Hanging baskets have the ability to transform an entire landscaping design. They are an easy way to add color, vibrancy, and texture to your yard. However, many retailers like to crank up the prices on these baskets, making them a pretty hefty investment. If you are willing to put in a little extra time and effort than you can easily make show-stopping baskets, without having to break the bank.
One of the most important steps in creating a petunia basket is choosing the right type of potting soil. Petunia baskets do best with soil that has a medium to high level of water retention, but also promotes water drainage to prevent root rot. I normally search for soils that contain compost, perlite, and earthworm castings when planting hanging baskets. These ingredients create the perfect balance between water retention and drainage, while also contributing the necessary nutrients to help develop strong, healthy roots, which result in healthier and more vibrant plants. I personally love to use SunGro: Black Gold All Purpose Potting Mix.
After filling about 75% of your basket with soil, it is important to add plant food to the top layers of your soil. This self-releasing food will help to provide season-long nourishment to your petunias, enabling them to live longer. I have found Osmocote to be the plant food that delivers the best results.
With all the ground-work now complete, it is time to choose your petunias. For the best results, try to purchase Wave Petunias, also referred to as Supertunias. These petunias have a trailing growth pattern and typically have large blooms. The growth pattern is what causes the baskets to grow so long and full. The large blooms help the baskets appear fuller and more vibrant.
Petunias grow very rapidly, so only three or four plants are needed to create a large hanging basket. Plant the flowers equidistant from each other inside the basket and allow the plants to grow over time and fill in any gaps. Make sure to keep an eye on your basket as is grows, and to cut off any long, scraggly stems that sprout up. This will help the petunias to grow back fuller and more vibrant, and will prevent your basket from looking leggy.
The final thing you should keep in mind when creating your basket is the importance of fertilizing your basket weekly. I cannot stress enough how important it is to fertilize consistently. It makes your baskets grow faster, fuller, and more vibrant. It provides the flowers with any nutrients it may need and it helps to develop stronger and healthier roots. When working at the Greenhouse we used Jack’s Fertilizer, and it worked so well, I refuse to use any other brand at home. I highly recommend purchasing this fertilizer in order to achieve the best results possible.
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