# Hanging basket and planter feeding



## wardconnor

Do you want to have great looking flower pots and hanging baskets with annuals that bloom all summer long and into the fall? The secret is in what you are feeding, fertilizer wise. Here is a recipe that I use for great looking colorful hanging baskets and pots that will have your baskets and container pots looking great.

*Fertilizing*

I use 2 different water-soluble fertilizers made by Fertilome. The first is a basic well-balanced fertilizer labeled as Geranium, Hanging Basket and Pansy Fertilizer. This is an all-purpose 20-20-20. The second fertilizer product is the Fertilome Blooming and Rooting 9-58-8.

Using these 2 products together will keep your baskets looking great all summer long. I fertilize every other time I water my hanging baskets or pots with annuals. Every time we (its a family affair) fertilize we alternate between the 2 different products. The recommended dosage is 1 teaspoon of fertilizer per every gallon of water. DO NOT FOLLOW LABEL INSTRUCTIONS. I like to mix this up in 5 gallon buckets to dissolve the fertilizer before I pour them into the baskets or container pots.

Example for fertilizing baskets and containers:

Monday: Clear Water
Tuesday:20-20-20
Wednesday: Clear Water
Thursday: 9-58-8
Friday: Clear Water
Saturday: 20-20-20
Sunday: Clear Water
Monday: 9-58-8
Continue this cycle throughout the summer and your containers and baskets will be the envy of your neighborhood.

*Watering*

Watering is tricky, especially in the spring and early summer when temperatures can fluctuate quickly. It is important to check your baskets or containers prior to watering to see if they actually need water. Stick your finger in the soil up to the second knuckle and if the soil is dry at the tip of your finger then it is time to water. If it is still wet then wait a while and check before watering. In the heat of the summer baskets or containers may need to be watered more than once per day. This is especially true on windy says. It is best to see drainage out of the bottom of the basket or container.


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## SGrabs33

Wow, those planters looks great. I think I would get lazy with the watering and fail, but seeing those gives me some motivations. We have two big half barrels full of plants in the back yard. I just hit them with milo every once in a while and they seem to do alright. I'm sure with your plan they would be doing much better though.


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## Ware

Looks great! :thumbup:


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## Hayward G

I took some pictures at a Castle yesterday and the planters were so gorgeous I think this is a great place to share them..


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## BXMurphy

What a great post and... WOW! Those baskets and lawn!

I'm hooked. These are great ideas and so easy to implement. I can hardly wait until next year!

I'm betting you start from seed given the number of plants you are putting down. Do you have a greenhouse?


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## wardconnor

I wish I had a green house and grew my own annuals from seed. I buy them from a local green house and pot them up myself. It costs a bit but I feel it's worth it. It really adds a lot to the overall landscape.

The fertilizer program really works well.


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## BXMurphy

I agree... I'm not happy without flowers and veggies growing. It suits my Cape-Cod style cottage quite well. I want more flowers but buying transplants breaks my sensibilities knowing I could probably start from seed with a little effort. This is going to get time-consuming real quick...


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## Rackhouse Mayor

@wardconnor are you getting ready to do this again? I was going to try it this year. What thought process do you put in to which plants go in pots together?


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## ABC123

Is there any type of soil mixture you like to use?


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## wardconnor

@Rackhouse Mayor
@ABC123

Yes. I definitely plan on doing the pots and hanging baskets again this year. It adds so much color and beauty. I love the annuals. They are definitely some work but I think the look is incredible.

I paid a guy for 2 years to plant and decide what to put in my pots. He did the arrangement and did the planting. He chose some nice stuff. He included the flower tags with the pots so I know what he planted and this year I just plan to replicate what he did according to the tags that I saved.

If you are wondering how to arrange them I suggest going to a greenhouse or nursery that sells annuals and ask them how to arrange them. They will give you some good ideas. I used this tip last year for some other pots he did not plant up for me.

My wife is pretty good at arranging them as well. I plant them according to what she says. This is what I'm planning on this year. I will be changing it up a little bit this year but still plan on doing the baskets and pots.

I use regular potting soil that you can can buy anywhere. The miracle grow stuff is good because it has fert in the soil mixture.

A tip if you have very large deep pots is to put wood chips, bark, or old milk cartons in the bottom of the pot to take up space. This helps so you don't have to add sooooo much potting soil.

A general rule is to have something tall in the center then something shorter and then something that hangs down over the rim of the pot.

I have a late last frost date. I won't be able to put my pots outside for good until around memorial day. Kind of sucks in that regard. I will however plant everything up early may in my garage where it will not freeze. This will give them a jump start.

I want to see what you guys do.


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## Colonel K0rn

wardconnor said:


> I want to see what you guys do.


Funny, because we're waiting to see what you do. Guess we'll figure something out collectively :lol:


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## Reel Low Dad

Anything that you recommend that I could put in some hanging baskets that will drape down over the sides? I plan on 4 hanging baskets on the front porch this year.


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## Rackhouse Mayor

Thanks @wardconnor. I googled it yesterday afternoon and stole some ideas from this gallery. I noticed the pattern of "tall in the middle, short around the sides, and hanging off the pot".



Fistertondeluxe said:


> Anything that you recommend that I could put in some hanging baskets that will drape down over the sides? I plan on 4 hanging baskets on the front porch this year.


Looks like the internet says potato vines and various types of ivy work well. Check that link out above for some ideas.


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## chrismar

Do you have any suggestions for plant/flower pairings? We have a lot of pots around the yard and they do "ok", but looking to kick it up a notch this year!


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## MarkAguglia

Do you fertilize every other day/water every day all season long? I never knew they could handle that much! Got an easier schedule I can realistically keep up with? &#128518;


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## BXMurphy

Do you start from seed or buy all grown-up from the nursery?


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## SGrabs33

MarkAguglia said:


> Got an easier schedule I can realistically keep up with? 😆


This. Or can we premix the fert?

I'd love to have some great flowers like these!


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## wardconnor

Wave petunias hang down. Potato vines hang down. Creeping Jenny hangs down. Alyssum hangs down, get the one on steroids.

I buy all my stuff from green house. I don't have a green house so I do not grow from seed. Some day I will get there.

Pre mix the fert? It's not too much work. I mix mine in 5 gallon buckets with the hose right before I dump it on. Sooooo worth the effort. If you want awesome you've got to put in the time. Just like anything in life.


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## MarkAguglia

Out of curiosity how are you watering hanging baskets using a 5 gallon bucket?


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## wardconnor

I use several buckets. I mix up five gallons and then I pour about 2 or so gallons of mixed water fert solution into an empty bucket so it is easier to pour and it is lighter in weight.

Side note. On days that I only water using clear water, I have a drip irrigation set up that waters automatically according to my timer clock for my underground sprinkling system.


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## MarkAguglia

Interesting, I'm going to have to try this out or at least a similar program. Do you only do this with Annuals?


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## wardconnor

MarkAguglia said:


> Interesting, I'm going to have to try this out or at least a similar program. Do you only do this with Annuals?


I will dump the solution on other things like my small trees and other perennials when there is extra. I prefer to only use it on the annuals because it costs and the granular lawn fert is easy to throw in the beds when I'm fertilizing the lawn. I bought a bunch of the water soluble stuffy mentioned in the original post on a super going out of business sale but I'd prefer to not have to buy a bunch more.


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## desirous

@wardconnor, when you run out, you cold mix your own in any proportion you like using urea 46-0-0, MAP 11-52-0, and SOP 0-0-50. They are all water soluble and inexpensive in 50 lb bags.


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## Colonel K0rn

Fistertondeluxe said:


> Anything that you recommend that I could put in some hanging baskets that will drape down over the sides? I plan on 4 hanging baskets on the front porch this year.


Alyssum and petunias make an awesome and easy combination.


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## Colonel K0rn

FWIW, I made a new planter today, and got some new flowers for my hanging basket. I ran out of daylight, but am going to take some pictures tomorrow, weather permitting.


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## wardconnor

I am not sure if I already said this or not but if you want hanging draping petunias you need to make sure you get the "wave" petunias.

Yes CK let's see it.


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## Colonel K0rn

@wardconnor what do you think about setting up some sort of portable fertigation pump for your planters, and doing a micro mister or small drip irrigation to your planters, similar to what I'm using? This would handle watering duties on clear water days.


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## pennstater2005

We always just water our big clay pots. I don't know why feeding them never struck me. I'll definitely be doing something similar to this once we get them in the pots.


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## Colonel K0rn

I picked up a @wardconnor style water trough today, and some really cool plants. It's going to pull double-duty. Stepping up the planter game this year. :lol:


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## jocoxVT

wardconnor said:


> Using these 2 products together will keep your baskets looking great all summer long. I fertilize every other time I water my hanging baskets or pots with annuals. Every time we (its a family affair) fertilize we alternate between the 2 different products. The recommended dosage is 1 teaspoon of fertilizer per every gallon of water. DO NOT FOLLOW LABEL INSTRUCTIONS. I like to mix this up in 5 gallon buckets to dissolve the fertilizer before I pour them into the baskets or container pots.


I made my way over here after watching your youtube video, so, thanks for that! With that said, I am a bit confused. I recently picked up both fertilizers you suggested and saw where you said to not follow the label instructions, however, I cant seem to find where you recommend what rate to fertilize at. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

Edit: I am realizing you may have been referring to the frequency of the watering the label suggests, not the dosage (i.e., 1 tsp per gallon).


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## wardconnor

jocoxVT said:


> wardconnor said:
> 
> 
> 
> Using these 2 products together will keep your baskets looking great all summer long. I fertilize every other time I water my hanging baskets or pots with annuals. Every time we (its a family affair) fertilize we alternate between the 2 different products. The recommended dosage is 1 teaspoon of fertilizer per every gallon of water. DO NOT FOLLOW LABEL INSTRUCTIONS. I like to mix this up in 5 gallon buckets to dissolve the fertilizer before I pour them into the baskets or container pots.
> 
> 
> 
> I made my way over here after watching your youtube video, so, thanks for that! With that said, I am a bit confused. I recently picked up both fertilizers you suggested and saw where you said to not follow the label instructions, however, I cant seem to find where you recommend what rate to fertilize at. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!
> 
> Edit: I am realizing you may have been referring to the frequency of the watering the label suggests, not the dosage (i.e., 1 tsp per gallon).
Click to expand...

Yes... Disregard the label and instructions on the label. The little scoop in the bottle of fert is 3 teaspoons. In a five gallon bucket I normally do like 1 and a half of those scoops per a 5 gallon bucket. I just casually throw it in there and then fill it with water and stir it up. Putting the fert in the bucket before putting the water in helps dissolve it easier with the swirling of the water in the bucket as it is filling.

1 teaspoon per gallon of water. Alternate the 2 fertilizers and water with clear water every other watering as stated in the original post.

I do have one more thing to add to the formula this year... That is Hydretain. This stuff is like a wetting agent that helps the soil in the pot hold on to the water better rather than just watching the water go right through the pot and very little of it actually wetting the soil. You know how the soil kind of pulls away from the edge of the inside of the pot? I have not actually tried this one yet but I have the product and will be using it this summer when my baskets get going.

Please post pictures of your baskets and pots.


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## wardconnor

desirous said:


> @wardconnor, when you run out, you cold mix your own in any proportion you like using urea 46-0-0, MAP 11-52-0, and SOP 0-0-50. They are all water soluble and inexpensive in 50 lb bags.


This I will do.


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## Rackhouse Mayor

Alright I've officially started down this path thanks to @wardconnor . Two hangers down - four pots planned. I went with water soluble fert that was available to me: Scotts Super Bloom (12-55-6) and Miracle Gro All Purpose (24-8-16).


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## Colonel K0rn

Because it's dark and I don't have any pictures that I took today, this will have to do.

*Planted 3/10*


*3/30*


*4/4*



I'll take some side-by-side comparison photos in the AM.


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## wardconnor

Wow @Colonel K0rn good pics. Cool to see the comparison pics. I need to do that.

@Rackhouse Mayor awesome! You are not going to regret it. It is work yes but the pleasure is so much more. The more pots and baskets with all different colors the better. Prepare yourself for greatness.

DO NOT follow the label on the bottle of that water soluble fert. Be sure to follow the instructions in the original first post.

I will be adding one more additional step this year. I will adding a wetting agent once or twice a month. I will be drenching the soil with hydretain. This is a wetting agent for the potting soil so it will hold the water better rather than just flow right through the pot.

Cool stuff guys.

I just planted my baskets and pots up last Saturday.


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## Ecks from Tex

​If you guys really want to up your game, follow Garden Answer on YouTube on how to make your arrangements in conjunction with Connor's fert program (which I semi copied except I use Southern AG 20-20-20 water soluble fert from my sprayer and Proven Winners slow release fert).


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## wardconnor

Ecks from Tex said:


> ​If you guys really want to up your game, follow Garden Answer on YouTube on how to make your arrangements in conjunction with Connor's fert program (which I semi copied except I use Southern AG 20-20-20 water soluble fert from my sprayer and Proven Winners slow release fert).


I second this comment about watching Garden Answer. Laura has some cool stuff.

I really like her downtown flower pot project.

Check out how freaking sweet this is going to be.


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## Ecks from Tex

wardconnor said:


> Ecks from Tex said:
> 
> 
> 
> ​If you guys really want to up your game, follow Garden Answer on YouTube on how to make your arrangements in conjunction with Connor's fert program (which I semi copied except I use Southern AG 20-20-20 water soluble fert from my sprayer and Proven Winners slow release fert).
> 
> 
> 
> I really like her downtown flower pot project.
Click to expand...

10 years ago I would have laughed but now I agree wholeheartedly :lol:


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## Colonel K0rn

I went outside and took pictures today of the planters and the baskets that I planted. Let's see if I can get it right this time. I had crowded too many plants in a couple of containers, and I added some in others. My dahlias aren't doing too great, and that planter seems to dry out quicker than the others. I think it might have been a mistake on my part by using starter soil, instead of potting mix on the upper layer of soil. I just grabbed what I had in the shed to finish things up, but you can see it has a lot more of the perlite in it than other soil. Waffling on digging everything up and redoing it, which I should probably do before it gets too much warmer. Other than that, everything is taking off like crazy.

*4/10*

*5/8*

*4/12*

*5/8*

*4/9*

*5/8*

*4/15*

*5/8*


Hanging plants currently today


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## jocoxVT

wardconnor said:


> I just planted my baskets and pots up last Saturday.


Do you remember here you got those pots? My wife has been talking about wanting something similar but I cant find any thing in my area. How many gallons do you end up feeding a pot like that each day?


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## wardconnor

jocoxVT said:


> Do you remember where you got those pots? My wife has been talking about wanting something similar but I cant find any thing in my area. How many gallons do you end up feeding a pot like that each day?


The big black ones? I bought those from IKEA about 3 years ago. They are like 24 inches diameter and about 30 inches tall . They are big and tall which is what my wife and I wanted. I had to push her along to get on board with the pots and baskets. After the first year she was on board.

I probably give each of those big black pots like 3 or so gallons. It just runs through and comes out the drain holes. I just like to soak the soil. Be sure to follow the instructions in the original post because I do not feed them fert everyday. Every other watering and alternating the ferts.

I will post up pics when I get them in place again. I put them in my garage because we are currently having frost danger here.


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## jessehurlburt

@wardconnor any tips for planting annuals in the ground? Would you approach the fertilizing any differently? I am looking to plant wave/supertunias and the plan so far is to mix in some black kow composted manure into where they will be planted along with a slow release fert. This is the area I am looking to cover. The supertunias are awesome, but quite pricey. I may get a small light and try them from seed next year so I can propagate them.


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## BXMurphy

I love Supertunia. I bet you will only need eight plants to completely cover that area.


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## wardconnor

jessehurlburt said:


> @wardconnor any tips for planting annuals in the ground? Would you approach the fertilizing any differently? I am looking to plant wave/supertunias and the plan so far is to mix in some black kow composted manure into where they will be planted along with a slow release fert. This is the area I am looking to cover. The supertunias are awesome, but quite pricey. I may get a small light and try them from seed next year so I can propagate them.


I had this same situation last year along with my hanging baskets and pots.

When I was fertilizing my baskets and pots I would just dump the excess mixture into the in ground annuals. I have planted some annuals in the ground again this year. I will likely do the same.

It is a little bit more difficult to follow the schedule but just follow it the best you can. You will notice a difference if you stop doing the fert. It really helps a ton. They stay blooming all summer if watered and fertilized continuously.


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## wardconnor

@jessehurlburt

I had this same situation last year along with my hanging baskets and pots.

When I was fertilizing my baskets and pots I would just dump the excess mixture into the in ground annuals. I have planted some annuals in the ground again this year. I will likely do the same.

It is a little bit more difficult to follow the schedule but just follow it the best you can. You will notice a difference if you stop doing the fert. It really helps a ton. They stay blooming all summer if watered and fertilized continuously.

I am with @BXMurphy those supertunias are flipping awesome. I'm pretty sure I have some this year already in my baskets.


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## Colonel K0rn

We need more pictures in this thread! I'm still using @wardconnor's recommendation of the Fertilome products, alternating with the blooming & rooting and the plant food every other day. I've decided to add in GreeneCounty Fertilizer's FloraGreene 4-0-2 into my rotation, and I'm using it at 1 oz/gal. Last rainfall we had was last Wednesday, where my yard was underwater. I took advantage of the free water, and put the hanging plants out onto the lawn when we were getting light rain, and would hang them up at night.

Prior to yesterday, the last product they got other than water was over a month ago, as life happened, and I just wasn't able to get back into the rotation. Day before yesterday they got the FloraGreene, and today it was blooming and rooting, as it seemed that they weren't flowering as much as they were a month ago. Growing vigorously, but not flowering as much. I hit the roses and the flowerbeds as well with the GCF product too. Spreading the love around!

I had to move the Impatiens to the side, rather than in the front, because that hanger dries out quicker than the others. I bought a coconut husk-lined basket, with the hopes that it would retain the water a little better. That plant is very active, meaning if it gets the least bit dry, it looks very very sad. Add a little water, and it perks right up!

*5/8*

*6/7*


*4/10*

*6/7*


*4/30*

*6/7*


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## zeus201

Looks great. I need to upgrade my fertilization schedule on our annuals now.


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## Darrell

This petunia I successfully overwintered in my garage. I didn't believe it would look this good. I fert with a bloom buster fert about once every week or two.


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## wardconnor

https://youtu.be/jGoehfiadRw


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## Miller_Low_Life

^^^^ Just started using this on my planters today! I'll let you know how it goes.


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## mmacejko

Using this formula has been great for my planters. Unfortunately I dumped some excess I had left over at the base of two clematis vines a week ago and now they look like they are dying... not sure if the fertilome is to blame but seems odd


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## Thick n Dense

@wardconnor

Do you think its ok to mix the 20-20-20 fertilizer in a bucket and store over a couple weeks? Or just mix at time of feeding ?

Thanks


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## ThomasPI

Some real nice work.


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## wardconnor

Thick n Dense said:


> @wardconnor
> 
> Do you think its ok to mix the 20-20-20 fertilizer in a bucket and store over a couple weeks? Or just mix at time of feeding ?
> 
> Thanks


sorry for my late reply. Yeah I bet it would be fine. I would personally just mix it the day of though.


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