When to plant out hanging baskets

olias

Ok, complete novice here, but I needed to spruce up my courtyard to put my house on the market.
I have bought a variety of suitable plug plants, grown them on in 9cm pots, and have had them outside in a mini greenhouse for a week or so.
They are looking good and healthy and I have pinched out tips etc.
When should I be looking at planting them out in my hanging baskets and troughs?
they include:
Trailing lobelia
Trailing fuschia
geraniums
sweet peas (dwarf basket variety)
Oh, and I am in NE England.

Thanks.

Olias

Linda32

Sweet peas can go out now, they are as tough as old boots, although I know they don't look it. Its my first year growing geraniums so I'd better not suggest anything for those.

Fuchsia and lobelia, I would wait at least another three weeks if you are in the North East. Mind you it is a guessing game to a certain extent.

Is the mini greenhouse a plastic one or glass. If its plastic then they have been hardened off I would have thought - That just means getting them used to being outside after growing in a warm house or greenhouse.
If however, it is a glass one then I would be inclined to move them outdoors during the day for the next few weeks so achieve the same thing.

If you sit the plants in trays you can easily lift a couple out in the morning before you go out, then bring them in at night and so on until all of your plants have had a spell outside.

HTH

olias

Hi and thanks.
It's just a cheap plastic mini greenhouse (£8 from Morrisons! lol). I've been putting it out during the day and bringing it in at night for at least 2 or 3 weeks, and its been out day and night for a week to ten days.
I reckon I'll risk planting some out in another week or ten days and see how I get on......

Olias

cyclonebri1

The old adage was never before the end of may when all danger of frost has past, but the weather is more varied now,

However weather forecasts have improved immensely in accuracy so I usually reckon it's the end of april for anything that can be moved, light planters and hanging baskets let's say, but for any tubs that are too heavy or bulky, don't risk your more expensive plants in them 'til later.

My tip would have been for instant colour to have pansies in various stages of growth, most hardy varieties will flower for 90% of the year and you can forget about frosts, they just slow them down a little.;)

pinkcandyflossprincess

My children did baskets last year..this year they started to bloom, jam packed full of pansies:T

peter_the_piper

I do about 200 each year and plant them up from 1st week April onwards. We are darn sarth and have heated greenhouses so its somewhat easier. Even oop norf it should be safe to put them out now. Make sure you have some sort of reservoir in the bottom of the basket to assist watering and if you can afford it some of the Swell Gell crystals. Feed at least every other week and water every day. Have fun.

good_advice

Bedding plants can go outside from the 1st June.

Saying that, our 7 hanging baskets have been out in the garden about a week.