When looking for spare space to fit more plants in a room or small garden, people often decide to hang a few containers. And we would like to encourage you to do this as well! It’s not only an effective way to organize the available space but also a great opportunity to make your garden, either indoor or outdoor, more elegant and exquisite. Keep reading and learn everything about growing hanging plants.
Preparations
The most important thing about growing a vertical garden is to keep in mind the weight of the containers. Even a small plant can be quite heavy along with wet soil and a suitable pot. The rule of thumb is to make a hook in ceiling joists or wall studs. Avoid anchoring the pot in a porous, light material like drywall or plaster to prevent significant damage.
Another way is to make the container as light as possible. Add some perlite to a commercial peat-based potting mix to reduce its weight. However, this will increase the draining quality of the soil, so make sure to water your hanging plants regularly.
Watering
Even experienced gardeners will agree that watering is the most complicated part of the hanging plant’s care routine. Regardless of the location, they require more frequent watering than those placed on a surface or grown in the open ground. The air right under the ceiling is warmer and drier, so small hanging plants need to be watered at least daily or even twice a day.
Check the soil’s level of moisture regularly to prevent it from overdrying. In case the container is hung too high and you can’t check the growing medium with a finger, you can slightly lift the pot. If it’s become lighter, its inhabitant needs a drink. Water your plants until moisture starts draining from the drainage holes.
By the way, if you want to become a pro at growing hanging plants, make a simplified pulley system to water and fertilize your plant easily. However, a long-neck watering can and a step-ladder will also help you provide hanging plants with proper care.
Useful tips:
- If your hanging plants are located outdoors, try to give them a drink at the coolest time of the day. It’ll help them absorb water before it evaporates and let you reduce watering slightly.
- Don’t panic if the soil’s overdried. Try to lower the container and soak it in water for an hour. Don’t leave the plant in water for too long to prevent root rot.
- Grown indoors, hanging plants can ruin your white carpets. To prevent that from happening, put the pot in a cover pot or attach a tray. The tray will allow you to reduce the weight, but check it regularly to make sure it’s not overflowing).
It’s also important to…
- Fertilize regularly. Frequent watering makes the soil lose nutrients quite fast, so use liquid fertilizers or slow-release pellets, following the instructions on the packaging. Don’t fertilize wilting plants.
- Rotate. Examine your plants regularly and provide the weaker or leggy ones with more sunlight if necessary. It’s a good idea to switch two plants if you notice that one of them is doing much better than the other one.
- Deadhead and trim. Cutting off spent blooms facilitates even more profuse flowering. Trim your plants once or twice every season to shape your vertical garden.
These recommendations are universal, however, make sure to consult with the care guides in our app each time you buy a new plant. Good luck!
