Moss Hanging Baskets

This year I have used 14 inch wire baskets. I buy the sphagnum moss, usually around $20 per large garbage bag size, and line the baskets with it. I put a round plastic plant pot tray in the bottom before adding the soil. This tray will hold the water and prevent the basket from drying out between waterings. Other years, I have layered the bottom with a sheet of plastic (plastic shopping bag cut to fit the bottom).  This barrier works like a water reservoir and will help hold in and maintain the moisture as well as keep the soil in place.

Add your potting soil. Special hanging basket soil is available for purchase in most garden shops. I use general purpose soil but I make my own hanging basket mixture. I use a combination of perlite, peat moss and compost. I add in a handful of slow release fertilizer and thoroughly mix it in.

Before adding your plants, water them and make sure you give them a good soaking. I have found that they adjust to the transplanting better. If too dry, the soil shakes off the roots and the plants wilt within a day or two and you’ll need to replace them.

The plants that I have used this year are Tango zonal geraniums,  Burgundy bicolour trailing ivy geraniums, Lena fuchsias, yellow bidens, and white and blue bacopa. I always use a larger geranium in the centre, add two or three fuchsias, and then use smaller basket  stuffers to fill in any bare spots.  Be sure to check if the plants are suitable for shade, part or full sun.

I pull back the moss and spread the wires of the basket. The roots of the bedding plants are poked through the hole. Replace the moss around the roots and bend the wires back the way they were.

Water the basket well after planting. I add a transplanting fertilizer (any brand but ensure that there is a high middle number (i.e. 15-30-15 or 10-52-10 that aids in transplanting).

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