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Water irrigation

manvadher1985m_841HOsmanvadher1985m_841HOs Posts: 3
edited May 2023 in Tools and techniques
Hi all, 

New here and looking to keep things as simple as possible. My level of gardening is super low (don't really have any tools and much free time to do stuff) We've been in our property for a few years but the gardens pretty basic. A landscaper is able to install a water irrigation pipework (one pipe going to the front for 2x hanging baskets, one pipe going to the back for 4x hanging baskets + water to a flower bed). It doesn't include any system or timer. 

He's installing Hydrosure piping and I will be attaching to it
HydroSure Chrome Threaded Two Way Water Distributor - 3/4" so the system is not affected when I used the tap
HydroSure Dual Outlet Water Tap Timer with Digital Display
HydroSure Mini Click Rain Sensor

My question is will this be OK for the hanging baskets... For now the flower bed will be empty for this year. 

Second question is 
When do I need to get hanging baskets by. I believe the season is from June to October? 
Where can I get these from. Would a local nursery be best? I've seen Internet ones but I don't trust that sounds great. Homebase and named places don't seem to have anything that looks great. 
What's the average rate for a 14" basket. 

Thanks and sorry for having to educate a novice. 

TIA

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  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    By replying, I'll bring your enquiry back to the top of the pile, 
    manvadher1985m_841HOs, but you seem to be employing uber-science to what most people would achieve with a daily watering can.  You don't say where you are, but I'd imagine you'll have some form of garden centre within striking distance of where you live or work?  Let's hope someone knowledgeable will advise you.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    How much you water and how often also depends on what's planted in the baskets @manvadher1985m_841HOs and what/how you're filling them, in terms of the soil mix, but most folk do just use a watering can, and they use a plastic lining of some kind, with holes in it, to prevent excess water loss.  :)

    I'm not sure how an irrigation system works for something that's many feet above ground in a basket though. Not something I've ever used though - on the ground or anywhere else. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    I would have thought that the kit would come with some sort of instruction booklet with suggested timings etc for watering. 

    Hanging baskets are on sale now. Some garden centres and larger DIY stores sell them. You can also sometimes get them from florists and greengrocers, but these may run an order ahead system rather than selling them ad hoc.
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    edited May 2023
    I have a drip irrigation system for my baskets and containers, but not so fancy as yours sounds. I installed it myself with a kit from B&Q one summer when I was going to be away a lot for work. I have a cheapy timer for it which works just as well as the expensive brands. I never heard of your brand but it should work fine. Set the timer to give just enough water so that it starts to drip out of the bottom of the baskets. In hot weather I generally have mine on for 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening, just on a slow drip.
    For hanging baskets, if you don't want to plant up your own, now's the time to go to a garden centre or nursery or even a DIY place that has a garden section, and see what they've got. Some of the ones around here make them up to order but it's probably a bit late for that now. Most pre-planted baskets seem to be done with bedding plants that need a reasonable amount of sun, (petunias, pelargoniums and so on) so if your chosen spot is shady you might need to look for baskets with plants that will tolerate that, things like fuchsias, impatiens and begonias.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Depending on your area and the last expected frost date, it might be a little early for planted up baskets  to be out on general sale. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    They've been on sale here for a while and will probably have been pretty well picked over by now. There's obviously a market for them. Some people keep them in a greenhouse for a while but I'm sure many just put them out and hope for the best. Some years we don't get any frost/cold after early-mid May but others it can be June.
    I won't be planting up baskets for another couple of weeks, myself. I have red velour petunia cuttings and some seed-raised lobelia, and if I can't get suitable bedding plants for the rest then I'll scavenge what I can from the house/garden. There's lots of erigeron popping up which I think will work, and since 2020 I've been using cuttings from my purple tradescantia houseplant in hanging baskets. Sometimes they even survive the winter.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • manvadher1985m_841HOsmanvadher1985m_841HOs Posts: 3
    Hi, 

    Thank you. Whilst it may seem overly engineered, we both work in the city and start early finish late, and are away for a number of days throughout the year. Therefore in my mind, an irrigation system helps to manage these issues.

    Some great suggestions from others so thank you for that. I'll look to get the timer and set give or take 10mins for the morning and evening. 

    Regarding the sourcing of the baskets I hadn't thought about florists so I'll give that a try as well. 

    I think for this year I'll keep it super easy and purchase the baskets but maybe next year I'll try my own once I get a feel for what we like.. 

    Will look to get the baskets in a few weeks time. Wish me luck! 

    Thank you all
  • Winston_The_Gravity_ManWinston_The_Gravity_Man Posts: 263
    I'm not too sure I'd like to try to water our hanging baskets with a watering can.  They're a bit too far off the ground to do that comfortably. 

    Anyway (I know I keep banging on about this but if even one person pays attention it'll have been worth it) one should never lift any sort of weight above shoulder height or at least not without taking the utmost care.  Body mechanics dictate that a load which isn't held close to the body is inherently unstable and so can injure muscles, tendons, and if the load is dropped, injure other people too !  
    When there's always biscuits in the tin, where's the fun in biscuits ?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited May 2023
    It’s possible to get hanging baskets with a doofry sort of chain fitting that allows it to be lowered for watering then raised back up again … I’ve seen them in action but I’ve no idea what they’re called … Google may help …

    edited to add :  aha!
     https://www.crocus.co.uk/product/_/hi-lo-hanging-basket-raising-lowering-pulley/classid.2000018309/

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • manvadher1985m_841HOsmanvadher1985m_841HOs Posts: 3
    Dovefromabove I saw that and thought its pretty nifty but whilst it sorts out the issue of the height, it doesn't remove the need to find the time to water it. But yes I think it's a great idea! 
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