By Larry Hodgson
Wicker baskets look great anytime and make great containers for growing plants … when you know how to prepare them. But the sad fact is that, in contact with moist soil, inevitable when you grow plants, the wicker won’t last very long. It tends to weaken and rot away after just a few uses.
In addition, the numerous openings in container’s sides and bottom mean the roots of the plants you grow in them dry out too quickly, forcing you to water far too often.
Luckily, you can fix this quite easily. Here’s how:
Preparing a Wicker Planter for Planting, Step by Step
- To waterproof the wicker and seriously extend its useful life, varnish the inside and outside of the basket with three coats of wood preservative or water-repellent varnish, then let dry.
- Find a sheet of thick, transparent plastic to use as a liner (clear plastic being easier to hide than colored plastic).
- Cut a circle of plastic about twice the diameter of the basket. If the basket is very deep, increase the diameter of the circle you cut.
- Line the inside of the container with the plastic.
- Punch a few holes in the bottom of the plastic lining to ensure adequate drainage.
- Cut away the excess plastic liner.
- Fill the container with moist potting soil
- Plant it with your favorite plants.
All that’s left to do is to enjoy your beautiful wicker container for many seasons to come.
Illustrations: Claire Tourigny
One of the baskets that I used for houseplants rotted out on the bottom (which was a pretty nasty indication of overwatering if you thing about it (so don’t), but fortunately (and miraculously) did not damage the floor too). It did not matter though, because it still fit neatly around a #5 (5 gallon) can.