How to Make a Hanging Poinsettia Basket

These sumptuous hanging pots of poinsettias don't last long, but they are spectacular during the short holiday season. If you live in a climate where temperatures stay above freezing, hang one or more near your front door to welcome visitors. The project uses a recycled 5-gallon nursery can, potting soil and six poinsettias in 4-inch pots.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Mosses
• Poinsettias
• Potting Soil

1. Cut 4 inches off the rim of a recycled 5-gallon plastic nursery container. Use a sharp knife or tin snips to cut the plastic. Be sure not to discard the rim part - you will use it later.
2. Cut three 2-inch-wide vertical slots out of the main body of the container. You will lay the poinsettia plants on their sides, with the root ball on the inside of the pot, and the flowers and foliage on the outside. The slots should be evenly spaced around the pot. Leave a 2-inch space at the bottom of the pot to hold soil.
3. Cover the bottom of the prepared pot with plastic window screen so that the soil won't wash out when you water.
4. Fill the bottom 2 inches of the pot with fresh, new potting soil.
5. Place moss in the bottom of the slots. The moss will act as a cushion to protect the stems of the poinsettias.
6. Remove the poinsettia plants from their original nursery pots.
7. Turn each plant on its side and slide it gently into the moss-lined slot, roots on the inside, foliage and flowers on the outside of the pot. Place a plant in each slot.
8. Pack more moss around the stems.
9. Add more potting soil, being careful to tuck soil around the root balls of the plants. Just cover the root balls to leave room for planting more plants on the top layer.
10. Place the saved top rim of the pot over the planted portion, sliding it down to cover the top 2 inches of the slots. Be very careful not to crush the stems of the poinsettia plants.
11. Drill holes through the rim and the three slotted portions of the plastic pot. These holes must line up with each other.
12. Thread heavy-gauge piano wire or plastic tie-wraps through the drilled holes. This step will fasten the rim to the pot and also make a loop to thread wire for hanging the finished pot.
13. Thread nylon fishing line, wire, or nylon twine through the loops.
14. Measure the hanging material so that all three pieces are equal in length. If one is shorter than the others, your pot will hang unevenly.
15. Plant the remaining poinsettias in the top of the pot once the holes are drilled and the hanger is in place.
16. Fill in with soil, remembering to leave room to water.

Tips & Warnings

• Do the initial watering once the pot is hanging in place. The unwatered plants are much lighter and easier to hang.
• Poinsettias prefer a sunny, warm location, and cannot stand subfreezing temperatures.
• Use a slow-release fertilizer at planting time.
• Water when the soil feels dry to the touch on the surface.
• The finished pots are heavy. Make sure that you have adequate support to hang them.

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