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Gardening Basics: Hanging Baskets Keep things looking up in your garden with outdoor hanging baskets. From "Dirt On Gardening" episode DDOG-101

Varieties of liners for wire baskets include sphagnum moss and coco fiber.

Want an alternative to pots and container gardening? Consider planting hanging baskets. Hanging baskets can be a great finishing touch in your garden, adding another layer of color.

Below are some basic tips on the care and feeding of hanging baskets from DIY's The Dirt on Gardening.

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The Basket

• You can use plastic or wire.

• Plastic is inexpensive and it won't dry out as quickly as the wire, but you might find the wire more attractive (figures A and B).

• With either basket, you'll need good drainage because you don't want the plants to become water-logged. Pebbles at the bottom of the basket won't help with hanging containers like they can with your ordinary potted plants.

  Figure A

  Figure B

  
  

  	Damp sphagnum moss, two inches thick, will keep the soil and your plants in place.
  	A coco fiber liner is a great for hanging baskets.

• Line the inside of the basket so soil and plants stay in place. Dried sphagnum moss works well.

• An alternative is to use coconut fiber.

• If using moss, soak it overnight in very warm water and, when you're ready to use it, squeeze the water out.

• Line the basket about 1to 2 inches thick, packing it tightly in between the wires to hold the potting mix.

Soil-less planting mixes provide excellent drainage, aeration and water-holding capacity that ordinary garden soil can't supply. Pour your soil into the container, leaving a couple inches to plant.

Picking Your Plants

• When planting hanging baskets, you can pick from a variety of annuals, vines, tropicals, herbs and even vegetables. Considerations include whether you'll be planting in the shade, what colors or appearance you're looking for, whether you want to use trailing plants like ivy, etc.

  You can do a single a single plant like ivy or geraniums that will grow to fill it out or you can plant multiple plants in one container.

  Herbs thrive in containers and require little care. Thyme, oregano and rosemary are good for containers because they like the soil to dry out between watering.

  Just make sure you pick small, healthy young plants because older plants will have a harder time adjusting to their new environment.
  
  
  

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  ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  	Gardening Basics: Hanging Baskets
  	Gardening Basics: Selecting Plants at the Nursery