Hanging Baskets
by Dr. Robert Black, Consumer Horticultural Specialist

There are a number of good reasons why the use of hanging baskets have increased. Not only do they allow for increased gardening in a limited area but they also bring the plant up to eye level. This allows the plant to be observed closer and, therefore, leaf form, texture and color are noticed more. By suspending the plant in the air and allowing it to cascade over the sides of the pot the plant takes on a different quality than if it were growing on the ground.

For many years a wire hanging basket was the most common container and often the only one available. Now you can find everything from hollow logs to hanging elephants to place your plants in. If a wire basket, or other container with open sides is used it is best to line it with damp sphagnum moss before filling it with soil. This not only gives the basket a neat appearance but it also prevents the soil from falling through the large openings. A well drained soil should be used, such as a mixture of 2 parts peat, one part sand and one part perlite.

The correct light intensity is important with hanging baskets as with any plant. Placing a hanging basket directly in front of a window will cause lopsided growth, so it needs to be turned occasionally. This is especially true of pendant growers.

Watering is also important. If you have hanging baskets outside or on a screened patio you will need to water it frequently because of air movement. Be careful not to overwater your hanging baskets. The use of drip-pans has allowed hanging baskets to move indoors. There are also many decorative containers that lack a drainage hole. These are hard to maintain at the proper moisture level and the pot within a pot technique is best used. Place 1 to 2 inches of gravel in the decorative pot, then place your potted plant, pot and all, on top. It will be necessary to remove the inner pot and pour out the water which collected in the gravel level periodically.

The variety of plants that can be used in a hanging basket is practically endless. Although trailing plants are most often used a plant does not have to be pendulant to look great. Some of the narrow-leaved bromeliads make spectacular displays. Ferns make excellent hanging plants, especially some of the novelty types such as rabbit-foot fern where the creeping rhisome resembles a furry foot. Plants that produce runners such as Spider plant, Strawberry begonia or even strawberries are also excellent choices. For color try some of the bright, cheery annuals such as petunia, ageratum, vinca and geranium for sun, begonias and impatiens for shade. Orchids, succulents, gesneriads and foliage plants are just a few more of the numerous possibilities.