Mid-summer Container Garden and Hanging Basket Care

It’s always sad to lose a good friend, especially in just one day.  That’s the feeling many folks experience during a hot July when it comes to their mid-summer container gardens and hanging baskets.  Oh what sorrow at forgetting to water that formerly perky petunia or gee-whiz geranium just one day!   Well, not all plants are forgiving.  A reminder that plants do need plenty of water during these hot spells, sometimes twice per day.  Here are a few tips for mid-summer care of container gardens and hanging baskets:

1. Water thoroughly and deeply during hot weather, especially if it has not rained.  Water directly at the surface and make sure the water is getting down into the soil.  This may take slow and steady watering habits.  If the soil becomes too dry, water will tend to run off the top.
2. Remember to fertilize in mid-summer.  A water-soluble fertilizer 5-10-10 or similar, twice per week, will benefit the plant by producing more blooms.
3. Continue to dead-head flowering annuals, taking off spent blooms to encourage new ones to form.
4. If parts of your plants have dried up, cut them off.  This will encourage more growing from the center of the plant.
5. Keep the weeds out of your container gardens and hanging baskets.  Weeds will compete with the pretty plants for water and fertilizer.
6. When going on vacation, ask someone to come and tend your plants, or thoroughly water before leaving and set plants in a large saucer or container filled with water.  The plants should take up what they need while you are away.  Better yet, purchase self-watering containers from Waukesha Floral (see picture #3 below)
7. Watering in the morning is preferable, however evening watering is fine when the temperatures are warm.

Sit back and enjoy the beautiful pots of plants.  If you’ve got something you just love, take a picture of it.  We will be able to plant it for you again next year!

Container garden outside of Waukesha Floral contains a Mandevilla plant (on trellis), some yellow canna bulbs and an abundance of coleus and petunias. These need to be watered at least every-other day since the planters are so large. It’s time for some judicious and beneficial pruning on the vines, and a daily check that the Mandevilla are growing up onto the trellis.

This moss rose basket is still waiting to be sold in our greenhouse! The moss rose flowers open in full sunlight and close during cloudy days and dark nights. With succulent-like leaves and flowers, this plant can dry out once or twice and still bloom and thrive.

Waukesha Floral replaced some large trees with these pots of summer flowers in self-watering containers. These pots are able to be filled with 12 gallons of water, and contain a system to supply water to the plants as needed. There is an indicator at the rim of the pot which tells us how much water is left and when the planter should be filled up again. This is the ultimate way to make sure plants receive all the water needed during the summer, and a great way to care for outdoor plants when you are away.

Enjoy the beauty of an outdoor container garden! Remember, they are with us for just a brief part of the year so give them the water they love!