LADYBUG: HANGING BASKETS MAY NEED MIDSUMMER BOOST

Hanging baskets may need a midsummer boost as this is about the time they often have a midsummer sag. They add a spot of color to the entrance of the home or a patio or a porch. The need for frequent watering because of the high temperatures of summer make it necessary to give them a little boost to maintain their appearance.

Plants in containers outside have limited soil and must be supplied with moisture and nutrients at all times. Watering, more than any other factor, determines the success or failure of plants in containers.

When plants are in a sunny area, even for a portion of the day, drying is rapid and plants may get too hot, especially if they have been allowed to become dry. This can damage the roots along the sides of the container.

In extremely hot weather hanging baskets and small containers on the patio may need watering more than once a day. Large containers, with good drainage often need watering just once a day. It is impossible to form a definite schedule for watering for as the season progresses, the sun patterns change.

As plants grow they often require more water. Another factor to be considered is that rainfall often does not get to the soil when plants have very thick, large leaves. The finger in the soil method of testing is the best to check to see if the plant does need additional water.

Plants in hanging baskets are subject to more wind and less humidity than those growing in the garden. At our house, there seems always to be wind blowing from the south and southwest. If it were not for the swivel hooks, our baskets would be whirled so much that the plants would be in shrivels.

With so much watering, flowers in hanging baskets and also in containers also need regular fertilizing. Many gardeners like to apply a weak fertilizer solution in each watering. Robert J. Dingwall, in his monthly Horticultural News letter, advocates the use of Osmocote, a slow release fertilizer available at most garden centers. It is applied to the top of the soil so that each time the container is watered some fertilizer is being released.

Previously, the challenge of starting a new garden has been mentioned with emphasis upon the problems of the new vincas. Lower yellow foliage and limited growth seemed to be the result of poor soil and wet and cold rains. They were most unhappy. As soon as the nights began to get warmer and the heavy rains subsided, they began to grow.

Spreading vincas are new and delightful. This annual is great for bedding. It provides a massive color display under our adverse conditions of both heat and poor soil. The new Pacific Red is the brightest red yet, and it has basal branching. Apricot Delight is also a new color. A raspberry shade for the eye makes it more alluring, and it has more compact growth than other vincas.

There are several lovely ones in the Tropicana series including rose, blush, light rose with deep eye, bright eye, pale pink with deep eye, pink and white. There is peppermint, white with red eye, and all white, which is a favorite, because our beds are basically pink and white.

Nierembergia Mont Blanc, an All-American Selection a few years ago, is a new perennial being tried. It has produced well in the All-America Display Garden at SEMO University, but this is our first experience. This little white, star-shaped flower with its lacy foliage seems to be showing heat, drought and weather tolerance.

Although there have been many complaints (from here) about flowers that have not done well, there is one big exception -- Lisianthus. We have tried them many times before, but always they were a disappointment. In this location, they have been happy and productive. They bear profuse clusters of blooms that resemble roses at first, open to tulip form, and at maturity, look like poppies. The Echo series has long, strong stems to support the large double blooms.

Both the Echo series and Heidi series are excellent for cut flowers as they have long, strong stems. They also come in blue, pink, white, purple, some white with contrasting rims and some produce double blossoms. As cut flowers they will stay up to two weeks inside. These were developed in Japan by Sakata Seed Corp.

We read in the morning paper of Eva Gabor's death, which recalled fond memories of meeting her in St. Louis several years ago. The American Rose Society was having their National Convention there, and presented her with a rose, named for her. The Eva Gabor Rose, is a deep shocking pink hybrid tea, developed in Denmark. Those used for table decorations at the Marriott Hotel, were grown in the Missouri Botanical Rose Test Garden.

Following the banquet a press meeting was held where she spoke with local representatives of the news media and made us all feel comfortable by her greeting of "Hello, Dahlings, Let's just sit and visit."

~Mary Blue is a resident of Cape Girardeau and an avid gardener.