need garden help--especially midwesterners

[mickeyminnie]

hanging baskets---- what is the trick to get them to look good. I have been watering pretty faithfully, I can't say every day but about every other for sure and much of the time everyday. I added some fertilizer a week ago. But they still look straggly and have some dried up patches, especially underneath.

Is there a trick that I am missing? I see people with all these lush baskets and really the environment isn't different than where mine are.

Would love some tips.

 

[marlasmom]

Make sure you deadhead regularly. Also, take your questions to the Flower and Garden forum here. There are newbies and very knowledgeable gardeners and the nicest people on the whole web.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Ahh, yes. I get this question asked of me frequently. My baskets & pots overflow to the max.

It is simple. You need to fertilize, fertilize, fertilize. Esp. as it turns hot. If it is over 90 then you need to fertilize everyday or every other day until they start looking lush. Then you can cut back to once a week.

Also use the Blossom Booster. Don't use the regular Miracle Grow. My favorite is "Peters Blossom Booster". Miracle Grow makes a blossom booster too.

I do deadhead regulary but you have to be fertilizing to do it. I have worked in a greenhouse & we ONLY water with fertilizer water. Never plain water.

 

[Cruise04]

I don't do anything except water every few days - like every 3 or 4 or 5 - and mine look great!

 

[lucky_bunni]

It's possible that your plants aren't getting enough or too much sun. What kind of flowers are we talking about?

 

[mickeyminnie]

are million bells petunias, those little ones. those are the baskets that are only so so. then my containers that are ify are the petunias, they have no flowers at all, then the verbena is awful, won't buy that again. and the gerber daisys one plant has a flower and the other none and never has. I generally dead head the bigger plants, like geranium, marigolds and the petunias, but not the million bells. I feel like they get enough sun, but maybe the one is not and the other may be too hot in the afternoon sun. we have had a really wet yucky summer so far so I suppose that isn't helping

I tried the shake and feed fertilizer, I guess I will pick up some of that blossom stuff.

thanks for the suggestions