How to care for Mixed Sun Basket

Our Mixed Sun Baskets contain a large mixture of plants that specifically need placed in a part to full sun area. They require at least half the day in the sun to flourish. All morning or all afternoon sun will satisfy the sun requirement, however all day full sun is also acceptable. Sun exposure can change during the season as the sun moves higher during summer. You will want the desired sun exposure to remain well into October, as these lush baskets can last all through spring, summer, and into autumn if properly cared for.

You can recognize under sun exposure by any of the following symtpms:

Long and thin, leggy stems that stretch toward the light
Decreased or non-existent blooming
Plants fail to grow

Maintain Moisture: The best way to water your mixed sun basket is to slightly lift the basket, and if the basket feels very light, water until the water drips through the hole or holes at the bottom. Don't wait until the plant wilts, but don't give water every day. Let the plant get to the "light" stage so that air can permeate the soil along with the moisture to keep the roots healthy. Any basket can become waterlogged and it kept too wet can wilt and die almost overnight. During hot weather check your basket daily, extremely hot weather twice daily. Daily watering is usually required for mature baskets during sunny weather if grown in full sun.

Fertilize regularly: Every 2 weeks is a good standard. The plants in a mixed sun basket need a great deal of nutrition, especially nitrogen. Use a quality water soluble fertilizer and make sure the plant is never starving for nutrients.

Deadheading of our Mixed Sun Baskets are not required to maintain blooming, however, a weekly deadhead clean-up can greatly improve the lush and beautiful appearance. Just pick off the spent blooms that are easily seen, new blooms will quickly cover the ones harder to reach.

During the season, it may be necessary to give certain plants in the arrangement a little haircut. Some varieties bloom so profusely they can produce stems with spent blooms at some point during the summer. Simply give a little trim to this section of the basket and it will quickly fill in with additional foliage and blooms. If you have waited a little too long for the haircut, selectively cut back up to half of the stems. These trimmed stems will produce enough growth to fill in the areas that would look chopped if a full haircut were applied.

If you have any questions about our products, or need some help I am always available by email. Please feel free to email me and I will be happy to help you with any of your concerns.