When I put up some hanging baskets on my balcony, I couldn’t tell if they were the right height. So, I did some research and put together this helpful article to explain what height hanging baskets should be.

Hanging baskets should be at a height so the bottom of the basket is 5 to 7 feet off the ground. Most people are around 5 feet to 6 feet tall, so 5 feet seems a good height for the hanging basket. This way you can enjoy the plant and be able to take care of it with ease.

Even when you place your hanging baskets at a suitable height, some places might be more suitable than others to hang them. Keep reading to get more details about where and how you should place your hanging baskets.

How high should my hanging basket be off the ground?

Most hanging baskets you buy have a hanger that is 14 inches from the top of the pot. If you attach them to the ceiling using a hook, it makes the hanging plant hang 14 inches from the top of the ceiling.

But, most ceilings can be at a height of 8 feet from the floor. So, your hanging basket will be above your head.

At this height, you won’t be able to view the plant in the hanging basket as you’ll only be able to see the bottom.

The closer the hanging basket is to the ceiling, the hotter it can get. This is because hot air in the room rises to the top towards the ceiling.

The hanging basket will also get a lot less light from the windows when it’s hanging close to the ceiling.

That’s why you want the hanging basket to be high enough to just reach your chest height. That is the best height so you can see the plant.

That makes it easy to maintain the plant with watering, adding fertilizer, or pruning the foliage.

The plant will have much better air circulation when it’s closer to the ground. The temperature will be a lot cooler and it will get a lot more sunlight from the windows.

To hang the basket at the right height, you can get a chain or rope from a hardware store. Hang it from the ceiling and connect it to the hanging basket.

Adjust the chain or rope so that the top of the hanging basket reaches your chest height.

Where should hanging baskets be placed?

When putting up your hanging baskets it can be difficult to find somewhere where you can attach a hook. Areas of the house can also get a lot of wind which can shake your plants up a bit. There are also certain varieties of plants that need different amounts of sunlight.

So, you want to hang up your hanging baskets where you can attach a hook easily. You want solid wood, cinder blocks, or concrete. Concrete and cinder blocks need a special drill called a hammer drill.

When installing the hook you first need to drill a hole and then screw it in by hand or with pliers. Check how much sunlight your plant needs to grow best. Most like the morning sun, and afternoon shade.

You can do this by observing where the sun shines during the day around the house. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. So you want to put them up against a wall which blocks sunlight from the west.

That way when the sun comes up in the East your plant will get sunlight and as the sun moves overhead and sets in the West, your plant will be the shade.

If you get strong winds you should hang them where they will be sheltered. If they blow around a lot it will wear out the hangers and they will break. When there are strong gusts of wind it can also blow your hanging baskets upside down, and they can spill all over the floor.

Rotating your plants between the different hooks you have throughout your house will help you find the best spot for each plant.

Because certain varieties do better with different amounts of sunlight, you can adjust where you put them based on the seasons to give them more or less sun.

How do you hang a heavy hanging basket?

It’s important to use a good, strong hook when hanging a heavy basket as you don’t want it to fall. You can get some good ones at Home Depot or online that can even hold 30 lbs weight without any problem.

To hang the heavy hanging basket, you’ll need the strong hook, a hanging basket with a plant of your choice, a chain or rope, a measuring tape, pen, and a drill machine.

  1. Stand on a ladder and using the measuring tape and pen mark the point where you want to hang the basket from the ceiling.
  2. Use the drill machine to drill a hole in the marked position.
  3. Screw the strong hook into this hole and make sure it’s tight and stable.
  4. Attach the rope or chain to this strong hook.
  5. Attach the hanging basket to the lower end of the rope or chain.
  6. Make sure the top of the hanging basket reaches your chest height.

How do you hang a hanging basket without drilling?

You might not be able to drill a hole in your ceiling because you live in a rented apartment. Or maybe you don’t know how to work with a power tool like a drill machine. Don’t worry because there are ways to hang the basket without the need to drill a hole.

The simplest method is to get an adhesive strong hook where one end of the hook is attached to a strong adhesive tape.

Stick the tape to the ceiling and you can attach the chain or rope along with the hanging basket to the hook. Be careful with the weight of the hanging basket because such hooks can only handle 5-10 lbs weight.

Another method is to use a hook with a suction cup. But you can use such hooks only on a glass window where the suction will hold. These hooks can only handle a hanging basket with a weight of 5 lbs at the most.

You even get magnetic hooks you can use for your hanging baskets. The drawback is you need to attach the strong magnet to a duct, air vent, or fixture that is made of metal.

Another option you have is to use an over-the-door hook for the hanging basket. This works only when you have an unused door. And you need a hook that will stick out at least 4-6 inches so the plants have enough space to hang.

Conclusion

The height your hanging baskets should be is below eye level. This gives you the best chance to view the plant and take care of it.

The hanging baskets typically come with a hanger that is 14 inches long. This is too short for the ideal height to hang the basket.

The closer the plant is to the ceiling the hotter and drier it will get. The plant will grow in these conditions but it won’t be as healthy.

Sources


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