Moss Baskets for Summer: Planting and Care

Prized for their fullness, moss baskets are a signature for Northwest gardens. By planting into the sides and top, your moss basket will be so full that the eye only sees plants, not the container holding them.

Getting Started:
When designing your moss baskets, we recommend selecting plants with varying growth habits. For the top of the basket, you’ll want to choose plants that provide fullness and vertical interest along with trailing plants to spill over the edges. For the sides of the basket, you’ll primarily use trailing plants.

Other considerations when selecting plants include:

• Light: morning sun, afternoon sun, dappled shade, deep shade, etc.
• Color: consider foliage color as well as flower color
• Texture: leaf size, overall shape, density and bloom

Part of the fun of planting your own moss baskets is getting to choose the colors and textures that make it your own. We have included plant suggestions for both Sun and Shade moss baskets below just to help get you started.

List of materials:  The quantities below are recommended for making one 12-inch moss basket.

• Container: 1 moss basket with hanger
• Moss: 1 cubic foot of sphagnum moss
• Soil:  ½ bag of Molbak’s Professional Mix Potting Soil (bag is 1.5 cubic feet)
• Fertilizer: 3 Tbsp Osmocote slow release fertilizer
• Hardware: weight-bearing swivel-hook or bracket for hanging
• Plants: 16-22 plants (4-inch containers)

Planting:

1. Pre-soak the moss for several hours or overnight. Squeeze excess water from moss before planting.
2. Water all plants thoroughly prior to planting. As each plant is planted, gently tease apart roots before inserting into the moss basket.
3. Attach the hanger evenly around the top rung of the basket.  It is easiest to plant the basket if it is hanging. Use an extender hook to lower the basket to a level that is comfortable for hanging.
4. Line the inside of the wire basket with a dense mat of sphagnum moss.
5. Fill the basket ½-full of soil. Mix ½ of the Osmocote fertilizer thoroughly into the soil.
6. Start planting the sides of the basket first. Plant the sides of the basket in layers or rungs by inserting plants in a triangular pattern around the sides of the basket. As you plant, finish one layer before going to the next higher one. 
7. Place like-colored plants on different layers facing different directions.
8. To insert the plant through the moss, poke a hole into the moss and carefully pull the root ball from the outside of the basket to the inside. Add moss to any air holes where the plant was pulled through.
9. After the sides of the basket are planted, add additional soil to within 2-inches of the rim. 
10. Plant the top of the basket by starting with the tallest growing plant first. Next plant non-trailing plants around it, balancing the placement of foliage color with flower color. Finish by planting trailing plants around the basket’s rim.
11. Fill in with soil as needed around the roots so the level of the soil is below the rim of the basket.
12. Water well immediately after planting.
13. Check the soil in a few days, watering again when top of the soil is dry. As the plants grow and mature, they will require more frequent watering.

Summer Care:

• Water baskets thoroughly and frequently as the summer progresses.
• To keep a uniform shape, swivel the basket from week to week allowing all sides to face sunlight.
• Remove faded flowers.
• Supplement with a liquid fertilizer (such as Miracle Grow) once a month.
• Enjoy!

Molbak’s Container Gardens Department can custom plant moss baskets for you using new baskets or your existing baskets. For more information or to set up an appointment, please call 425.398.5297.