Plants That Hang In Baskets
The use of plants in hanging baskets can add elegance and natural beauty to home, garden and porch. Gardening Contributor Georgia Raimondi has a few good suggestions for viewers of The Saturday Early Show.
What type of baskets should you hang plants in?
- Plastic-coated wire basket (most common)
- Plastic basket with built-in water reserve
- Redwood hanging planter
It is much easier to plant a hanging basket at eye level. Line the bottom and sides of the basket with moistened sheet moss or coconut fiber liner. The moss will allow the roots and plant to breathe on all sides.
Once you've lined the basket, should you put in dirt from the garden?
NO! Dirt can introduce bugs. Also, roots need great nutrients because there is so little space. Cut slits in the moss at staggered intervals around the outside of the basket at different levels. Tuck trailing or small plants by carefully pushing the roots through slits in the liner. When the plants grow out, the display of flowers that cascade and cover the basket will be beautiful from every vantage point and will be more eye-catching than anything ready-made at a garden center.
How should you care for a hanging basket?
In warm weather water daily, be sure to thoroughly moisten the plant that the water soaks all the way to the bottom. (This prevents the moss and plants from drying out.) Fertilizing and removing faded blossoms will encourage more blooms.
You can even create an edible hanging basket, using a combination of herbs, grape tomatoes, lettuce, and even strawberries.
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