How To Plant Hanging Baskets

How to plant hanging baskets.

We love a hanging basket at Longacres. You can hang them pretty much anywhere – on the walls of your house, from arches in the garden, on fences, even from the branches of trees. They’re also ideal for small spaces. For example, if you’ve only got a balcony, you can still enjoy everything you would in a garden – seasonal colour from your favourite blooms; and even your own fresh veg.

How to prepare your hanging basket

There are lots of different sizes and styles of hanging basket to choose from. Some are pre-lined with plastic. Make sure that with these, you cut a few holes in the lining so that water can drain out. There are also wire frame hanging baskets, which you have to prepare for planting by lining them first. You’ll also find plastic ones (a bit like flower pots) as well as wicker baskets. Some are supplied with chains, but you may have to buy these separately.

There are also quite a few different basket liners to choose from. One of the most popular is made from coconut fibre (also known as ‘coir’) available in different sizes, pre-formed to the right shape. You can also buy loose lining material like sphagnum moss, which comes in bags. This will allow you to shape your lining to suit your needs.

Plant up your hanging basket

Once you’ve lined it, put a little compost in the bottom of the basket. Multipurpose compost is ideal for this, and it’s a good idea to mix some water retaining granules or gel into the compost to reduce the amount of watering needed. Some composts already come pre-mixed with moisture retaining granules and fertiliser that will feed your hanging basket plants for several months, like this Miracle Gro Peat Free Moisture Control Compost 40L. Then, simply plant up your basket, filling compost in around the root of your plants as you go.

When are you planting your hanging baskets?

• If you’re planting hanging baskets in early spring, choose hardy plants like violas and primroses that can cope with frost and wet spring weather.

• For a summer basket, plant from April onwards. Beware of frosts if you’re going to position them outside straightaway. It may be safer to keep them in a greenhouse until around the end of May, or wrap them in plant fleece if a frost is due. You could also plant perennials, as these will come back year after year.

• Anytime between September and October is perfect for planting a winter hanging basket. It doesn’t matter if there’s a frost as long as you choose hardy plants, such as pansies and cyclamen.

How to plant a hanging basket

Tiered planting method – the traditional way of planting:

1. Line your hanging basket, then make holes in the liner, at regular intervals right around the entire circumference of the basket.

2. Add a layer of compost.

3. Use one plant per inch of diameter – so 12 plants per 14 inch hanging basket.

4. Take your plants and gently push them roots first, from the outside, through the holes, so that the bloom of the plants stick out from the sides and the roots lay inside.

5. Do this right around the basket. Aim to plant as many as you can, so that you end up with a full, eye-catching display.

6. Add another layer of compost to the inside of your hanging basket – and repeat the steps above, gradually working your way up the basket.

7. Finally, once you’ve reached the top, add a last layer of compost and plant the last of your plants.

8. Water your basket thoroughly.

As the plants grow, they’ll spread and fill-out, covering the entire basket and masking any areas of the liner that may still be on show.

‘Pot’ planting method - ideal far smaller hanging basket sizes:

This is really the same method as planting a pot. Use 3-8 plants for a 11-12 inch container.

1. Lay your plants out on the surface in your chosen design to check spacing.

2. Plant the central plant first then work outwards.

3. Once they’re all in, top up the compost to 1-2 inches below the rim of the basket.

4. Water well and keep an eye out for frost, bringing the container indoors or covering it with fleece in cold snaps.

5. Check the soil regularly to make sure it’s not drying out. Be careful not to over-water though.

As above, when the plants grow, they’ll spread and fill-out, covering the entire basket and masking any areas of the liner that may still be on show. Growing fruit and veg in hanging baskets

Hanging baskets aren’t just for flowers. Fruits and vegetables can be grown in them too and they’re a great option for balconies, or if your space is at a minimum. The great thing about baskets is that they’re off the ground, so slugs can’t get at them!

Top fruit and veg for hanging baskets

• Tomatoes

• Mini-cucumbers

• Most herbs

• Dwarf beans & peas

• Chilli's

• Lettuces

• Radishes

• Strawberries

Watering hanging baskets

 A hanging basket can dry out quite quickly, especially during the summer growing season, so keep an eye on it and water a little every day. The smaller the basket, the more it’ll dry out – larger ones tend to retain moisture for longer.

So how do you tell if your basket needs a drink? When looking out for the signs, a bit of common sense goes a long way. If you can lift the container or basket, does it feel light and under-watered? How does the compost look? Is it pale and shrunken away from the sides? Dig into the compost with your fingers. Does it feel dry?

After watering the compost, it should be moist but not dripping wet.

How to retain moisture in a hanging basket

Moisture-control gel is ideal for hanging baskets and containers. It absorbs moisture and releases it when needed, so you won’t have to get out the watering can quite so often.

Water-retaining crystals or granules can absorb hundreds of times their own weight in water and really help keep soil hydrated. 

Water retaining crystals are especially useful in pots and hanging baskets and will save you having to water quite so often.

Feeding a hanging basket

In spring, summer and early autumn, from April to September, apply a liquid fertiliser every couple of weeks.

Deadhead regularly

Remove faded flowers and dead foliage to encourage new growth and make sure you get the best from your flowering plants.

Shop online or pop into one of our stores to pick up everything you need for creating your own hanging basket.