Easy Fill Hanging Baskets - tips needed

This is my first time making summer hanging baskets and I've bought those plastic "Easy Fill" ones like these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B004UZPZZQ (pasting a link as you can't really tell from my photos)...

I've filled with a couple of small hedera, and a mixture of trailing and upright petunias, begonias and verbena. All are flowering well up top as you can see from this pic:



However, the plants I put in the lower holes of the basket have all died. I've been watering them well on a daily basis (except when it rains) so not sure why this has happened. The bottom ones didn't flower at all and now I've been left with empty holes at the bottom which look unsightly up close, and no easy way of remedying it as I'd have to dissemble the entire basket.

Here's a photo to show what I mean:



Does anyone have any tips? What do you think would be the best kinds of plants to put in those lower holes? I'll be making up baskets again in the autumn so would be interested to know if anyone has any advice, especially if you use these baskets yourself.

 

Can you stick your finger in there and see if it feels Dry? Moist? Soaking wet?

 

I check the baskets regularly to make sure the water has reached the bottom - I've removed plants from a couple of lower holes due to them dying, so there's easy access. I make sure they stay moist and use that as my gauge for whether or not they need watering, but the ones at the bottom still die. :( I'm doing something wrong, just not sure what?

 

If it is moist, but neither bone dry nor soaking wet, at the bottom then I can't see what you are doing wrong.

Perhaps putting trailing plants in there would be better, regular plants will try to grow up and will maybe have their stems "knocked" as a consequence?

 

The "dampness" of the compost always seems about right to me when I check it, which I do before every watering, so it's a bit odd.

You may be right about choosing trailing plants instead of upright ones. I had put upright ones in those lower holes as I didn't want the plants to trail downwards and leave a gap showing plastic between the lower and upper holes, but the plants didn't really grow well at all anyway so it didn't make any difference. I can see in one or two of the lower holes where plants did grow, they haven't done particularly well and have sort of "bumped into" the upper tier...

Hmmm, that may be it, y'know... glad I get the chance to re-do them every six months.

 

If you see any, made up and doing well, in a garden centre perhaps inspect them close-up to see what sort of plants they have put at the bottom. Other than that I'm not sure what to suggest.

 

I haven't seen any of these particular baskets "in real life" yet, other than in my garden! Most seem to be the traditional sort, but I'll keep an eye out.

 

I had the same problem with these baskets. I notice the newer version no longer has holes in the bottom 4 just 8 round the sides. When I planted up this year I blanked the bottom 4 and planted surfinia in the remaining holes.

 

That's interesting that you had the same issue! How did you cover the bottom four holes to stop compost coming out?

 

I just used some small bits of compost bag put over the gate as I filled them. If it's any consolation the plants soon cover the basket even without the bottom plants.

 

Hi, I have used these baskets for a couple of years now. First year exactly the same problem. Lover plants just died off and the baskets looked ridiculous. This year I used standard bedding petunias around the lower half of them, I also used plenty of moisture retentive granules in them to make sure the lower half stays moist enough. They have taken off beautifully and kept the baskets looking great. Not a single fatality and 2 baskets looking huge and beautiful.

 

Thanks everyone for the hanging basket tips! My baskets are looking a bit ridiculous now, with most of the bottom plants missing, but I'm retaining all of these tips for when I make up my new baskets in the Spring! Thank you!

DomCraig, your baskets look lovely. What are the small purple flowers at the bottom?

 

This is a big problem with these, I also no longer bother with bottom holes, just to mention I made 2 for my neighbour, which have been stolen, so I have wired through the chain, and into non open areas of the bracket, will not stop theft, but will delay and possibly put off, these baskets are not cheap as chips.

 

Yep Pamsdish I had one of these nicked as well! Very annoying! I have since invested in the BaskitGeni hanging basket locks which make them a nightmare for me to get off to change the plants but also deter theft impeccably!

 

Hadn`t seen those before, bit late now as wired securely, but will order ready for next year thanks.