How much osmacote do I put into a 18" hanging basket?

The baskets are going to be mainly full of annual flowers. Petunias, bacopa, calibrachoa. They are around 12" deep. I also have some that are , I think 12". They are the hanging baskets that you see most ofter in department stores and nursuries, usually green. I live in zone 8.

How much osmacote do I put into a 18" hanging basket?
You can't really say exactly, just by zone and species. (Zone mostly refers to temperatures.)





I'd put a little extra in hanging baskets, especially if they drain freely -- as compared to ones with a catchment. There really is no one type of hanging basket... is it literally a basket, eg. made of fiber?





Also, what sort of soil will you be using? I prefer to use premixed potting soil for container plants, which often comes with fertilizer already in there.





That said, annuals are pretty hard to burn, especially if you get lots of rain and your baskets drain. But if you fertilize them too much, they can get leggy.





In the end, the only ways to get the perfect combination are trial and error or local experience. Have you tried looking up your local cooperative extension? These are educational facilities dedicated to helping all sorts of gardeners, and they will have location-specific information.
Reply:It's hard to overfertilize using osmacote....I wouldn't exactly " fill " the baskets with it, but since ur in zone 8, u have a long growing season. I would add maybe 5 or 6 tablespoons per 12" X 12" basket - and mix well with the soil. important to water BEFORE and after using. I live in zone 5 and really " jack" the soil in my pots with osmacote cause I want a good show in a short amount of time. good luck....
Reply:Use 1- 2 tablespoons of osmocote scattered around the soil of the basket. Do not let the osmocote sit on the plant, make sure it's on the soil. Also, I would suggest a soluble fertilizer along with the osmocote. We use both osmocote and peters at my greenhouse.
Reply:Osmocote product guide


http://www.osmocote.com/index.cfm/event/...


When transplanting annuals from flats, (((include a ½ teaspoon of Osmocote® Outdoor %26amp; Indoor Plant Food with each plant.))))





Osmocote® FAQ


http://www.osmocote.com/index.cfm/event/...





The links provided should be able to answer most any question you have about Osmocote.


***********NOTE***************


EDITED:the 1/2 teaspoon is the recommended amount on the label.


Open the link to view the answer.
Reply:I think a tablespoon would be enough. Maybe two. (5 or 6 sounds wasteful).





The larger boxes do have good directions for a variety of uses.





I've always just sprinkled a bit on the surface.
Reply:Read the directions on the label...





...$Billy Ray$
Reply:All of those plants are pretty greedy annuals, and all time release fertilzers work best when dug into the soil. If you are making up the basket yourself, put about twice what they recommend as they never do last as long as they say they do on the label.





If the pot is already made up by the store, you will slow down their growth more by digging it in, so just put it on top. I'd put about three times what was recommended on the label to start, and in about half the time that they say they last, I'd again put about 2 times what they say.





This is potentially wasteful, but it is unlikely to burn your plants, and it is a quick and lazy way to get some spectacular color with minimum effort. As long as there's sun the calibrochoa will bloom madly no matter what you do, but you will need to pinch the petunias back with this much fertilzer. I'm not sure the bacopa will be able to keep up with the other two plants.