How to plant and maintain hanging baskets FREE

Transcription

1 How to plant and maintain hanging baskets FREE

2 How to plant and maintain hanging baskets This guide shows you how to plant and care for hanging baskets for all-year-round colour. Planting a basket is a very simple task that needs no special horticultural skill and shouldn t take you more than one hour. Tools for the job Hanging basket Bucket Garden fork Garden trowel Gloves Scissors Watering can Wall bracket Hammer drill Masonry drill bit set Set of screwdrivers Step ladder Materials for the job Hanging basket Controlled-release fertiliser granules Compost Hanging basket Plants Water-retaining gel Water saucer / bin liner Wood fibre liner / moss Wall bracket Hanging basket bracket Rawl plugs Screws

3 1. Choose your plants The first step towards creating a beautiful hanging basket is to choose the plants. Later we give you a list of the best plants for each season for your basket. Purchasing healthy plants is essential. Plants with several stems are best, since they will produce prolific growth. There are lots of plants that can be grown in baskets, including central feature plants, trailing plants and plants that add colour to the basket. Rather than planting randomly, you can opt for a colour scheme to make your basket more attractive. Also, you can consider adding an edible element like strawberries or tumbling tomatoes, which are ideal for hanging baskets. Although most baskets are planted in early spring and put outdoors after the risk of frost has passed, you can fill the basket with frost hardy flowers and tough evergreens for colour in autumn / winter. 2. Choose your basket type There are three main types of basket to choose from: wire mesh, plastic and rattan. Wire mesh baskets allow for planting in both the sides and top of the hanging basket. Rattan baskets are attractive to look at and have a plastic liner for water retention. Plastic and rattan hanging baskets insulate against the wind and sun, so have better water retention properties, however the sides of these baskets cannot be planted. They are ideal for trailing petunias. 3. Buy what you need The number of plants you ll need depends on their size and type, but for a standard 35cm wire basket you will need approximately: 1-3 centre plants 5 plants for colour 7-9 trailing plants For a plastic or rattan basket with solid sides you will need fewer plants. Allow for approximately: 1-3 centre plants 3 plants for colour 6 trailing plants You will also need to buy: Hanging basket compost or peat-free multi-purpose compost (approximately 12 litres for a 35cm basket) a wood-fibre basket liner or moss Controlled-release fertiliser granules (only required if you use multipurpose compost) Water-retaining gel (only if you use multi-purpose compost) 4. Prepare the hanging basket Use a wood-fibre liner or moss (Fig. 1) to line your basket if needed. Place the basket on a special wire frame or bucket for stability. Put a water saucer or piece of plastic bin liner in the bottom of the basket to aid water retention (Fig. 2). Prepare your compost by mixing a handful of controlled-release fertiliser granules and some water-retaining gel into hanging basket or peat-free multi-purpose compost (Fig. 3). Add your compost to the basket and pat it down until it reaches 8cm below the rim. If you have used moss to line the basket push some compost up at the edges and pull some moss over the top of it. This gives the plants a soft edge to trail over (Fig. 4).

4 5. Plant the basket Starting from the bottom upwards, have a plan to evenly space your side-planted trailing plants in two layers: one just above your saucer or plastic bin liner and the other about 8cm from the rim. Soak the plants thoroughly and remove them from their containers. If the root ball is very large you may have to tease away some of the compost to get it through the side of the basket. You can wrap the root balls in small plastic bags or tubes of paper to make insertion into the basket easier. From inside the basket, pull the root balls through (Fig. 5). Remove the bags/paper and firm the root ball in place. When you have placed all the side-planted plants, add more compost to within 2cm of the rim. On the top, place your centre plants, and then the plants for colour around them, 2cm or so from the edge (Fig. 6). Firm the soil around the base of each plant and sprinkle another tablespoon of controlled-release fertiliser granules over the soil. Fig. 1 For stability while planting stand your basket on a special wire frame or bucket. Line the basket with a liner or moss. Fig. 2 Put a saucer or piece of plastic bin liner in the bottom of the basket to help retain water. Fig. 3 Prepare your peat-free multi-purpose compost by adding a handful of controlled release fertiliser granules and water retaining gel. Fig. 4 Pull some compost up the sides of the basket and draw the moss over the top of it to protect the stems of plants spilling over the edge. Fig. 5 Evenly space your side-planted plants in two layers all around the basket. Fig. 6 When all the side-planted plants are in place, start filling the basket with the centre plants.

5 6. Water and feed the basket Put the basket outside in frost-free conditions, or in a greenhouse. In hot, dry weather, water the basket immediately and hang it in the shade for a few days. If the weather is cool and damp wait until it warms up before watering the basket thoroughly. Water your basket regularly in warm weather to make sure it doesn t dry out this might mean as often as once or twice a day. Even if you have mixed controlled-release fertiliser granules with your compost, your plant will benefit from extra feeding, particularly during the growing season in spring and summer. Buy a hanging basket liquid fertiliser and feed the plants according to the manufacturer s instructions. 7. Fix a bracket for your hanging basket Safety is a very important factor when hanging your basket, so make sure the bracket is properly fixed to the wall. Select the bracket that is correct for the size and weight of your basket. Choose the position of your bracket and mark the place for the screws. Use an electric drill and masonry bit to make the holes in your wall and insert the rawl plugs. You can now fix the bracket to the wall and hook up your hanging basket. 8. Ideal plants for hanging baskets SPRING BASKET Colour Bellis, Cineraria, Dianthus Sunflor, Pansy, Primroses, Viola. Centre plants Conifer, Cordyline, Euonymus. Trailing plants Aubrieta, Hedera (ivy), Kitty. SUMMER BASKET Colour Begonia, Impatiens, Lobelia (bush), New Guinea Impatiens, Marguerite, Petunia, Verbena. Centre plants Conifer, Cordyline, Dwarf Hebes, Euonymus, Fuchsia (bush), Geranium. Trailing plants Bacopa White, Begonia (hanging), Convolvulus, Fuchsia (trailing), Geranium (ivy leaf), Hedera (ivy), Helichrysum Silver, Lobelia (trailing), Nepeta, Petunia Surfina, Petunia Tumbelina, Portulaca. AUTUMN / WINTER BASKET Colour Coloured Heather, Mini Cyclamen, Pansy, Primrose, Solanum, Viola. Centre plants Chrysanthemum, Coloured Heather, Conifer, Cordyline, Euonymus, Hebe. Trailing plants Hedera (ivy).

6 Planning your next Project The Bunnings leaflets are designed to help you through your home projects. They ll give you the right information on what materials you ll need, how to get the job done and tips and ideas for achieving the best result. If you d like more advice, come in and discuss the project with one of our experts. PLEASE NOTE: As far as the law permits, Bunnings excludes liability in relation to the statements in this leaflet. BUKI P17007