Planting Hanging Baskets
I have always had wonderful hanging baskets adorn my front porch, but I have always also hated that high price tag that comes along with purchasing them from a local retailer. Now that I have a greenhouse, I have started several different types of projects this summer, one of which was creating my own beautiful hanging baskets, and with a very small price tag attached!

Posted Wednesday, April 5, 2006

Because I have been gardening for years now, I have collected several types of baskets, either from plants that don't make it through the winter, or hand-me-downs from friends and relatives. I have accumulated about ten baskets that I can now start and plant my own hanging baskets with.

You should start collecting now for next years spring baskets. Just look around your local retailers for great low sale prices in the fall months, and be sure to ask everyone that you know if you can have the extra baskets that they are not going to use next year.

Now that you have a collected a few, we are going to fast forward to planting season and learn how to plant hanging baskets. You are going to love what your porch looks like after you are finished!

When is the best time to get started on your hanging baskets? If it is still the mid winter months you can start your new hanging basket plants from seeds. If it is very near to the spring months, you can use a few quick growing seeds, or you can use a few starter plants that you have in your seed flats.

To start any type of basket here is what you need to do. Start with a clean basket, one that you have washed out and sterilized so that any types of disease or fungus that may have grown on the original plant is not going to hit your new ones.

After you have cleaned out your baskets, you can start looking for what types of plants you want to put in it. Some plants are going to need a deeper basket. If they are taller plants with long roots they will need depth to root deep into the soil.

Along the bottom of your hanging basket, put a very thin layer of shell, like the type that you might use in an aquarium. This is going to help drainage but can also help the root breath in case the soil dries out and so your roots do not become locked in the soil. This has been known to happen when I am away on vacation and no one is available to water my plants!

Fill your container about half way full with soil and then place your seedlings in the container. Then you will back fill around your seedlings with additional soil so the container will be full. Be sure to water your plant after adding the soil so the soil packs nicely in around the plants without too much pressure.

If you are going to use seeds in the hanging basket, you can fill the container almost the entire way, plant your seeds as directed and then water lightly. Every type of seed has different needs, and you should plant it in the depth as that type of seed requires for best results.

If spring has not broke yet, you can use the warmth in the greenhouse to protect and grow your hanging basket plants, so that as soon as the warmer weather arrives your fully grown plants will be ready for the porch or deck! Enjoy your lovely hanging flowers and the extra fullness to your wallet this spring