My plants in baskets won't grow even though I water them everyday.?

My planters are all wire baskets which are lined with peet. The weather has been very hot but I water, at night, throoughly, almost every night. There are ten baskets and each one has growth with it's own degree of success but one, after two months, hasn't grown, generally, more than an inch and a half. I have planted wild flowers, zinnias and marigolds. I would say that the site is about ten feet long with direct sun for several hours a day, and from only one side, though that side shifts with the sun. One end is sunnier than the other but is not noticably more growing than the other end. I planted then with potting soil that was supposed to have 7 months of fertilizer. I think a lot has left with the draining water everyday but I don't know. Can you offer advice and can you tell me what I might be able to plant this time of the year in order to recoup the loss of my growth? I live in central Indiana. Thank You

My plants in baskets won't grow even though I water them everyday.?
There's an excellent book called Container Gardening by Ed Smith, where he explains the virtues of self-watering containers. The problem with plants not in self-watering containers is that for much of the time, they plants have either too much or too little water, and when you do water, it washes the nutrients away. With self-watering containers, the plants get exactly the water they need, and the nutrients stay put in the soil so that they're available for the plants. So if you wanted to try replanting, you might consider getting self-watering hanging baskets. Ask for them at your local garden center. They fill them with flowering seedlings, since it's a little late to start growing flowers from seeds now.
Reply:I do this all of the time. Add silk greenery into your baskets and you could even add silk florals of your choice. Many of them look so real these days you can hardly tell. Craft stores like Michaels Arts and craft carry them and run 40% TO 50% off most of the time. You can purchase a UV sun protectant that you spray on them to keep the sun from fading them. I have even dug holes and supported ficus trees in the ground ....honestly they look great. Have fun.
Reply:it must be that they are root bound. lift them up gently from the pots that they are in.if the root's are in a tight ball,you need to transplant into a bigger container.also you need to fertilize them,even tho it says the fertilizer is good for seven months. it's a good sales pitch,but doesn't do very well with your plants.
Reply:You may be overwatering.


I water till the water is running out the bottom of my planters then I let them go until they're almost dried out before I rewater.


If you water too much the roots will get root rot.


Plant chrysanthemums.They are hardy and do best in the fall with lovely green foliage right now.
Reply:potting soil is very porous, as it is formulated for indoor plants, which tend to get overwatered. few people know this, but it is not appropritae for hot outdoor conditions. mix in some local soil (at least half) to your potting soil to improve its moisture and nutrient retention, plus add in valuable microbes and, if your'e lucky, some worms. then mulch well with a small-sized mulch.