How to Grow Full Beautiful Hanging Baskets
nutsaboutflowers
12 years ago
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weeper_11
12 years agonorthspruce
12 years agoRelated Discussions
Growing medium for Hanging baskets of tomatoes
Comments (4)Allow me to be somewhat sarcastic (appearing) initially. The 'best' growing medium in this case is the one that allows sufficient aeration while also holding sufficient water until you can reasonably water again. If Al's mix worked out well for you in a traditional pot last year then I would say use it again this year, but with some caveats. Is the volume of potting mix your hanging basket holds the same, less than or greater than the pot you used last year? Is the hanging basket a plastic pot with some 'hooks' that attach or is it a fiber lined basket? If your answer is that the hanging basket holds as much potting mix volume as the pot used last year and it is a plastic pot then I would say do the same thing you did last year. If the volume it holds is less and/or you are using a fiber lined basket then you will have to water more often than you did last year. IF this isn't acceptable/realistic then you may have to consider modifying the mix to hold more water. Let us know....See More?? How to hang Hanging Baskets in my HFGH ???
Comments (7)I have not hung any baskets yet in my HFGH, but in a recent thread Funnylady mentioned these black plastic clips, 20 for $9.95, from ACF Greenhouses. They are designed to hold up bubble wrap as well as hanging baskets, and they apparently just clip in the wall and roof stud tracks. Black plastic bubble wrap clips She uses them to hang lots of orchids in her HFGH (she put two 10x12s together.) There's a good picture of her hanging orchids about 2/3 of the way down this thread: Two 10x12 HFGHs Joined Together I grow cacti and succulents and those hanging plants can get huge and weigh a ton (heavy sandy soil too) and I'm still debating about how much weight I should hang from my HFGH roof. I may try to build some kind of separate rack out of pipe, and attach it to my benches instead, for bigger plants. I intend to order some of the clips to play around with though, they look like they would be handy, and seem to work well for hanging baskets....See MoreEvergreen vines/plants to grow in hanging baskets?
Comments (5)Personally, I like succulents in hanging baskets because they are fairly worry free. Some of the sedums look great as well as Semperviviums and Echeverias. Graptoveria is nice too, and Epiphyllums are a favorite although they do need some winter protection under an eave or something else. I also have a hardy orchid in a hanging basket, Dendrobium kingianum, that survived the freeze 2 winters ago admirably under an eave. Begonias, the big tuberous kind, are winter deciduous and the fibrous kind may not make it through winter. Impatiens will not make it either unless the winter is extremely mild and they have protection. wanda...See MoreLush and Full hanging baskets...
Comments (12)I looked at the "I grow" statement and I've said the same thing myself. What I refer to is that in a business, all members don't automatically "grow". I am the primary grower and list myself as such. I think the post just wanted some hints on how to produce nice baskets, and what we find helpful. Pretty innocent and perhaps the responses were enough to put the poster off, if he/she were a shy person. I remember in ag econ class........we were discussing the law of diminishing returns. An assumption is made, if you are in the business, one is capable of growing any quality of product they wish. IOW, where is the most profitable point on the line for maxing out profit for $$$$ put in. It's not always the best product who is the most profitable. I try to produce the best product I can where I can still get a high return. Not the best return, because quality is an issue I feel helps to sell my product overall as opposed to mass produced. As a "farmer" and that is essentially what we are........one is always at the mercy of some variables. Weather is the most obvious. I've had cold, dark springs where no matter how much heat I throw to a crop, they are more spindly than I'd like from low light levels. Sometimes I'm the victim of poor cutting quality. Sometimes an unexpected pest outbreak robs the pots of the vigour they should have before the pest is identified and treated. So, there are many variables to consider and the same crop may need to be grown in different ways every year to achieve maximum quality. Firstly.....don't stint. Use an appropriate number of cuttings, and if in doubt go higher instead of lower. May cost more in the initial, but also could cut down on pinch or chemical pinch applications. So, may be cost effective. Secondly, good scheduling. Know how many weeks it's going to take beforehand so that time is allowed for growth and pinching. Thirdly, start with high quality stock. This can be trial and error, but is essential. Find a source you can trust. Fourthly, yes........good soil. You can make your own quality soil. I worked for a large concern where we did, but it is not usually price effective for a smaller grower. Know your fertilier needs and use them, and use care on salts buildups. More isn't always better and I do leach outs on a schedule. Pest control. One of the worst enemies of small cuttings or plugs in large pots is fungus gnats. I seldom have a problem with them because one skill I mastered early was watering. Wet soil and fungus gnats can set your schedule and quality back more quickly than anything I can think of. If you do get them, get rid of them pronto. And of course heat is an issue. Basket crops can be grown cool. If one does, however, choose the old fashioned way of not pushing a crop, they have to allow for more bench time. That may.......or may not........be cost effective in the long run. Know your numbers and be realistic. Internode control. A must for lush baskets. Pinching is a given, either manually or chemically. Do it early enough so that new growth and branching has a chance to develop to bloom WHEN you need them. Know your marketing windows....See Moremarciaz3 Tropical 3 Northwestern Ontario
12 years agomarricgardens
12 years agonutsaboutflowers
12 years agomikomum
12 years agonutsaboutflowers
12 years agosavona
12 years agomikomum
12 years agoPudge 2b
12 years agoGinny McLean_Petite_Garden
12 years agonorthspruce
12 years agosavona
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12 years agobeegood_gw
12 years agonorthspruce
12 years agosavona
12 years agomarciaz3 Tropical 3 Northwestern Ontario
12 years ago
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