please give me advise as I don’t want to loose my plans.
Thank you,
Wanda Graham
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Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
The lady at the store was correct. You will probably need to water the hanging baskets every day. Hanging baskets containing annuals such as petunias will need more water than houseplants. They will also need more fertilizer.
However, there are a couple of tests you can apply to your hanging baskets that will help you determine if they need water. One is by determining the weight of the pot. If your pot feels heavy, you should have sufficient water for the time being. This is one of the ways we test baskets at our family nursery & garden center. As the water is used the baskets will start to feel lighter. The weight method is a little hard to get used to, but once you have mastered it the watering becomes perfect.
You can also test the soil by sticking your finger in the soil and pulling out a small amount. If you can roll the soil into a ball and squeeze water from it, you have too much water. If you can’t roll it into a ball and it blows away, you need to water it. The perfect soil will roll into a ball and will not release water. Keep in mind this isn’t a good test if you have just watered the plant.
We water our hanging baskets every day when it is sunny and warm. When it is cloudy, we have to check the baskets. Sometimes they don’t need water. In the summer when it is over 90°, you will need to watch the water usage. Sometimes they will not use as much water and will go into a dormant mode. Don’t let them get dry but don’t over water them.
As for the fertilizer, every week or every other week is sufficient. Annuals do require more fertilizer, since they grow at a rapid rate. The key is to dilute your water soluble fertilizer so that it isn’t too strong.
You will need to occasionally pick the dead blooms off. If the plant become to straggly, give it a hair cut. This will stimulate the growth.
If you plant does’t get enough sunlight it won’t thrive and the stems will become weak. Make sure you rotate the direction of the pot. The plant will tend to grow towards the sun. So once a week turn the pot so that the dark side can get more sunlight. Placing it out in the yard is fine. Keep in mind the more sunlight the more the basket may need water.
You are do a fine job. Keep up the good work. Your baskets should be pretty until frost.
Mobile florists hope this plant care question gives you the tips you need to care for your hanging baskets.
