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Water –Wise Ideas for Hanging Planters
Watering hanging planters daily or even twice daily can really be a
chore – but for lovers of annuals, this is the price you have to pay for
beautiful displays of flowers all summer long.
There are a few ways however that you can help keep your hanging
planters moist for longer – here we look at two of the most popular.
Add Moss Marbles to Your Hanging Planters Soil
New to the USA and made from Angel Moss sourced from New Zealand. Moss
Marbles provide an all natural way environmentally friendly of keeping
your soil moist for longer.
Simply mix the dry moss marbles into the soil mix and then once watered
they swell and you have a natural environmentally friendly totally
organic way of keeping your hanging baskets and planters moist for
longer.
To see how these work – once you receive your pack of moss marbles –
simply put one in a saucer of warm water – and watch how over the next
few minutes the moss marble swells just like a dry sponge soaks up the
water.
Your plants roots will actually grow into the moss marbles – your plants
will love it.
If you like you can pre-soak all your moss marbles letting them swell
and then just add them into the soil – we suggest a mix of about 1/3rd
marbles to 2/3 soil in your hanging planter.
Moss marbles may be mixed into your soil when they are dry – just allow
extra room at the top of your hanging basket or planter, for once wet
they will expand.
For Hanging baskets - we recommend the same approx mix of 1/3 marbles to
soil mix per 14-16” hanging basket. For more info and to order Moss
Marbles click here.
Being moss – The Moss marbles will naturally break down and compost over
time.
Add Gel Crystals to Your Hanging Planters Soil.
Consider adding Gel Crystals to your hanging planters soil - Gel
crystals are small polymer crystals that absorb water or any other
liquid.
The crystals expand to 400 times their normal weight once you submerge
them in water. One of the most common uses for gel crystals is to
supplement watering in hanging planters and garden planters and hanging
baskets.
As a soil supplement Gel Crystals act as a moisture reservoir for the
soil.
Plants absorb moisture and nutrients from the soil.
So as the potting soil in your hanging planter dries, the moisture and
nutrients stored in the gel crystals is slowly released back into the
soil, and can be used by the plant.
Crystals in your soil also ensure an even distribution of moisture.
Every time you water your plants the crystals will reabsorb water and
store it for later use when the soil is dry. The crystals actually
capture and store some of the water that would normally just drain
through the potting soil.
Expansion and contraction of the crystals during the watering cycle
helps the soil to stay aerated and loose, keeping your plants happy and
healthy and giving you more time between watering.
We hope these ideas give you an edge this summer with your hanging
planters – and that you have beautiful planters with loads of flowers.
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