Hanging plastic pots - light & cheap

I have a lot of plants hanging in a flat I am not allowed to drill much. Almost all of them are in plastic, and it is not because I like plastic.

The weight argument

Everything overhead is a weight calculation.

Your fixing has a safe load. The pot, the compost, the water and the plant all come out of it. Every gram the pot itself uses is a gram you cannot spend on the actual plant.

A plastic pot weighs a fraction of the ceramic equivalent. On a bracket or a ceiling hook, that difference is the whole ballgame — it is the difference between hanging a decent-sized plant and hanging a token one.

And remember to weigh it wet. Saturated compost roughly doubles the dry weight, which is the number that matters when something is above your head.

Where plastic wins outright

Anything high up. Above a doorway, near a ceiling, anywhere you would need a ladder. Lighter is safer, full stop.

Anywhere the fixing is uncertain. Rented walls, old plasterboard, a bracket you did not install yourself.

Outdoors in wind. A heavy pot swinging on a bracket puts real shock loading through the fixing.

Anything you will water in place. Plastic holds moisture longer than terracotta, so hanging pots — which dry out faster than anything, being exposed on all sides — need watering less often.

The honest drawback

It looks like plastic.

The fix is the same one that works everywhere else: use it as the inner pot. Drop it inside a straw basket, a woven planter, or a macrame cradle and nobody sees it — a macrame hanger holds the pot from below anyway, so only the rim shows.

That is the standard arrangement and it also solves the liner problem, since natural fibre rots when wet compost sits against it.

Check it has not gone brittle

The real failure mode, and it is worth knowing.

Thin, cheap plastic degrades in UV. Two summers on a sunny balcony and it goes chalky and pale, then cracks in your hands. Overhead, that is not a small problem.

Flex the rim before you re-hang an old pot. If it creaks or feels stiff and glassy rather than springy, replace it. Thick UV-stabilised plastic lasts for years — the plastic guide covers the difference properly.

Drainage still matters

A hanging pot with no hole becomes a bucket the moment it rains, and it is far heavier full of water than you planned for.

Make sure there is drainage, and accept that it will drip — so do not hang one over a sofa, a bed or a neighbour's balcony. The drainage guide covers adding a hole, which in plastic is genuinely easy.

What to hang in it

Trailers, because you look at them from underneath. Pothos, spider plants, trailing philodendron, string of hearts.

Outdoors, trailing bedding and strawberries both do well in hanging plastic — the strawberry guide makes the case for hanging them.

Watering

The practical problem with everything overhead. A pulley lowers the pot to a sensible height, which is far better than a chair and a full watering can.

Browse the hanging range and plastic pots, with more in the indoor hanging guide and the small-space pillar guide.

The short version

• Weight is the whole argument: a light pot leaves more of the fixing's load for the plant.
• Always calculate from the wet weight - saturated compost roughly doubles the dry figure.
• Plastic holds moisture longer, which suits hanging pots because they dry out fastest.
• Drop it inside a basket or macrame cradle if you dislike the look.
• Flex the rim of an old plastic pot; UV makes cheap plastic brittle within two summers.

Frequently asked questions

Why use plastic pots for hanging plants?

Weight. Your fixing has a safe load, and every gram the pot itself uses is a gram unavailable for compost, water and the plant. A plastic pot weighs a fraction of ceramic, which is the difference between a decent plant and a token one.

Do hanging plastic pots look cheap?

On their own, yes. The usual fix is to use the plastic pot as the inner container and drop it inside a woven basket or a macrame cradle, which hides everything but the rim and also protects natural fibre from wet compost.

How long do plastic hanging pots last?

Thick UV-stabilised plastic lasts years. Thin, cheap plastic degrades in sunlight and can go chalky and brittle within two summers, then crack when handled. Flex the rim before re-hanging an old pot and replace anything that feels stiff and glassy.

Do hanging pots need drainage holes?

Yes. Without one, a pot outdoors fills with rainwater and becomes far heavier than the fixing was chosen for. Plastic is easy to drill if a pot has no hole. Accept that a drained pot will drip and hang it accordingly.

What should I plant in a hanging plastic pot?

Trailing plants, since you view them from below: pothos, spider plants, trailing philodendron and string of hearts indoors. Outdoors, trailing bedding and strawberries both do well, and hanging keeps strawberry fruit clear of slugs.