How to water hanging baskets

dotty16 24/11/2011 at 15:28

Hi, I am always greatful for any new tips that I can get, so will be trying this one, still to find a way to keep all my neighbours cats from using my garden as their toilet! I do love cats, but am unable to have my own as my daughter and husband have allergies to cats and dogs! Why do they use my garden and not their own?

peteyates 24/11/2011 at 15:30

That is a bit too simple for the real world.. baskets are always too high or the water just spills out.. Suggest for too high - then gaffer tape an old milk container to a broomstick or plastic conduit then you can reach . To help water, sink in a length of old waste pipe when making them and pour the water into that. Try sinking the base of an old milk container in the compost at the bottom of the basket to retain some of the water that would otherwise drain out Pete

dig and turn 04/07/2012 at 22:09

Hi iv just got two new systems called the waterguardian for the lincoln show grounds thay are a great bit of kit fill onces a week the men told me thay are doing more shows so have a look if you see them

Rainjustlearning 04/07/2012 at 23:11

I use pop bottles with drip feeders that you can get from Wilkinson's cut the bottom of the bottle attach the drip feeder and upend into the pot I find they work for me and have them in all my pots even the floor standing ones,  you can see the bottle sticking out the top of the basket.

yarrow2 04/07/2012 at 23:55

Rainjustlearning:  I love your basket and particularly like the red coloured petunia.  I sowed a load of mixed Rapide F1 mix petunias which are growing well but not at the flowering stage yet - and until they do flower, I haven't a clue what colours I have.  I'd love to know what your red is.  I have one other than the Rapide F1 mix and I think it's a red Saguna - or some name like that.  What's the name of your red?  And - your basket is growing so lovely and evenly balanced.  Mine always seem to just straggle down all shapes and sizes and because I hate cutting anything I tend to let them just get messy.  Do you trim yours or just let them do their own thing?

Strayed from the topic - sorry.  I cut lengths of slim old vacuum cleaner hoses and stick them in my baskets and water into them - but they're usually at a height I can reach with a little effort with ye olde watering can.   Because the hoses are so 'bendy' I can pull the end of the hose down, fill it (sometimes at an awkward angle) and just let it ping up again to let the water run into the basket. 

My baskets this year are all seedlings so none are at the flowering stage yet here in rainy Scotland.  Lots of green and not much colour so far.  But getting there.