A Beginner’s Guide to Hanging Indoor Plants Like an Expert

Many people hang plants on their porch or deck, adding a touch of color that brightens up the space. But many don't think about where to hang plants inside their homes. However, an indoor hanging plant also can add color to a room, again brightening up the space with little effort. Hanging plants also is a great space-saving technique if you're in a small apartment or home. To get you started, here's a beginner's guide on hanging plants inside like an expert.

Choose your indoor hanging plants

Before hanging your first pot, it's important to choose the right plant for the space. Do you want one that will cascade down as it grows? Do you want a flowering plant? How big do you want the plant to get? The answers to these questions will help you decide what plants to select for your indoor space.

Cascading plants can serve as an interior design feature in your home, filling in a corner with long vines or serving as a piece of living art. For trailing plants, some of the best include:

• Heart-leaf philodendron (Cortadum, Brazil or Mican)
• Pothos plants, including golden pothos (also called devil's ivy)
• Spider plants (also called airplane plants)
• Scindapsus
• English ivy
• Arrowhead plant
• Boston fern
• Monstera adansonii
• Maidenhair fern
• String of nickels
• String of pearls plant
• String of hearts

If you want hanging plants that flower, try:

• Lipstick plants
• Hoyas
• Trailing succulents
• Rhipsalis
• Chenille plant

For some interesting hanging plants, try:

• Staghorn fern
• Bird's nest fern
• Air plants

If you want quick and easy, choose a hanging basket at your local nursery or big box store. Just remember to read the requirements for sunlight and water to make sure it will thrive in your home. If you don't want to spend a lot of time watering, look for those that require low maintenance.

If you don't have a lot of windows, look for plants that thrive in low-light conditions. Also, if you have pets in the home, double-check to make sure your chosen plants are safe for these furry friends.

When shopping for a new plant to hang inside your apartment, keep in mind there's no one perfect plant. The best plants are the ones you love.

Choose the right hanging planters

The first task is to make sure the hanging baskets are the right size for your plants. Experts recommend a pot that is 1 inch to 2 inches larger than the plants' root ball if placed in a pot that is 8 inches or less in diameter.

If the hanging planter is 10 inches or more in diameter, the hanging pot should be 2 inches to 3 inches wider than the plants' root ball. The goal is to provide adequate room for new growth on the plants and the root system to spread. This also will help prevent the plants from drying out too quickly.

Think about how you'll water indoor plants

Hanging plants will still need to be watered, so it's important to select a pot that won't dump water all over your furnishings and floor. If your hanging basket does have a hole in the bottom, you will need to take the pots down and set them in the sink, tub, or outside to drain when you water them.

That can be inconvenient given some plants need to be watered often, especially in the summer if they are in full sun. The goal is to water plants when the topsoil is completely dry, so you want to be able to reach your plants with ease to check the moisture.

You can also try self-watering planters, but you need to make sure the water reservoir won't be too heavy for hanging up the plant. Another option is self-watering stakes that you place in the pot. Some of these are quite decorative and can add to the design element of your hanging pots.

Using a spray bottle to add water is another option, but you have to be careful not to spray everything around the plant, too. The key is to find a watering technique that works for your lifestyle, your plants and your home so you aren't always cleaning up water or replacing over-watered plants.

Finding the right pots for your indoor hanging plants

When looking at pots, also look at the hangers for placing those pots. Macrame and twine add an earthy element to hanging planters, while chains can be more sleek and modern. Regardless of what you choose, make sure it's up to the task of holding the hanging plant. Also, if possible, choose hangers that wrap around the pot. This ensures they won't interfere with the plant's growth or watering.

Choose where to hang plants

While hanging plants inside can add a colorful element to your rooms, it's important to place them where they won't interfere with the purpose of those rooms. For instance, you don't want to place trailing plants over seating or tables where food and drinks may sit.

You also don't want the trailing stems in the way of any pathways. Corners, beside windows and along walls are great choices. You can group hanging plants together to make a statement, or you can choose a larger, dramatic hanging houseplant that can shine on its own.

Remember, though, where to hang plants inside depends on the light needs of the plants. Some plants crave bright light, while other plants want moderate light, low light or even indirect light. You want to make sure each plant gets the right amount of natural light so it stays healthy and grows.

Be mindful of placing hanging houseplants near air vents, which could dry out plants, meaning you may need to water them more often. Like too much sun exposure, air vents could lead to wilting and unwanted color changes on hanging plants. Some plants also crave extra humidity, and air vents interfere with that desire.

Choose how to hang your plants

When it comes to where to hang plants inside, you can hang a hook in the ceiling or ceiling joist and suspend the plant from the hook. It's important to make sure the hook is strong enough to hold the plant's weight, particularly when it's been recently watered. You may need to include a toggle bolt to provide extra support for the plant before inserting the hook.

Another option is to hang your plants on the wall. If you do this, make sure the hook for the pot extends from the wall so the pot is not resting against the wall, which could interfere with the plant's growth.

You also could mount a wooden strip along the wall that has dowels or rods extending out a few inches. Then just hang your pots on those dowels or rods. This could be a decorative way to group hanging plants together to create a hanging indoor garden.

Enjoy your hanging houseplants

Once you have hung up your hanging plants, step back and enjoy their beauty. The wonderful thing about plants is they add a touch of nature without taking up a lot of space. Plus, you can change them out whenever you want. And plants have health benefits, too, such as improving air quality and reducing stress. There's a lot to love about hanging plants in your home!

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