Selecting the best planters for your container garden is an essential part of successfully growing edible plants in a small urban garden. You’ll want enough root space to support growth, but you don’t want a planter so deep that you’re wasting soil.
These containers will give you the ability to grow your own fresh lettuces, cucumbers, and tomatoes even if you’re short on space. Add a few to your patio or balcony for convenient vegetables any time. Traditional gardeners can even add a few to their outdoor gardening to customize and dress-up their growing space.
You can learn more about how to select the proper sized container for the vegetables growing in your garden using our guide. How to Select the Best Containers for Your Vegetable Garden
These planters are available online, but you can probably find similar styles at your local garden center. You can also check online marketplaces for used planters.
Do you need help keeping your vegetable container garden from drying out while you go on vacation? Check out our guide on the best automatic watering systems for potted plants.
10 Best Planters for Your Container Garden
Planter Boxes
The most versatile member of any container garden, planter boxes can go anywhere. They provide a compact shape that is easy to use indoors, on patio decks, or elevated on a work bench. When selecting a planter box, make sure it is deep enough to support the vegetables you intend to grow. Tomatoes and peppers will need deeper roots than lettuce and herbs.
Read: How to Grow Edibles in Window Boxes
Window Boxes
Window boxes are a beautiful way to dress up the outside of your home. Make them more than decorative by using them to grow herbs and edible flowers. A well placed window box outside of the kitchen window can make fresh cut herbs convenient at all times.
Wheelbarrow Planters
Wheelbarrows are a cute way to dress up any home garden space. You do not need to purchase a wheelbarrow just for use as a planter. Any old, rusty wheelbarrow will do. You’ll just need to make sure drainage holes are drilled for your plants.
Read: More Unique Garden Containers You Never Thought Of
Elevated Garden Beds
Elevated garden beds are a great option for those who have a difficult time bending down to garden. These elevated planters typically have dimensions similar to a raised garden bed, so they can be used for most vegetables. You will want to avoid tall or trellised plants to make harvesting easy.
Starting a garden in Florida? August is the best time to start seeds for our main growing season in the fall and winter. Check out What to Plant in August – 65+ Best Florida Friendly Flowers, Vegetables, and Herbs
Hanging Fence Planters
Vertical hanging options like these hanging fence planters are perfect when space is at a premium. They work well for lettuce and most herbs. They could also be the base for trellised vegetables that you’d like to grow along the fence.
Hanging Baskets
Hanging baskets add a lot of variety to a container garden. They can be hung from a shepherd’s hook, mounted hook on a wall, or from a low hanging tree branch. Baskets can be moved around and add another dimension to the look of your garden. They work well for lettuce, herbs, and trailing edibles like strawberries.
Planter Trellises
Some plants need a deeper root system, along with the ability to climb, which makes planter trellises the perfect solution. They can create a backdrop along a fence or wall, while still providing the flexibility of a container. They will also provide support for climbing plants like cucumbers, peas, and indeterminate tomatoes.
Read: Beginner’s Guide to Growing Tomatoes
Self-Watering Planter Boxes
Self-watering boxes are a great option if you have a difficult time remembering to water your plants. Some will have a reservoir for water, while others will connect directly to a hose. These are perfect for leafy vegetables like kale and broccoli who typically have higher watering needs than others.
Fabric Grow Bags
Fabric grow bags have a wide variety of benefits for plants. They distribute water better than plastic pots, and also keep the roots cooler. The fabric breathes, which air prunes the roots and keeps plants from becoming root bound in the container.
The 5 gallon bags are deep enough to support potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Bags with handles make them easy to move throughout the season as necessary.
Eliminate mess on your patio and catch water by pairing the bags with a plastic saucer or kiddie pool.
Watch: Planting Seed Potatoes in Grow Bags
Deep Planter Boxes
Deep planter boxes are essential for larger plants that require deeper root systems. They also work great with companion gardening, where you can pair compatible plants together that can benefit each other. Companion planting can also reduce weeds and shade roots.
The large planters make lovely accents to a driveway or front porch. They can be quite heavy once full, so you’ll want to place them in a fairly permanent location.
See More: 25 Creative Garden Containers
Learn More: An In-Depth Companion Planting Guide
Learn More: Basics of Container Design
