How to Make Coir Hanging Baskets

Coir hanging baskets give your hanging plants a beautiful, natural look while helping keep them healthy and supported. Coir, or coconut fiber, is often used as a liner for planters and is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to other growing media. Here’s how to make coir hanging baskets.

Prepare the Basket

Pick out a wire basket that is wide and deep enough to accommodate your desired plants. Next, choose a coir liner that will best fit the wire basket. To make the coir more flexible, soak it in water for 30 to 60 minutes. This will make it easier to form to the basket. 

Push the coco coir liner into the basket, molding it to the shape. If the liner can be seen above the rim of the basket, trim it so it’s no more than half an inch above the rim.

Using Soil or Coir Potting Mix

If using coir hanging baskets for plants that require soil, you’ll need to take a few extra steps. Because coco coir is so absorbent, it needs a plastic liner to keep it from wicking moisture away from the soil, unnecessarily depriving plants of water. Cut a piece of thick plastic sheeting so it fits into your liner. Use pruning shears to puncture a few holes in the liner to allow for drainage. If needed, trim the edges of the plastic liner so you can’t see it above the coir liner.

When using coco coir for seedlings or plants instead of other potting media, you do not need a plastic liner.

Next, fill your basket approximately halfway with soil or coir potting mix. Water it so the soil or coir is evenly moist or until water drains from the bottom of your basket.

Planting and Hanging Coir Baskets

Take your plants from their pots, and place them on top of the soil to be arranged. How you arrange your plants or seedlings in hanging baskets might determine whether they will flourish. Generally, in baskets, you can place plants at half the distance recommended on their labels.

Consider the depth your plants or seedlings require. Not all hanging baskets have a uniform depth, so some plants will need to be planted at the deepest points, while others might need shallower spots.

Generally, you should plant taller, more upright plants in the center of the hanging basket. Place shorter plants, or those of trailing varieties, closer to the edges. This arrangement ideally meets each plant’s needs met while also allowing its neighbors to thrive.

When satisfied with the placement of the plants, add soil or coir potting mix to about a half inch from the rim of the basket, avoiding overfilling it. Hang your coir basket where it will get the sun required by the plants it contains. If the top inch of soil or coir feels dry to the touch, it’s time to water your hanging basket.

Creating coco coir hanging baskets is easy and doesn’t distract from the beauty of the plants.