The Spruce / Heidi Kolsky
Have you ever admired alush hanging basketbursting with blooms at your favorite nursery?
In cold-winter regions, this means midspring after all danger of frost has passed.
If a frost is threatened, simply bring your basket indoors to shelter it from cold nighttime temperatures.
The Spruce / Heidi Kolsky
Coco coir or moss liners are the most common materials, offering excellent drainage and aesthetics.
Some retailers offer premium basket liners that increase water retention, such as theMagniMoist liner.
These liners are more expensive than standard coco coir liners but might improve the performance of drought-sensitive plants likefuchsias.
The Spruce / Heidi Kolsky
For a less expensive liner, you could create one yourself fromlayers of burlapthat you’ve cut to fit.
Garden soil is too heavy and can carry pathogens that can infect your plants.
Choose a lightweight bagged potting soil.
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Moisten the soil prior to beginning planting and add more soil to the basket if settling occurs.
These plants have upright growth habits with spiky blooms and wont get lost as the other plants mature.
These plants fill in quickly, providing fullness with fewer plants.
The Spruce / Heidi Kolsky
If your basket will be hanging above your reach, reduce maintenance by choosing varieties that dont require deadheading.
it’s possible for you to use the same trailing plants you used at the edges of the basket.
Use a utility knife to cut several slits into the sides and underside of your liner.
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Grasping small transplants by the root ball, insert the root ball into the slit.
Dont worry about damaging the plant, as the root ball can take quite a bit of manhandling.
Just be sure not to grasp the transplant by the stem, which can break easily.
The Spruce / Heidi Kolsky
Water new plants until you see runoff.
Expect to water your hanging baskets dailyperhaps even twice a day when hot, dry conditions persist.
Improper watering is the most common reason that plants in hanging baskets die.
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Fertilizeyour baskets twice a month to keep them looking healthy throughout the season.
These polymers absorb a lot of water and release it as the soil dries out.
They work well for houseplants and outdoor container plants.
The Spruce / Heidi Kolsky
Hanging baskets can accommodate multiple small plants, one large plant, or a combination of both.
Like plants in pots and in the ground, flowers and other species can benefit fromdrainage holesin hanging baskets.
Ensure each basket has multiple small holes or one large hole on the bottom.
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To make a hanging basket look fuller, pinch off the ends of stems to encourage extra growth.
The Spruce / Heidi Kolsky
