Hanging baskets

lexie55_2

Decided to have hanging baskets this year, how many plants do you recommend to put in one basket, and is it best to plant the trailing plants through the side?

Kay_Peel

I don't put trailing plants through the side - I find it too fiddley. Instead I plant them around the top so that they hang down from the top and can get a good watering.

It depends on how big your hanging basket is, but most people tell you to cram them in. I don't. Instead I put about three trailing plants in a triangle ( including Tumbling Tomatoes and Strawberries), put some taller Fuschia in the middle of the triangle and a couple of small dots of begonia or bush lobelia in spaces. So that's about 6 plants in one big hanging basket.

They soon fill out!

savemoney

I put 6 to 7 plants followed by sweet peas and nasturtiums around 10-12 plants in all these then grown over

peter_the_piper

Depending on the size for a 14" I put 3 surfinias and 3 other(trail beg, lobelia, bidens, bacopa etc).plus a plant 1 in the centre(fuchsia,geranium,non stop begonia etc). If it looks a bit thin then I put 3 plugs of dwarf gypsophila between the centre plant and the outer ones. For 12" use proportionately less and for a 16", more. If considering putting them out soon watch out for nighttime cold/frost. More baskets are lost from putting them out too soon than any other reason.
ps. Don't forget to mix in the Swell Gel in the compost as well as a long term feed (Osmacote) if you can get it.

heynonnynonny

I'm jumping on the back of this.

Got 4 small fuschia dark eyes in a round basket - what would anyone suggest putting in with them to fill it out??

savemoney

I got 6 plants from Aldi last week for baskets for £2.50. I got 3 lots and made 3 baskets

How two baskets below side and top view










I also put fuchsia in mine but forgot when making the baskets I gave my plants to next door to look after over winter

peter_the_piper

heynonnynonny wrote: »

I'm jumping on the back of this.

Got 4 small fuschia dark eyes in a round basket - what would anyone suggest putting in with them to fill it out??

White Bacopa, cuttings raised lobelia, torenia would all be suitable, I won't suggest petunias as they would swamp Dark Eyes.