Caring for Hanging Baskets: A Simple, Reliable Guide

You’ve brought home a beauty, and we want to help you keep it looking just as good as the day you picked it out. Here are the same care tips we use at the store, broken down into easy steps you can follow at home.

Watering

What we do at the store:  

We water our hanging baskets every day. As temperatures warm into the mid 60s and higher, we increase the amount of water they receive. During hot stretches, we may water twice a day to keep the baskets from drying out.

How to do this at home:  

• In cooler spring weather, water every other day
• Water every day once temperatures are consistently in the mid 60s or above
• Water in the morning to help plants handle heat and reduce stress
• Give each basket roughly 0.5 to 1 gallon of water per day
• If a basket is wilting, give it a light splash in the evening to help it recover and to make the soil more receptive to the next morning’s watering
• Increase watering during hot, windy, or very sunny periods

Feeding

What we do at the store:  

We feed our baskets every week with Jack’s Classic All Purpose and once a month with Classicote slow release fertilizer. These are the same products we sell here at the store, and they keep nutrients available at all times for steady growth and continuous blooms.

How to do this at home:  

• Use a liquid feed such as Jack’s Classic All Purpose or Jack’s Classic Blossom Booster once a week
• Add a slow release fertilizer like Classicote once a month
• Avoid getting fertilizer on the foliage
• Apply fertilizer when the soil is already moist for best uptake

Pruning

What we do at the store:  

Beginning in June and July, we prune our hanging baskets once a month. We trim about halfway up the side of the pot and make our cuts upward and toward the center of the basket. This tucks the pruning inside so the outside stays full and tidy. After pruning, we refresh the Classicote slow release fertilizer.

How to do this at home:  

• Prune once a month starting in early summer
• Trim back long or heavy growth to maintain shape
• Make your cuts upward and toward the center of the basket to keep the outside looking full
• Remove any dead or tired blooms
• Add slow release fertilizer after pruning to support regrowth

The Result

With steady watering, consistent feeding, and a simple monthly prune, hanging baskets stay vibrant and greenhouse fresh throughout the season. This routine is easy to follow at home and keeps plants performing at their best.

Plant Geek Tip

If your basket ever starts drying out faster than usual, it may be getting root‑bound. Slip the pot out of the hanger and check the bottom, if you see a tight swirl of roots, it’s time to either prune the roots lightly or move the plant into a slightly larger pot. A little extra space keeps the basket blooming strong through the heat of summer.