Hanging basket care & watering guide

The single most common reason a basket looks tired by July is not the plants and not the compost. It is that it has been watered on a schedule rather than when it needed it.

Why baskets dry out so fast

Because they are exposed on every side. A pot on the ground has soil around one face and shade underneath; a basket has air on all sides, wind moving past it, and sun on the top and both flanks.

Add a small volume of compost and a lot of plant, and a basket in July can go from damp to bone dry in a single hot day. That is normal, and it is why the watering routine matters more here than anywhere else in a garden.

How to tell it needs water

Weight. The most reliable test by a distance. Lift the basket slightly - a watered basket is noticeably heavy and a dry one feels like nothing. After a fortnight you will know the difference instantly.

A finger in the compost, two knuckles deep. The surface dries first and tells you very little.

The plants themselves, which is the last resort - by the time something is wilting it has already been too dry for a while.

When to water

Early morning is best. The water goes in before the heat, and the plants have it available through the day.

Evening is the next best, and it suits people who are out all day. The only time to avoid is the middle of a hot afternoon, when most of what you pour evaporates before it does anything.

How much

Until it runs out of the bottom. A splash on the surface wets the top centimetre and nothing else, and a basket watered that way is dry underneath while looking fine on top.

Water slowly, let it soak, then go round again. Two passes get considerably more water in than one long pour, which mostly runs down the sides and out.

How often

In high summer, daily, and twice a day in a heatwave or in a sunny sheltered spot. In spring and autumn, every few days. In winter, rarely - and an artificial display, not at all.

Treat those as starting points rather than rules, and use the weight test to correct them.

Liners change how long it lasts

A good liner is the difference between watering once a day and twice. Coco and moss look best and dry fastest; a liner with a plastic membrane behind it holds considerably longer.

You can also lay a piece of plastic in the base of a coco liner yourself, with a couple of holes punched in it - it keeps the look and slows the drying - coco liners and the liners range cover the options, and the lining guide covers fitting one.

Kit that makes it easier

A long-spout can, so you are not stretching or slopping.

A pulley hook, which lowers the basket to you rather than you reaching up to it - a retractable pulley hook is the neatest fix for a high basket.

A drip or irrigation kit, which turns daily watering into a job you do not do - a solar drip kit runs without mains power, and the watering range covers the rest.

the watering range compares them properly.

Feeding

A basket has a small amount of compost supporting a lot of plant, so the goodness runs out sooner than people expect - usually about six weeks after planting.

A liquid feed every week or two from midsummer keeps things going, and slow-release granules mixed in at planting time cover the first stretch - the planting guide covers what to use.

Deadheading

The cheapest thing you can do for how a basket looks. Pinching off spent flowers stops the plant putting energy into seed and keeps it producing.

Five minutes a week is enough, and the difference between a deadheaded basket and a neglected one in August is not subtle.

If it dries out completely

Do not just water it from above - bone-dry compost repels water and most of it runs straight out.

Take the basket down and stand it in a bucket or a sink of water for half an hour so it soaks from below. Then let it drain properly before hanging it back up, because a saturated basket is very heavy.

Winter and storage

Metal and plastic baskets survive outdoors; wicker and rattan last considerably longer under cover. Empty, clean and dry a basket before storing it, and keep liners somewhere dry rather than in a shed corner - the buyer's guide covers the end of the season, and the winter range covers what to hang instead.

What we sell, plainly

The basket, the bracket, the liner, the watering kit and artificial displays. We do not sell live plants - what we supply is everything they hang in - the basket range is where to start.

The short version

• Baskets dry fastest of any container because they have air on every side.
• Weight is the most reliable test - lift the basket rather than looking at it.
• Water early morning or evening, and go round twice rather than one long pour.
• A liner with a membrane behind it can halve how often you water.
• Bone-dry compost repels water - stand the basket in a bucket instead.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I water a hanging basket?

Daily in high summer and twice a day in a heatwave or a sunny sheltered spot, every few days in spring and autumn, and rarely in winter. Use those as starting points and correct them by weight.

What is the best time of day to water?

Early morning, so the water goes in before the heat and is available through the day. Evening is the next best. Avoid the middle of a hot afternoon, when most of it evaporates before doing anything.

How do I know when it needs water?

Lift it. A watered basket is noticeably heavy and a dry one feels like nothing, and after a fortnight you will know the difference instantly. A finger two knuckles into the compost is the next best check.

What if the basket has dried out completely?

Do not water from above - bone-dry compost repels water and most runs straight out. Take it down and stand it in a bucket or sink for half an hour so it soaks from below, then let it drain before rehanging.

When should I start feeding?

About six weeks after planting, when the goodness in a small volume of compost runs out. A liquid feed every week or two from midsummer keeps things going, and slow-release granules cover the first stretch.