From our perspective, everything begins with the space you give our roots. We require a home that provides stability, moisture, and nutrients, but also one that breathes. A high-quality, peat-free multi-purpose compost mixed with water-retentive granules is ideal. These granules act like tiny reservoirs, storing water and releasing it back to our roots when the compost begins to dry, preventing the stressful cycle of drought and flood. Ensure the basket is lined; a moss liner is excellent for moisture retention and breathability, but even a coir or synthetic liner will suffice. Most critically, our new home must have excellent drainage. While we are thirsty plants, we absolutely despise sitting in waterlogged soil, which will quickly cause our roots to rot and our health to fail.
Where you place our hanging basket is paramount to our success. We are not sun-worshippers like petunias, nor are we deep-shade lovers like some begonias. We thrive in bright, indirect light or dappled shade. A location with morning sun and afternoon shade is often perfect. Too much intense, direct afternoon sun will scorch our delicate leaves and flowers, causing us to wilt dramatically and struggle to photosynthesize. Conversely, deep shade will result in weak, leggy growth and very few of the beautiful flowers you desire. We also appreciate shelter from strong, damaging winds which can tear our trailing stems and dry out our compost with alarming speed.
Our hanging basket existence means our root zone is small and exposed, drying out very quickly. Consistent moisture is the single most important factor for our well-being. On hot, sunny days, you will likely need to water us once, sometimes even twice, daily. Always water thoroughly until it runs freely from the bottom of the basket; a light sprinkling only wets the surface and does not reach our core root system. Alongside water, we are heavy feeders. A weekly application of a high-potash liquid fertiliser, such as a tomato feed, is essential. This specific nutrient blend promotes strong, continuous flowering rather than just leafy growth, ensuring we produce a spectacular cascade of blooms from late spring right through to the first autumn frosts.
To maintain our perfect, bushy and trailing form, we need your gentle guidance. When we are young, regularly pinching out the growing tips of our stems encourages us to branch out laterally, creating a fuller, more abundant plant. Once we begin flowering, your ongoing care is needed. We expend immense energy producing seeds if spent flowers are left in place. By diligently deadheading – removing the faded flowers and their seed pods – you redirect our energy back into producing a continuous display of new blooms. This simple act tells us to keep flowering, making the basket more beautiful for you and a more fulfilling existence for us.
