How do I extend my hanging baskets' blooming period?
Written by
Julia Anderson
Reviewed by
Prof. Martin Thorne, Ph.D.Increasing the blooming period of your hanging baskets involves careful handling of the liners in combination with all the right care of the plants. Coir liners that hold moisture will allow for little to no drought stress during heat periods, while the holes allow for open drainage to prevent root rot. I successfully maintained baskets within the 6-month range with these measures. Your flowers will acknowledge the time and effort put in with an uninterrupted parade of color.
Liner Moisture Control
- Use thick coconut coir liners maintaining consistent hydration
- Add water-absorbing crystals to soil reducing drought stress
- Layer sphagnum moss between liner and soil as reservoir
- Check moisture twice daily during peak summer heat
Root Health Management
- Ensure 5-8 drainage holes per square foot preventing rot
- Flush drainage monthly with water preventing clogs
- Apply mycorrhizal fungi supplements boosting root resilience
- Avoid compacting soil during deadheading sessions
Nutrition & Maintenance
- Fertilize every 14 days with balanced 10-10-10 formula
- Deadhead spent blooms weekly redirecting plant energy
- Prune leggy stems monthly encouraging bushier growth
- Rotate baskets biweekly ensuring even sun exposure
Fertilization practices promote continuous flowering. Follow a regular fertilization schedule, including water-soluble 10-10-10 fertilizer every other week during peak season. Once flowers start to emerge, you can use bloom-enhancing fertilizer high in phosphorus. I tend to alternate between root feeding and foliar feeding to maximize uptake. When plants are consistently fed, they tend to produce more flowers.
Methods of deadheading redirect energy most efficiently. Use your sharp scissors to pinch spent blooms just above the next leaf node. This needs to be done before the flowers wilt and develop seed pods. Each week, part of my weekly maintenance involves deadheading my baskets every Monday morning. Your plants will produce new blooms without the effort to go to seed.
Microclimate management mitigates stress. Place containers or hanging baskets in the morning sun and shade them during the hot summer afternoons. It is also important to protect your flowers from the powerful summer wind, which can dry the leaves and harm the flowers. I use basic shade cloth during heat waves. Monitoring temperatures, flowers will usually avoid temperature extremes that will shorten their bloom cycles.
Preparing for seasonal changes of your basket arrangements is beneficial. Change your liners before the emergence of spring growth, and transition to winter-flowering plants when temperatures drop. As an example, I regularly plant pansies in freshly refurbished coir liners in the fall. Through creativity and planning, you can maintain color and texture in your baskets from season to season.
Read the full article: Everything About Hanging Basket Liners
