There are lots of reasons to love hanging planters. They can *literally* elevate a space, drawing the eyes up and giving you an opportunity to show off your favorite plants. But in addition to utilizing otherwise unusable space, hanging planters can also benefit your plants by keeping them out of pet-and-child zones, and helping them access better lighting.
If you’re considering getting a hanging plant, here are a few things to keep in mind.
1. The weight of your pot
This probably the most important factor to consider. Depending on how the pot is being suspended, you’ll want to make sure that you identify a stud in the wall, or use weight-appropriate drywall anchors before mounting any hanging apparatus. Please don’t mount or hang a plant from regular-old drywall, as it won’t hold any kind of weight.
While hanging planters tend to be on the lighter end, most potting mixes are made from peat-moss, or similarly water-retentive mediums, which tend to be on the heavy side. Lighten up your soil by increasing the ratio of perlite in your medium, but keep in mind that this will increase drainage, meaning you’ll have to water your plant a little more often.
2. Choosing the right location
Choosing the right location, as with any plant, is important to the success of your hanging plant. You want to make sure that your plant receives the proper light levels, but avoid self-sabotage. Choose a location for your plant that will be easy for you to water, especially if that entails moving your plant each time.
3. Choosing the right container
Choosing the right container is also essential, but the good news is that there are plenty of options. Hanging plants are more difficult to water than their gravitationally conforming counterparts, which means you’ll want to pick out the container that makes your job easiest, while also providing adequate drainage for your plant. Here are our favorite
options:
Pot-Within-Pot
One of the simplest solutions, the Pot-Within-Pot method (or as I like to call it, Potception) uses a drain-free hanging pot, inside of which you can nestle your plastic nursery pot. Just pop the inner pot out, when watering time comes around, and water outside or at the sink, letting your soil drain and lighten a bit. This method is relatively easy, and because there is no shortage of adorable pottery in the world, it offers an enormous variety of aesthetic options, while still considering the health of your plant.
Built-in Tray
Many nurseries and plant stores sell hanging plants with drip trays built right into the pot. This tends to be among the lightest options available and means that you can water the plant directly with a watering can. Keep in mind that the built-in trays may not be particularly big, and might overflow.
Just Wing It
Another perfectly valid style, especially if you’re using macrame or another more stylized hanger, is to forgo the tray altogether and transfer your plant whenever it needs to be watered. Wherever you take your plants to water them, make sure that you give them time to drain out and dry the bottom if you’re especially worried about drips.
4. Some tips and tricks for hanging plants
Because heat rises, the atmosphere closer to our ceilings tends to be drier and arider. This could mean that your plant needs to be watered more regularly. Also remember that giving your hanging plants regular “haircuts,” trimming out any scraggly or dead growth will help keep them full and healthy.
For a full list of plants that we love to see in hanging planters, check out our article about The Best Plants for Hanging Planters. Please don’t keep us in suspense—share your hanging plant adventures by tagging @houseofplantlovers.