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plant a hanging basket

Planting a hanging basket isn’t so different from planting a regular container. But here are a few tips to help you plant them up.

LINE UP — First, you need a frame and a liner. Two popular lining options are coconut-fiber liners or long-fiber sphagnum moss. Coconut-fiber liners are preshaped and come in different sizes. They’re quick and easy, and can be reused for several years. Sphagnum moss gives a softer, more rustic look. You can buy it loose in bags, or as preformed liners. If you use loose moss, you’ll have to dampen it and pack it into place. (Check out our Web extra for tips on how to do this.) Preformed liners just need to be moistened to plump up (they’re available from the Garden Gate Store, www.GardenGateStore.com).

Hanging baskets dry out quickly. To slow this down, punch holes in a piece of plastic, like the white garbage can liner in the photo. Use it to line the basket before you add potting mix. The plastic will prevent the basket’s liner from leaching water from the potting mix too quickly. Another idea is to tuck a plastic hanging basket inside a moss-lined one, and use mulch to hide the edge of the plastic pot.

TIME TO PLANT — Once your plastic liner is in place, fill the basket. Add potting mix, with a layer of water-absorbing crystals and slow-release fertilizer. Be sure to keep the crystals a few inches below the potting mix’s surface — if they’re too close to the top, they can expand right out of the container. You can also stir the crystals through the potting mix, if you prefer. Another option is to mix a few scoops of compost into the lightweight potting mix. That helps it absorb and hold moisture better, and it adds nutrients to the soil, too. It does make baskets a little heavier, so if weight is a concern, just stick to the moisture crystals.

Even with these precautions, you’ll still need to water your baskets often, especially during hot weather. Don’t fill the baskets to the top with soil — leave an inch or two of space to allow water to soak in, instead of running off the surface.

Finally, finish off your hanging basket with a layer of mulch, to help retain more moisture and prevent precious water from splashing out and all over you. Your container will stay moist and look tidy.

And for an easy way to keep your hanging basket growing evenly on all sides, check out the Gardman Swivel Hooks at right!