When I use polymer in the Hanging basket, I Soak the beads in warm water that has plant food in it. I use the weaker solution. If you don't fill the beads with water at first planting; they will then fill up with water and tend to plop out of the potting soil and basket, thus looking rather ugly. (You will also see how much you can Really use in your size hanging basket.) Usually one measured teaspoonful makes 1 quart of water logged beads. But you don't want to use that much in a hanging basket. 1/2 of that will do nicely. Mix it slightly in the middle layer along with the Fertilizer beads. Spread this out evenly. Then use the potting soil on top of this mixture.
Make sure you leave room for the plants. Sometimes I leave a 16 ounce sour cream or cottage cheese container in the middle before place the potting soil in, to leave myself room for the plant to go in to. Pull it out before placing plant in that space. ~ HTH
When I use polymer in the Hanging basket, I Soak the beads in warm water that has plant food in it. I use the weaker solution. If you don't fill the beads with water at first planting; they will then fill up with water and tend to plop out of the potting soil and basket, thus looking rather ugly. (You will also see how much you can Really use in your size hanging basket.) Usually one measured teaspoonful makes 1 quart of water logged beads. But you don't want to use that much in a hanging basket. 1/2 of that will do nicely. Mix it slightly in the middle layer along with the Fertilizer beads. Spread this out evenly. Then use the potting soil on top of this mixture.
Make sure you leave room for the plants. Sometimes I leave a 16 ounce sour cream or cottage cheese container in the middle before place the potting soil in, to leave myself room for the plant to go in to. Pull it out before placing plant in that space. ~ HTH