How to Plant in Coconut Fiber Hanging Baskets
A coconut fiber basket liner, also known as a "coco liner," or "coir," is an easy, practical and attractive way to plant a hanging basket. Coconut fiber basket liners provide excellent air circulation and drainage for a plant while keeping the potting soil inside the pot, where it belongs, resulting in healthy, beautiful plants.
Line the coconut fiber with plastic, such as a white garbage bag. Avoid black plastic, which will be too hot. Provide drainage by punching several holes in the plastic with a screwdriver or knife.
Fill the coconut liner with dampened commercial potting mixture. Use a lightweight potting mixture that will drain well, such as a mixture made primarily of peat moss and perlite.
- A coconut fiber basket liner, also known as a "coco liner," or "coir," is an easy, practical and attractive way to plant a hanging basket.
- Use a lightweight potting mixture that will drain well, such as a mixture made primarily of peat moss and perlite.
Trim off excess plastic around the edge of the liner using kitchen shears. Leave about 1/2 inch of plastic above the potting mixture. The plastic won't show when the container is planted and hung.
Apply a granular, time-release fertilizer to the top of the potting mixture. For specific rates of application, follow the directions on the fertilizer package.
Arrange bedding plants on top of the soil, with taller plants in the middle and trailing plants around the edges. Once the plants are arranged to your liking, use your hand or a trowel to dig a hole as deep as the plant's root ball. Place the plant in the hole, then fill the hole with potting mix, tamping the potting soil gently around the roots. Allow 3 to 4 inches between each plant.
- Trim off excess plastic around the edge of the liner using kitchen shears.
- Place the plant in the hole, then fill the hole with potting mix, tamping the potting soil gently around the roots.
Water the plants immediately, using a hose with a spray attachment or a watering can. Hang the basket from a beam or another sturdy support.
Check the containers daily, and water if necessary. During hot weather, hanging containers may need to be watered every day.
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Writer Bio
M.H. Dyer began her writing career as a staff writer at a community newspaper and is now a full-time commercial writer. She writes about a variety of topics, with a focus on sustainable, pesticide- and herbicide-free gardening. She is an Oregon State University Master Gardener and Master Naturalist and holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction writing.
