Episode: 3
Title: Hanging Ball Basket
Broadcast: 6 September
Presenter: Trevor

Hanging baskets are always a beautiful thing to add to a garden but what do you do when you get a few old ones hanging around that need replanting? Well this is an idea you might like to try. A living flower and foliage ball. The system allows you to feature all kinds of cascading plants and flowers such as impatiens are amazing. In shady spot the use of spider plants looks terrific. Here’s what you do.

• Cut the bottom out of the basket that will be the top of the hanging ball.
• Then using cable ties tie the 2 baskets together making a ball.
• Add in the stocking and fill the bottom one-third of the lined basket with top quality potting soil.
• Tamp the soil down gently to settle it. The soil is very much the key to success with this system. Quality potting mixes are the difference between success and failure.
• Using cocoa peet is really important. Because it can absorb and hold so much more moisture providing the plants protections against drying out. It’s also a brilliant growing medium when mixed with troforte as it has the trace elements.
• Trevor is using chlorophytums, these plants known as spider plants come in a green and a white variegated form.
• Stick two fingers through the peat moss lining or weed mat pushing into the basket. Spread your fingers apart to create an opening. Slide the root ball of the plant through the peat moss opening and into the basket.
• Set the root ball's side on top of the soil. Repeat this process around the hanging basket, spacing the plants 10cm apart.
• Add a layer of potting soil to the basket, covering the root balls with 2 inches of soil and repeat. Do the same with the second basket so you have two baskets partially planted