Stability and anchorage of plant displays

Plant stability is an important factor to consider when installing large plants, hanging baskets and climbing plants.

Large plants

Interior plants can range in size from a few centimetres tall to ten metres and more.  The larger plants are, in effect small trees and can be quite heavy when they have a full canopy.  It is therefore very important that they are well secured.  This involves careful attention to detail during installation and maintenance, in particular:

• Using a large enough container or tree-pit to accommodate both the rootball and a good quantity of supporting soil.

• Using, wherever possible, loam-based compost, which has a higher bulk density than peat-based compost and therefore provides better anchorage for the plant roots.

• Ensuring that the compost is not allowed to dry out completely, which may make it too light and friable to support the plant adequately.

• Regularly checking that the plant has not become too top heavy or one sided, e.g. by the excessive growth of one branch towards the light. Careful pruning and thinning can prevent this.

• If some cases it may be necessary to stake the plant or tie it to a building structure to provide additional support.

Hanging baskets

Hanging baskets are an excellent way of producing a splash of colour or patch of greenery in areas of a building where space is too limited for a floor display, or where a bare expanse of wall needs to be "broken up".  However, care needs to be taken to ensure that the supporting structure, whether a wall, ceiling or some other building accessory is strong enough to support the load.  A fully watered basket may weigh up to 10 - 15 kilogrammes, and as it is usually suspended away from the wall there is a lot of strain on the mounting bracket.  In some cases a half-basket, which is attached flush with the wall may be a better option.

Climbing plants

Climbing plants, such as ivy (Hedera helix),  grape ivy (Cissus rhombifolia) and chestnut vine (Tetrastigma voinierianum) are frequently grown as "living screens" up walls, around pillars and over other surfaces that need to be screened or softened.  Although ivy is well known for having limpet-like qualities, most of these climbing plants need support, whether it be a moss pole, trellis, fine mesh or intricate system of wires.  In all cases the supports need to be well attached to prevent the plant from dragging them away from the building structure as it expands and puts on weight.

Use the plant selector in the Specifiers' guide to find out more about the most commonly used interior climbing plants.