Coco liners for hanging baskets - top tip

I planted up some lobelia this year - some using coco liners, some using material type liners and some straight into stone planters.

The lobelia planted in the coco liners have struggled to grow - whilst the others have thrived.

The only difference I can see is that the coco liners let far too much water through - whilst the material type absorbs the water and the stone planters just don't let the water drain through.

I was really looking forward to a good display this year from my 'obelisk/hanging basket' combo - but it didn't happen.

Lesson for next year - use material type liners only - and see if this helps.

You live and learn as they say

 

When using Coir liners, I always use some bin bag plastic as an inner liner to retain moisture, just punching a few holes through it at the base for drainage.

The Coir is for aesthetics, the bin bag plastic for practical purposes.

 

Clanless, I am glad to read your post. The exact same thing has happened to me, but I wasn't smart enough to work out what the problem was! Scrungee - thanks for the tip. I really liked the look of coir, and this way I can keep using it .

 

Lobelia do like a lot of water and can struggle in baskets some times . As Scrungee I line my coir basket liner with a black plastic bin bag. When the basket is planted up I then trim the excess plastic off with a Stanley knife or scissors. I just punch 3 or 4 holes in the bottom with a long screwdriver to give some minimal drainage. The black liner also protects the coir so you may get 2 or 3 seasons from one liner.

 

Tip for planting through plastic lining: If planting it up with plants all the way down to the base, cut small holes through the lining, carefully roll the plants up in a piece of plastic cut from bin bag, carrier bag, etc., gather the top of the plastic wrapping (that will project a few inches beyond the top of the plant) and feed it through from the inside until the soil/roots but up against the inside of the lining.

 

The bin bag does the trick. Thanks for the tip!

 

Harry, completely agree. My lobelia is usually lovely in a hanging basket, but this year it has been thin, weedy and late to flower in its coir basket. Hopefully y now I can keep the nice look of coir and have brimming baskets next year!

 

and...this is the result of my experiment with basket liners:

this basket is lined with cardboard only :



this is the basket with cat litter underneath the compost :



All plants grown from the same packet of seeds using the same compost and seed tray.

No plant food added - 3 holes punched in the bottom of each liner.

The baskets definitely take much longer to dry out.

The thicker rubble bags/inside out compost bags provide a more pleasing look to the outside of the basket.

 

Wow that's a huge difference!