Hanging Garden Plants
You are an avid gardener, but the problem is, you have used the entire floor area of your garden for your plants. You have used all the soil, and even lined up your patio with container plants. If you still want to grow some more plants in your garden then consider buying hanging containers and start a hanging garden. It is possible to grow crops in hanging containers and to get spectacular results. To get you started, here are some benefits and also some disadvantages in creating a hanging garden theme in your home.
Firstly, hanging garden plants saves space. You do not have to position pots around to accommodate an additional member. You can hang your plants on the patio, outside your window, and above other plants. You do however need to put in an additional effort to create the infrastructure which will be the foundation of your hanging garden.
There would be no danger of drowning your plants because of over-watering. With the right number of drainage holes located on the bottom, the water will drain out of the plants without pooling at the bottom. With wire baskets, there will be no need for drilling holes for draining excess water. Hanging plants will have less chance of getting waterlogged since the container has a greater rate of evaporation rate compared to ordinary containers but because of this there is an added risk of dehydration for your plants. You will need to water them daily to make sure they have enough water to keep them moist. There are however, ways of getting around this if the effort seems too onerous.
For one thing, choose varieties of plants that grow better with less water intake but high humidity. Orchids, for example, would like their potting medium as wet as a very well wrung out sponge and compensate by taking water from the air. The evaporating water from the hanging container can provide your orchids with enough humidity for growth. You can also purchase self-watering containers if you do not have time to water them daily or plan on being away for extended periods. To conserve water, you may place hanging plants above each other at adequate distances. If you are using fertilizers in this set up, make sure to lessen the amount of fertilizers used at the lower levels. Fertilizers and even nutrients from compost leach out of the water and will concentrate in levels when it passes through each plant. Although an economical way to provide nutrients for your plants, it is important to be aware of the dynamics of the situation and not overload plants at the lower levels with too many nutrients and effectively poisoning them.
If you cannot hang another plant beneath the other, place a pail beneath the container to collect the water and feed it to other plants in your garden. This helps to reduce the amount of fertilizer or compost you need for your operation.
Hanging plants are great for adding depth to your interior design. You do not have to choose the most expensive and exotic flower or orchid to decorate your home. A good flowering plant that is hardy and inexpensive will be sufficient as long as you enjoy the blossoms it produces. Make sure that you choose varieties which increase in size vertically instead of horizontally. Once the stems reach over the edge they will hang down against the pot, giving your area an entirely different dimension.
Another advantage of having a hanging container is that you do not need to make a trellis to support your plants. Beans, small tomatoes, and berries are perfect for hanging containers. Their stems and vines will just reach over the side of the pot and hang down when producing crops for harvesting. You can easily see the crops as they develop, making it easier for you to know when it is time to harvest. Gravity will be enough to keep the vines and stems straight. This cannot be done with plants that produce large crops and grow vertically or produce woody stems.
It’s better to choose containers that are light-weight and durable for hanging plants. For this reason, clay pots are not advised as they are heavy and can easily break if the support of the plant buckles because of the pull of gravity. Plastic is preferable over wire baskets lined with a peat moss. Plastic containers hold in water better as it is a non-porous material and also insulate the plant better during warm-weather conditions. This is essential because hanging plants have faster water evaporation rate compared to conventionally planted plants.
A major disadvantage you have to consider when growing hanging plants is mobility. Individuals who have problems of mobility, such as, reaching over head, climbing up a step ladder and balancing themselves will have a hard time taking care of their plants. You will need to consider a pulley system to pull your plants up and down for easy accessibility or lower them to a height that will give you easy access when doing plant care.
If you wish to do gardening with hanging containers, start with the following crops for your garden:
- Tomatoes
- Peas
- Dwarf varieties of squash
- Eggplants
- Romaine lettuce
- Spinach
- Cabbage
Once you get with gardening using hanging containers, you can branch out to other crops and try to experiment with which crops work best in you climate. You still need to watch out for common pests and diseases that can harm your plants and take appropriate countermeasures to cure and prevent them. Ask for some advice in your local gardening store when growing plants common in your area.
Hanging Tomato Plants - Don't just try growing tomatoes in a hanging container, try growing them up side down! |
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