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Million Bells (Calibrachoa) Question

Posted: May 21, 2009 6:00 pm
by Midnight Reiter Too
My hanging basket already looks nasty. I'm starting over. Do I water only when it has gone completely dry and should I water until it drips from the bottom?

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Re: Million Bells (Calibrachoa) Question

Posted: May 21, 2009 7:48 pm
by govgirl75
I water when the top of the soil is dry and the undersoil is barely moist. In the summer, that is about every morning. I water until the water runs through.
I also water once a week with half strength of Rapid Gro.
I pinch the longest stems twice a week. I go around the plant and pinch every 3rd of 4th stem each time. That helps to thicken up the plant and make it bloom more.
Good luck. I am sure it will be recovered soon.
Glo

Re: Million Bells (Calibrachoa) Question

Posted: May 22, 2009 1:58 am
by Midnight Reiter Too
Thank you for the great advice, Glo. I did buy new plants to put in that pot.

Re: Million Bells (Calibrachoa) Question

Posted: May 22, 2009 11:01 pm
by kHT
Sorry MR, I have been so busy to catch this before you got new plants. I would suggest adding another smaller one
of a different color to grow on top of the one you have in the basket now?

Re: Million Bells (Calibrachoa) Question

Posted: May 23, 2009 12:13 am
by Midnight Reiter Too
kHT wrote:Sorry MR, I have been so busy to catch this before you got new plants. I would suggest adding another smaller one
of a different color to grow on top of the one you have in the basket now?
Do you mean another color of Million Bells in the center of that pot and still try to put three around it?

Re: Million Bells (Calibrachoa) Question

Posted: May 23, 2009 10:41 am
by kHT
MR, sorry I wasn't clear. When we do pots here of the MB or petunias we place three in a pot on the outside as we know
as they grow they will get leggy by the end of the season. Sometimes we will just cut them back and allow to regrow or we
will dig a hole in the center and add a fourth one of a different color to grow over the top of the leggy ones. In recent years
we have gone to just perennials or succulents in the baskets as a cost saving way of basket hanging. My recent favorite is
ice plants in hanging backets, less watering!!

Re: Million Bells (Calibrachoa) Question

Posted: May 24, 2009 5:11 am
by lazygardner
Hey Kharma, do you think Ice Plants would overwinter in a cool but not freezing basement? They simply aren't truly perennial in Michigan. THey might over winter once, but the next winter is sure to kill them.

Re: Million Bells (Calibrachoa) Question

Posted: May 24, 2009 10:45 am
by kHT
Hey lazyG I would think they would do just fine if you give them min water during the winter months
like on the holidays. Or one could bring them in and treat them like house plants also? I have watched
how this plant went from a 6" pot size to well over 8' in an area that was so dry and it came back after
out coldest snowest winter!!

Re: Million Bells (Calibrachoa) Question

Posted: May 25, 2009 4:46 pm
by Midnight Reiter Too
If they always get brown in the middle, I think I made a huge mistake buying so many of them. :cry:

Re: Million Bells (Calibrachoa) Question

Posted: May 27, 2009 3:42 am
by lazygardner
Aww, MR, Not such a huge mistake. I am too short to see into the inside of the basket. So maybe you can simply hang them higher!!! :D

Re: Million Bells (Calibrachoa) Question

Posted: May 27, 2009 11:21 pm
by Midnight Reiter Too
lazygardner wrote:Aww, MR, Not such a huge mistake. I am too short to see into the inside of the basket. So maybe you can simply hang them higher!!! :D
:lol: If I fertilize my shepherd's hook will it get taller?

Re: Million Bells (Calibrachoa) Question

Posted: May 28, 2009 6:19 am
by lazygardner
:lol: