How to Plant Hanging Baskets | Full And Flowering

A hanging basket planted with the right mix of potting soil, fertilizer, and placement blooms for months instead of weeks.

Planting a hanging basket is a fast project that rewards you all season when you get the basics right. The trick to a basket stuffed with blooms is understanding how to layer your plants, line a wire basket properly, and water without washing everything out. Here is the process that works the first time.

Get Your Basket and Liner Ready First

Your container determines how long your plants stay healthy. Solid plastic baskets hold moisture longer, while wire baskets need a liner to keep soil from washing out when you water. Both work well when set up correctly.

For wire baskets, line the inside with a 2-inch layer of sphagnum moss, sheet moss, or a plastic liner (1 to 1-1/2 mil thick) with the edges doubled underneath. Press the liner flat against the wire so there are no gaps where soil can escape.

Stand the basket on a wide, short pot while you work. This keeps it stable and lets you fill it without the whole thing tipping over.

What Soil Do You Put In A Hanging Basket?

Use a quality potting mix, and do not use garden soil. Garden soil is too heavy and drains poorly in a container, which suffocates roots and leads to rot. Potting mix stays light, holds moisture evenly, and gives roots room to breathe.

Fill the container to within 1 inch of the top rim. That small gap catches water and keeps it from spilling over the edge before it soaks down into the roots.

Mix in a 3- to 4-month slow-release fertilizer at planting time. This feeds your plants steadily for months and reduces how often you need to add liquid fertilizer later.

The Right Planting Pattern For A Full Basket

Place taller upright plants in the center or back of the basket, clumpers next, and trailing plants around the edge. This layering gives you a dome of color instead of a flat circle of stems.

For an even fuller basket, cut holes in the liner and plant through the sides. Put the holes at varying heights and keep them at least 10 cm (about 4 inches) up from the base so the soil holds together. This gives you flowers spilling from the sides as well as the top.

If you want to compare basket types before you buy, see our tested roundup of the best baskets for planting to find one that fits how you plan to use it.

Watering and Aftercare That Keeps Plants Blooming

Soak the basket thoroughly right after planting and let it drain completely. Then water slowly but thoroughly before you hang it up. A basket that goes up dry will stress the roots before they have a chance to settle in.

Place newly planted baskets in filtered sunlight for 2–3 weeks while they establish. After that, hang them where sun or shade matches what your plants need. Check your plant tags for their light preference.

Daily watering is often necessary, especially in warm weather. Hanging baskets dry out faster than ground beds because they are exposed to air on every side. Fertilizer should be applied routinely through the season to keep plants blooming well, since frequent watering flushes nutrients out of the soil.

Watch for the first sign of trouble: wilting leaves in the afternoon usually means the basket ran dry earlier in the day. If you see this, move the basket to a slightly shadier spot and check the soil moisture every morning.