Hanging Baskets

[Cherrypecker]

Hi all,

 

Does anyone know where we might be able to get hold of some decent hanging baskets for outside our home? We brought one from a garden centre in Mclaren Vale last year, and it was dead within a fortnight. We are down in Seaford Rise.

 

Cheers for any potential advice.

Sarah

[snifter]

I was going to suggest a place in MaClaren Vale as I recall they had some lovely ones last year.

 

I did my own last year and they were decent. The main issue I found with them is they need watering daily and in really hot weather a second short watering can help save them from wilting in the heat. Very water demanding which is fine for a couple but I'm not doing more than that this year lol.

[Blossom]

Wherever you buy them from they are likely to die that quickly if not watered enough, which when it's hot is numerous times a day. The sun AND the wind dries them right out.

Mclarenvale garden centre is very good. Fleurio (so) garden centre is also great, but I'm not sure if they have them

made up or not. Mitre 10 mclaren vale is also very good. Also mitre 10 Reynella.

[Cherrypecker]

Hi both, thank you for your replies. I will keep searching.

[John Browning]

Hanging baskets are quite challenging at this time of year in Adelaide; The best suppliers are the specialists like Weald View in the Hillls.

 

If you really want to keep them alive, try:

 

-establish them in winter,and prune before the really hot weather arrives

 

-transfer the plants asap from the cheap plastic containers they are sold in to coconut coir lined baskets. The coir may need a quick wash with a bio- degradable soap to improve its water absorption You can buy these cheap in a range of sizes from Cheap as Chips etc( but don't buy anything smaller than 300 mm diameter)

 

-avoid afternoon sun, and hot dry winds, or any wind that comes directly off the sea: keep them on the South / East side of the house

 

-mix in plenty of soil wetting agent

 

- mulch the top layer heavily

 

- set up a cheap automatic dripper to give the baskets a short spray (-1 to 2 mins) at 8am, 12 noon and 3pm for the summer months

 

In heat waves, you may still need to lower the baskets to ground level

 

Just to make things really tricky: Adelaide tap water may be quite high in salt (NaCl) . +The amount of extra watering needed will flush nutrients from the potting mix. So dunk the whole basket routinely in a big bucket of rainwater and feed regularly with slow release fertiliser pellets.

 

 

That said, I've had plenty of success growing fuschias, and nodding violets, orchids etc over many years....but it is a carry-on to keep them happy.

 

John B