FOR HANGING BASKETS - Part I Varieties adapted to basket culture HANGING HANGING-POTS Carl A. Salsedo Roy W. Judd, Jr. Extension Agent - Horticulture Extension Horticulturist Hanging baskets are not a new concept. Their Hanging pots have become extremely popular with popularity has grown by leaps and bounds in recent the public the past two years. To meet this demand, years (Lucht, 1974). The large selection of most growers have started producing them. They material and their adaptability to almost any situation can be grown in areas not utilized by other crops. make hanging baskets a popular as well as a profitable This provides more dollar return per square foot. item. Suspended at various heights, baskets make it possible to grow plants in midair, where at eye level Where do growers hang hanging pots? Everywhere! or above, they can be enjoyed for their graceful beauty. They can be found hanging from every purlin, cross- arm, nail and wire in the greenhouse. In fact, some Below is a listing of various plants which show that growers hang hanging pots from hanging pots. Some there is a wide assortment of plant material that can greenhouse operators should issue hard hats to aU be used in hanging baskets (Rathmell). Many different employees and visitors to prevent concussions as kinds of plants can be used: annuals, blooming plants they walk through the houses. OSHA would have a (perennials and tropicals), foliage plants, herbs and "field day" in many greenhouses. In one part of the vegetables. The hanging basket market is here to country, they require that the containers be hung stay only if growers are imaginative enough to diversify 7 1/2 feet above the walk. both the plant material and container.

In glass houses, most pots are hung from the Key to plants listed below: A—Annuals existing framework or pipes placed on the cross- B—Blooming plants arms. This overhead structure is not available in F—Foliage plants most plastic houses. In the wooden structure H—Herbs houses, many are simply hung from nails (figure V—Vegetables and fruits 1). One enterprising grower nailed chicken wire Y—Year round to the rafters inside the house and hung pots from it (figures 2 and 3). This grower is using a peat- Key Genus and species—common names lite mix to grow in, otherwise the weight of the pots BY Abutilon megopotanicum variegatum, A. with soil might pull the house down. Others have L ' L hybridum, A. straitum aureomaculatum- built wooden frames and strung wire across it for Flowering Maples pots. B Achimenes sp. Nut-orchid BY Aeschynanthus pulchrum, A. lobbianum, A few growers have built racks to grow hangers A. speciousus—Lipstick Plant on. One is a wooden frame with 1 inch pipes which AB Ageratum houstonianum—Ageratum

15 V Allium sp.—Chives The grower mentioned this to an out-of-state AB Antirrhinum majus—Snapdragon—dwarf types friend who had a suggestion; look for Eriophyid as Floral Carpet mites. AB Begonias—a wide assortment including Riegers (Aphrodite series) We looked. They were there. These tiny mites B Begonias—tuberous type, B. foliosa; Angel are related to those that cause russetting on citrus wing types, trailing types and were causing the damage on the young leaves FY Bromeliads—many species (figure 2). They were not numerous and not AB Browallia sp. ordinarily visible to the naked eye. B Campanula isophylla—Italian Bellflower > ) FY Ceropegia sp.—Rosary After Kelthane provided control, the azaleas FY Chlorophytum sp.—Spider Plant recommenced normal growth. V Cucurbita sp.—Squash, dwarf nonvining types FY Cissus rhombifolia—Grape Ivy; C. antarctica— Kangaroo vine; C. discolor—Rex Begonia Vine FY Coleus blume—a wide assortment BY Columnea sp.—a wide assortment FY Crassula sp. V Cucumis sativus—cucumber, dwarf nonvining types B Cuphrea ignea—Cigarette Plant BY Cyanotis sp.—Pussy ears B Cymbalaria sp.—Toad Flax, Basket-ivy, Kenilworth Ivy AB Dianthus hybrida—Dianthus; D. gracilis; D. procumbens—Dark Eyes, Lena, Swingtime and South Gate BY Dipladenia sp.—Mexican Love-Vine BY Episcia sp. Figure 2. Tan abraided areas on azalea leaves FY Ferns—many assorted varieties resulting from Eriophyid mite feeding. FY Ficus sp.—Creeping Fig FY Fittonia sp. J \ V Fragaria vesca—Strawberries BF Fuchsia sp. FY Gynura sp.—Velvet Plant FY sp.—English Ivy, a wide assortment B Heliotrope sp.—dwarf types FY Helxine sp.—Baby Tears

16 FY Hemigraphis sp.—Waffle Plant F Hydocyrta sp.—Goldfish Plant BF Impatiens sp. V Ipomaea batatas—Sweet Potato, Ipomaea ERIOPHYID MITE ON AZALEA Jay S. Koths purpura--Morning Glory, new dwarf Extension Floriculturist varieties F Iresine sp.—Bloodleaf For several years, a spotty, gradual, sometimes F Lamium sp.—Silver nettle nearly lethal decline affected an azalea crop in BY Lantana delicatissima, L. monteoidensis Connecticut. Young leaves were russetted, some AB Lathyrus odoratus—Sweet Pea, dwarf types times becoming tan and dying back from the tips. AB Layia sp.—Tidy Tips Terminal growth sometimes died back completely. AB Lobelia—Cascade varieties Pathologists looked for leaf and root disease. AB Lobularia maritima—Sweet Alyssum Physiologists analyzed the soil and set up nutri B Lotus berthelotii—Flying Pea tion experiments since the symptoms were similar B Manettia bicolor—Firecracker Plant to some trace element deficiencies (figure 1). No FY Maranta bicolor—Prayer Plant insects were found. AB Mesembryanthemum sp.—Ice Plant H Mentha spp.—Mint F Muehlenbackia sp.—Wire Vine Plant A Nasturtium sp. —dwarf type AB Nierembergia sp. H Ocinum basilicum—Basil F Oplismenus compositus—Basket Grass BY Orchids, many varieties F Othonna crassifolia—Little Pickles BF Oxalis sp. —Bermuda Buttercup, Shamrock BY Passiflora sp.—Passion Flower BY Pelargonium peltatum—Ivy Geranium F Pelliomia pulchra—Trailing Watermelon Begonia; P. daveauar FY Peperomia sp. V C HY Petroselinum crispum—Parsley AB Petunia sp„ FY Philodendron oxycardium—common philodendron B Phlox sp. FY Pilea cadierei—Aluminum Plant Figure 1. Abnormal terminal growth on azalea FY Pilea microphylla—Artillery Plant caused by Eriophyid mites. FY Plectranthus sp.—Swedish Ivy

17 blems will most likely be reduced because the glass B Plumbago capensis layer will remain warmer. Growers should also AB Portulaca sp. check with their insurance company to determine if F Pomegranate (dwarf) there is any change in their coverage using this HY Rosmarinus officinalis—Rosemary practice. B Sanvitalia sp.—Creeping Zinnia FY Saxifraga sarmentosa—Strawberry Begonia The following example will give an indication of AB Schizanthus pinnatus—Butterfly Flower the costs involved and the yearly savings made by B Schzocentron elegans—Spanish Shawl adding a copolymer layer to a tight 30! x 100' glass FY Scindapsis aureus—Pothos greenhouse: FY Sedum sp.—wide assortment including hardy varieties; S. morganianum—Burro's Tail Sedum, S. brevifolium, S. sieboldii, S. No. 2 fuel oil used with single caerulecum, S. dasyphyllum glass cover 7500 gals./year FY Selaginella sp. No. 2 fuel oil used with added FY macroglossus var. variegatus— poly layer 5200 gals./year Cape Ivy Fuel oil savings 2300 gals. FY Senecio mikanioides—German Ivy V Solanum sp.—Tomato, dwarf varieties Reduced heating costs—2300 gals. @40^/gal. $920 i.e. Tiny Tim, Pixie Cost of plastic and labor to install $200 F Stenotophrum sp.—St. Augustine's Grass Cost of lumber, furring strips, blower B Streptocarpus saxorum—False African Violet and labor amortized over 5 years 70 B Streptolsolen jamesonii—Orange Browallia A Tagetes sp.—Marigold, semi-dwarf varieties Electricity for 6 months of operation 10 A Thunbergia alata—Black-eyed Susan vine Total yearly costs 280 HY Thymus sp.—Thyme FY Tolmiea menzesii—Piggy-back plant Yearly savings $640 F Torenia fournieri—Wishbone Flower FY Tradescantia sp.—a wide assortment including Additional heat savings can be gained by installing Tahitian Bridal Veil an insulation barrier along concrete foundation walls AB Verbena sp. and behind heat pipes. One-half or one inch of Poly- AY Vinca major—Big Periwinkle urethane or Polystyrene Board faced with aluminum AB Viola sp. — Viola and Pansy J ' J and approved by Underwriters Laboratories or BY Zygocactus truncatus—Christmas Cactus Factory Mutual Corporation will decrease heat loss through these walls.

18 The application of the plastic to the greenhouse Literature Cited is similar to the method used with poly houses. Where the frame is steel or aluminum, a 2" x 4" 1. Lucht, George A. 1974. Hanging Baskets, or 2U x 6" nailer will have to be bolted to the Ohio Florists Assn., Bull. No. 532. frame at the locations where the plastic will be 2. Rathmell, James K., Jr. 1975. Hanging attached. On houses that are covered with a Baskets. Maryland Florist 195:46 single sheet, this would be the end frames and along the foundation or eave.

A double furring strip is used to hold the plastic. C• f Double headed nails should be used to facilitate re moval. A small squirrel cage blower operating continuously supplies the air to keep the plastic inflated. In tight houses, one blower should be sufficient. In large houses or where a poor job of attaching the poly was done, a larger blower or more than one may be needed. A NOTE TO JOE MAISANO

The blower should be mounted inside the house Completion of your Master of Science Degree at and the air ducted with plastic tubing or flexible dryer Central Connecticut State College was the culmination hose through the glass. A sliding sheet metal damper of many years of part-time, extracurricular endeavor. attached to the blower inlet allows the pressure to be Your diligence and perseverence is commendable. adjusted to 0.2 inch water static pressure. This can But, coming at the same time, your Distinguished be measured with a monometer made from a piece of Service Award by the National Association of County 1/4 inch plastic tubing bent into a U and fastened to a Agricultural Agents is a special honor. It is certainly small piece of plywood. Further details on the in warranted and we, your colleagues, offer sincere stallation of the fan can be found in Connecticut Green congratulations and trust that your next eleven years house Newsletter No. 53 or in Bulletin 74-45 available as an editor of this newsletter will be as productive from the author. and pleasant as the last eleven have been. Where adequate fan or fan and tube ventilation is installed, ridge and side vents can be covered. If there are no fans, the plastic will have to be attached to allow these vents to operate.

Light levels inside the greenhouse may be reduced slightly by the addition of the poly layer. Drip pro-

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