Introduction to growing indoor hanging plants
Hanging plants are an easy way to add instant bright color to your yard. In the strictest sense, growing a plant in a hanging basket is the same as growing plants in a grounded pot. Here is an easy way to keep your hanging baskets looking amazing all season long. Hanging baskets are plants located in a structure that is suspended from chains, ropes, or other materials. They are mainly decorative plants around homes and other structures. They allow homes with limited garden space to still have fresh-grown living plants. The baskets themselves are made of wire and filled with a substance like burlap or some other growing medium. Hanging baskets come in a wide variety of styles, from store-bought baskets to homemade baskets such as upside-down clay pots.
A step by step guide to growing indoor hanging plants
You can use hanging basket plants to decorate the inside of the home, adding variety, color, and dimension to bare walls. The perfect time to start the process of growing hanging plants in baskets is in the early spring. Indoor hanging plants are particularly convenient for those that don’t have garden space in their yards.
Choosing the right hanging planter
There are some planters made specifically for hanging plants, generally along with the pot within a pot or attached tray designs. The second design, which is called the drip tray scheme, is economical in cost and size but has the flaw of being limited in its overflow catch. These trays often leak, particularly if the plant is disturbed for any reason, spilling water on the floor or furniture.
Although heavier and expensive, the pot-within-a-pot design is much better. In this design, the outer pot is permanently fastened with chains and has no drainage holes at all. The pot with the plant in it is set inside the outer pot and then set to overflow it so it appears to be in the larger pot. This allows for easier watering, drainage, and the moving of plants. Other alternative hangers include pots that are made to be planted from the side, are made of mesh to hold in hummus or fibered soils, etc.
Choose your basket for growing indoor hanging plants
There is only one non-negotiable requirement for basket it needs to have adequate drainage holes so the soil doesn’t remain too wet. It is best to look for a larger basket since this helps make it easier to keep up with watering. If you have a hard time keeping up with watering, you may want to consider investing in self-watering hanging baskets. These baskets include a water reservoir that replenishes soil moisture, decreasing how you need to water. A wide variety of baskets types are available, so you must be able to find something that suits your style, space, and needs.
Where to put hanging houseplants in the home
These plants are typically from warmer climes around the world, and most will need a warm and usually humid atmosphere in bright but indirect light. They need to stay warm in winter, above 10 to 15°C at least, but be careful not to place them directly above a hot radiator. They should not be too close to a draughty window. Invest in a spray bottle for spritzing water to increase the moisture in the air.
Good potting soil is key for growing indoor hanging plants
Potting soil isn’t the compelling subject in gardening, but using a good quality, the lightweight potting mix will make success much more likely. There are specific potting soils for indoor growing hanging plants. Generally, the soil will be thicker in feel and more absorbent. Any good potting soil, however, will work well for most potted hanging plants. As time passes, fertilizers will be required to reconstitute the soil and keep the plants healthy. Hanging plants need fertilization more often than plants in the garden or flower bed because of the limited amount of space afforded the soil in their pots.
Weight of hanging basket for growing indoor plants
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A hanging basket full of wet soil and plant material can be heavy. Before you hang anything from walls or ceiling, make sure the structure can hold the weight. Do not sink hooks straight into plaster make sure they are firmly anchored in wall studs or ceiling joists. If you have existing hooks and test them before hanging anything.
Your choice of potting media will make a difference. Most bagged potting soils are heavy with peat, or composted sphagnum peat, as the main ingredient. Peat has good water retention qualities, but it weighs more. If weight is a consideration, reduce the weight of the peat mix by adding perlite. This will increase drainage, so you’ll have to water more often and be more careful not to drip from the basket.
Watering indoor hanging plants
When watering hanging baskets, be sure to apply water until water begins to flow out the bottom of the pot. This ensures that the entire soil ball has been moistened and do not let the potting mix dry out completely. Hanging plants will wilt if the potting mix dries out excessively. Also, it’s more difficult to moisten the potting mix when it has dried out completely. If the potting mix becomes dry, it will separate (pull away) from the sides of the container. If you attempt to water from above, most of the water will flow between the soil ball and pot and run out the drainage holes in the bottom of the basket. When the potting mix becomes excessively dry, place the basket in a tub of water for about 1 or 2 hours. This forces water to be absorbed slowly from the bottom of the pot. Do not keep the basket in the tub of water for more than 2 hours as this can result in root rot problems.
Care in growing indoor hanging plants
The death of most hanging houseplants is from over or under watering, or a combination of both, so check exactly what is needed by each variety with a quick search online, but the general guide is to let the soil dry out between watering, waterless when dormant in the winter season, and feed regularly during the growing season. Fertilize indoor hanging plants regularly, but only when the soil is moist. Fertilizing when the potting mix is dry can burn the plants quickly. Keep a close eye on your plants and give maintenance as needed to keep them healthy and looking their best. Trim dead plant leaves regularly and cut back wayward or unsightly growth.
Popular plant choices for hanging plants
Many choices for hanging plants contain any shade tolerant, small plant. Ferns, flowers, and even edibles such as tomatoes, spinach, and cabbages are popular hanging plants. Flowers such as African violets and orchids are popular choices for indoor hangers. Long leaved varieties, particularly ferns, are popular indoor plants because of their large-sized appearance, leafy green looks, and relative ease of care.
The list of best indoor hanging plants for your home is given below;
Popular hanging plant species include Indoor ivy, Pothos, Jade, Spider plants, Heartleaf rhododendron, Peperomia, Shamrock plant.
Air Plant – Air plants are the perfect low-maintenance plant to keep anywhere as they don’t need soil to survive. Most people like to hang air plants in glass terrariums filled with colorful accents. Keep your Air plant in a spot with good air circulation and plenty of bright light. Air plants are highly versatile and very easy to keep making the best indoor hanging plants as they require minimal care thereby, becoming any gardener’s favorite.
Arrowhead Plant – Arrowhead plants are also called as arrowhead vines or five fingers. All of these names are derived from the changing shape of the leaves. The plant leaves start as an arrowhead shape and eventually grows a few “fingers.”
Bird’s Nest Fern – These fern plants are epiphytes in the wild, meaning that they can latch onto other plants to grow. The shape of plant leaves depends on the amount of sun they get. More sun exposure will give their leaves a scrunched up look and less sun will flatten out plant leaves.
Orchids – Orchids bloom fragrant flowers and well suited for hanging baskets for proper air circulation. There are dramatic orchid varieties well suited for hanging baskets.
Boston fern – Boston ferns prefer humid temperature levels but tolerate lower humidities. Their feathery fronds make them a beautiful sight to see when they are housed in a hanging basket. Though, make sure you keep these plants far from the top of the ceiling to allow proper air circulation.
Indoor Ivy – Indoor ivy plants like Algerian ivy and Persian ivy are planted in hanging baskets. The most common issue that people have with growing vines is not watering enough or overwatering the plant. And, make sure that the bottom of the pot has a drainage hole to prevent root rot.
American Flame Flower – The American flame flower is also known as a carpet plant, has cascading leaves that are green and bronze in color and are easy flowers to grow.
Red Ivy – The red ivy is a foliage plant that likes to spread out on the bottom of the hanging basket. Plant leaves are silver-colored on the top and purple underneath. Its white flowers bloom in the spring and throughout the summer season.
Chenille Plant – Chenille plants grow quickly and can reach great lengths if given proper plant care. In its native habitat, this plant can grow as tall as about 15 feet. Though, this plant only grows up to 6 feet when grown domestically. Pruning back these hanging plants promotes new growth and is ideal if you want to keep them long and also healthy.
Golden Pothos – The golden pothos sports an elegant look thanks to its variegated golden-yellow color leaves. Give your golden pothos a moderate amount of light to bring out its colors. This is one of the best indoor hanging plants you can keep in the bedroom since they purify airborne toxins, which helps you breathe easier and get a better night’s sleep.
Baby’s Tears – The delicate plant has a spread or mat or tiny plant leaves on thin stems. Baby’s tears need little maintenance and bear white star-shaped flowers. They spread quickly and spill on the sides when hung in a container. The plant is susceptible to root rot in cases of overwatering.
English Ivy – English ivy is a common plant you’ll see covering stone or brick walls on building exteriors. You can duplicate this same effect in the home to create a beautiful ivy wall. For a more contained look, you can let the plant leaves dangle loosely from a hanging basket.
Petunia – Petunia plants bear voluminous flowers on their long, flowing stems. One of the most common concerns with petunias is how often petunias must be watered. Well, hanging petunias will likely need to be watered every day. However, you can check the water needs by sticking your finger on the soil. If the top inch feels dry, it’s time to water them. Grandiflora is a type of petunia best suited for hanging plants.
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Jade Plant – The Jade plant is an exceptionally robust hanging basket plant and very easy to grow and maintain. They are considered good luck symbols, making them a great addition to the home office. It is not an excellent hanging plant but also is one of the best low light houseplants. With proper watering and plant maintenance, jade plants can last for at least 20 years.
Peace Lily – Peace lilies are popular plant choices for indoor basket plants. Like the pathos, the peace lilies will clean indoor air, removing contaminants such as benzene and formaldehyde. They are evergreen perennial plants that will bloom every year and don’t need much water or sunlight.
Snake Plant – The snake plant is also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, is easy to grow and requires little maintenance. Then, they are incredibly tolerant and can survive in drought and low light levels. They are great for keeping the air inside your home clean by removing toxins.
Spider Plant – These spindly plants cover a lot of horizontal and vertical space, so they are perfect for filling in those big empty spots in your home. The plant’s bright and long plant leaves earned it many nicknames, including the “airplane plant” and the “ribbon plant.” These plants have spindly leaves that are bright green striped white down the middle or edges. When exposed to bright daylight, they make beautiful small white flowers. Because of their cascading growth, they work well for hanging plants.
Commonly asked questions about growing indoor hanging plants
Why are my hanging baskets turning yellow?
Usually, there are several reasons plants wilt or turn yellow. The two most common reasons are they are not getting enough water or they are over-watered. And, adjusting the amount of water needed can help. Sometimes the flower can be in the wrong type of sunlight, either too much or too little. Also, flowers do have a life cycle and may turn yellow and die off when that life cycle is at an end.
How do you keep indoor hanging plants from drying out?
The first thing you need to do and understand the flowers in hanging baskets is to read about them and find out what their water needs are. And, make sure you understand if the variety of hanging basket flowers you are planting needs hot climates or cooler ones. Make sure you water them according to the directions that came with the flowers or ask the garden center experts.
Do indoor hanging plants need drainage?
But, whatever your choice of the planter, make sure that it has holes for drainage on the bottom pot. If you’re using a solid-bottomed pot, put the plant in a plastic pot with drainage holes first, and then put that on top of a dish inside of the main pot.
What is the best fertilizer for hanging baskets?
Plants in hanging baskets require frequent fertilization. Water-soluble fertilizers or slow-release granular fertilizers can be used. Ideally, complete fertilizers with a 1:2:1 ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium will keep hanging plants healthy and blooming well.
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