Can we help these baskets to come back?

image from potterybarn.com

Today Friday the 13th of August is a lovely day here in Dougherty Iowa.  Temperature is at 64 degrees, low humidity, blue clear sky.  I would say it is going to be an almost perfect summer day.  With the hot and humidity weather we have been having, this is what we need to give us time outside and to work in our gardens.  I will go back to planting today.  I have tons of succulents to replant and plant.   It looks like I might need to do some watering, but haven’t watered all week.  All weekend it is going to be like this so ENJOY…

Here is some advice about your hanging baskets if they are struggling.   Good luck if you need to redo your hanging baskets. 
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Old World Garden Farms
How To Save Struggling Hanging Baskets – 2 Simple Secrets To Success!
So is it really possible to save struggling hanging baskets and bring them back to life? You bet it is!
The secret to success all lies in recognizing the specific cause, and taking swift corrective action to remedy it. And when it comes to hanging baskets, those issues can usually be traced to an overgrown and stressed out root structure.
Saving a struggling hanging basket means taking swift action before it’s too late.
Diagnosing The Problem – How To Save A Struggling Hanging Basket
The first step is to make sure your plant is not suffering from a simple lack of attention. Whether that be too much or too little water, or a lack of nutrients.
Those issues can easily be remedied, simply by applying the right amount of fertilizer, and watering on a regular, regimented schedule. (see : How To Fertilize Hanging Baskets For Success)
Hanging baskets need to be fertilized regularly to keep producing blooms.
But in many cases, even the most well cared for hanging baskets begin to fade fast by early summer. And for these plants, no amount of water or fertilizer is going to help.
It can certainly be frustrating. Especially for gardeners who have worked hard to care for their plants.
Mid-Summer Hanging Basket Failure
When a well-cared for plant suddenly begins to lose its luster in early or mid-summer, the cause is almost always overgrown roots in an undersized container.
Once a plant’s roots have become wound tightly together, it is nearly impossible for them to absorb water or nutrients.
When a plant becomes root bound, it is hard for it to absorb any nutrients or water.
When this happens, water simply runs right through the basket. As do any fertilizers applied to the plant as well. Unfortunately, at this point, no amount of soaking will allow the plant to absorb enough of either to flower, let alone survive for the long term.
This is actually quite common with hanging baskets purchased in early spring from nurseries and greenhouses.
Greenhouses start their plants early to get them blooming for sale. These plants often need to be replanted by mid-summer to continue thriving.
To get the plants showy and beautiful for customers, these plants are started as far back as December. And by mid-summer, they have simply grown too big for their container.
But whatever you do, don’t throw that plant out! Although it may seem like the end of the line, there are 2 simple methods to get your plants blooming again.
2 Ways To Save Struggling Hanging Baskets
Repotting
The first and best option to bring your hanging basket back to life is to replant it into a larger vessel.
Unfortunately, most commercial hanging baskets are sold with 10 to 12″ pots as their growing container. To make it through an entire growing season, baskets should be at minimum 14 to 16″ in size.
Select a new basket or container with at least 1/4 more growing space. The more room the better. This gives plenty of space for roots to expand out and bring in nutrients quickly.
Next, fill the bottom of the basket with a high quality potting soil. Before sitting the root ball into the new basket, be sure to loosen the tightly wound roots. Gently break apart the bottom of the roots, taking care to keep them intact to the root ball.
This allows the plant to breath and grow into the new soil. And as it does so, it will be able to soak in the nutrients and water it needs to thrive once again.
Finish by filling the remainder of the pot with potting soil, and then giving the plant a good watering along with a dose of liquid fertilizer. This boost of nutrients will help the plant to re-flourish quickly. (Product Link : Miracle Grow Organics Plant Food)
Replanting
So what happens if you are trying to save a hanging basket that is simply too large to find a suitable basket or container?
Once again, don’t throw that plant away! Instead, replant it directly into your landscape for a huge splash of annual color.
Over-sized hanging baskets and container plants can have an incredible second life when directly planted into flowerbeds or garden areas. Simply remove the plant from the container, gently loosen the root ball, and plant.
Replant oversized hanging basket plants right into flowerbeds to give news life and a big splash of instant color.
Just like when replanting, give the plant plenty of water and a dose of liquid fertilizer to jump-start it’s growth. With all of the new space and soil available, you will be amazed at how quickly the plant bounces back to life!
Here is to saving those struggling hanging baskets, and to keeping those blooms coming on all summer long! Happy Gardening, Jim and Mary
Taken from https://oldworldgardenfarms.com/2020/05/28/struggling-hanging-baskets
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365