Best Garden Planter For 2024

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Whether novice or expert, every gardener knows that gardening requires plenty of tools to yield the best possible harvest, which includes numerous utensils and gardening aids.

Out of all the apparatuses needed for growing your own food, the most important is the vessel used for sowing seeds or a planter.

The kind of container you use to grow crops can hugely impact your plants’ quality and the efficiency of your gardening project. If a planter is not the appropriate size or isn’t made of a suitable material, it could potentially impede the growth of crops and yield lopsided plants.

You might be wondering how that is even possible. Don’t plants need ample sunlight, air, and water to thrive?

Well, that’s true, but only partially. The soil makes an essential component of gardening, which is generally housed in a planter if you are indulging in container gardening.

If the growing medium is not placed in a container that stimulates root proliferation, a grower will never get healthy produce.

While the soil provides growing conditions for the roots, a planter provides the setting that allows for effective tilling without which healthy gardening is not possible.

Therefore, you need to pick out the best indoor planters for your urban garden to ensure that your gardening efforts are as fruitful as possible. 

Selecting an indoor planter can be risky business for a variety of reasons. From choosing the right material and size of a planter to deciding on its weight and volume, there are many ways in which planter shopping can go wrong.

To help you make the right choice and get the best garden planter for your green dreams, we decided to round up and review all the best planters of 2020. Whether you are an aspiring gardener or a green maestro, our comprehensive buying guide will help you choose the best planters for indoor plants.

Here are the top five garden planters for your urban garden.

Best Overall – Best Choice Products OutdoorWooden Raised Garden Bed

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Featured Specs

• Size: 48.5 x 10.5 x 7 inches
• Volume: 47”(L) x 22.5”(W) x 9.75”(H)
• Weight: 20 lbs
• Materials: Chinese fir wood

Benefits

Made with high-quality fir wood, the Best Choice Outdoor Wooden Raised Garden Bed Planter is possibly the ideal home that you can give to your crops. It provides ample space for plants to thrive and spread out their roots.

Wooden containers are known to be frost-proof, which boosts plant growth, especially in chilly areas.

While all wooden boxes promote healthy plant growth, this particular product is exceptionally good at encouraging plant growth, thanks to the type of wood used to build it.

Fir makes for the best wood for planter boxes, and Chinese fir is among the top varieties and is known to produce naturally durable heartwood, which is why the Best Choice Outdoor Raised Garden Bed Planter is the right choice for your garden.

It will provide you the durability and sturdiness you need to carry out in-home planting effortlessly.

The two-in-one structure of the product provides you space to separate different crop varieties within a single container. The construction guide that comes with the product lays out straightforward instructions so that the user can easily set up their in-home planter.

The Best Choice Outdoor Raised Bed Planter offers the ideal height for the grower to work on their crops without injuring their backs. All you need is a stool or chair next to it, and you can work on your plants all day long.

When it comes to garden planters, you can never go wrong with the ones made of wood. And if you choose one made of high-quality wood such as fir, you are bound to materialize your green dreams effectively.

Therefore, this Best Choice Outdoor Raised Bed Planter made with Chinese fir is a great choice to satisfy your green thumb needs.

Drawbacks

The only complaint some people have had with the Best Choice Raised Bed Garden Planter is easy splitting.

The posts can, at times, have cracks that users must fix before assembling the product. If you don’t mind bringing out the inner lumberjack in you, you will navigate through the possible defect with little to no trouble.

Extra features

The Best Choice Raised Bed Garden Planter comes with a planter liner, so you don’t have to buy that separately, giving you added convenience.

Plus, it’s made with chemical-free wood, so the environmentalist in you can rest easy knowing that your plants are in an unadulterated natural home.

Buying advice

If you are looking for a versatile wooden planter that can be used indoors and outdoors, this Best Choice planter is definitely the one for you.

It’s long-lasting, ideal for growing multiple varieties of crops, and is made with the best wood for planter box. You cannot go wrong with this product.

Runner Up – CobraCo English Horse Trough Planter

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Featured Specs

• Size: 36 inches
• Volume: 36-Inch L by 8-Inch W by 7-Inch H
• Weight: 5.9 lbs
• Materials: Brown fiber coirs of the coconut shell

Benefits

The CobraCo English Horse Trough Planter can be one of the best additions to your garden. Its simple yet sleek design makes it ideal for indoor and outdoor spaces alike.

The brown fibers of the container that hold the soil allow moisture retention, which saves water while providing plants with the hydration they need. This benefit of the CobraCo Horse Trough Planter makes it an excellent choice for homes in hot climates.

The planter’s horse-trough-style shape gives it a farm-esque look, lending any indoor space the perfect visual appeal reminiscent of a garden.

The CobraCo English Trough Planter comes with adjustable brackets that make it easy to hang under any railing measuring anywhere from 2 to 6 inches. You can hang it under a fence or place it under a window or even screw it directly on a wall; it will look exquisite everywhere.

Drawbacks

Since this CobraCo planter is made from metal, it can get pretty heavy after crops are added, which can make hanging the planter an issue. You might need to arrange for more sturdy ropes and aids to support the planter and keep it in place.

Extra features

The CobraCo English Horse Trough Planter comes with a coco liner, which is an excellent growing medium. So, you don’t just get a perfect container for your garden but also the ideal growing base for your crops.

Buying advice

If you believe in bringing form and function together, this product is the most suitable for your green fingers.

The CobraCo English Trough Planter will provide your plants a comfortable home that will keep them moist without gathering any rust, thanks to the high-quality powder-coated steel used to make the product. Buy this durable product and give your place a damp and warm abode.

Alternative 1 – Countryside Flower Box Planter

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Featured Specs

• Size: 8 inches
• Volume: 17.5″ x 8″x 6.5″ (L”xW”xH”)
• Weight: 8.8 lbs.
• Materials: Type-5 recyclable polypropylene plastic

Benefits

The Countryside Flower Box Planter is a basic home-style container that blends in well with all kinds of indoor spaces.

You can either place it on your balcony railing or windowsill; it will fit in snugly. The matte finish on this flower box planter gives it a subdued look, allowing the plants inside the chance to shine.

Made with top quality fade resistant, sturdy plastic, this Countryside Flower Planter lasts for years. It can withstand all kinds of harsh weather. The large flower box planter is designed to weather through the scorching summer heat to the frosty winter gales effortlessly.

The Countryside Flower Box Planter is a product of Novelty. Co, which is known for making sustainable garden supplies. Therefore, this product is no different. It’s durable and low maintenance, allowing you to grow crops with maximum ease.

Drawbacks

One complaint that many users of the product have registered is its predisposition to bend from the sides.

The planter is said to have feeble walls that warp upon pressure, so the user has to make arrangements for support and, in most cases, refrain from hanging it.

Extra Features

The Countryside Flower Box Planter comes with rubber stoppers at the bottom, giving the user an option to allow drainage according to their need.

If you are growing water-loving plants, you can keep the stoppers in place and let your green babies thrive in water, and if you are growing plants that do not require a lot of hydration, you can make the stoppers go and let all the excess water pass through.

Buying Advice

If you are looking for an easy-to-use vessel to line your plants in, then the Countryside Flower Box Planter is definitely your answer. It’s roomy, durable and doesn’t need to be assembled. Place it anywhere and plant whatever your heart desires.

Alternative 2 – VegTrug 8 Pocket Herb Garden

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Featured Specs

• Size: 1-pack
• Volume: 31 x 31 x 23 inches
• Weight: 17 lbs.
• Material: 100% FSC plantation cedarwood

Benefits

The VegTrug 8 Pocket Herb Garden is excellent for growing a wide variety of crops in one planter. It provides separate compartments, allowing the user to plant up to eight plant varieties.

Super easy-to-assemble, this VegTrug product offers ideal working height so that you don’t have to compromise your posture while tending to your plants.

The VegTrug Herb Garden is made with premium quality cedarwood, which keeps the soil within warm and well aerated. The wood used to make the product is treated with a food-safe preservative making it harmless for plants.

This planter comes with pre-formed replaceable liners, so you don’t have to worry about buying those separately. And since the manufacturer provides the pot liners, they fit in perfectly, holding the soil in place.

Drawbacks

The wooden bottom slate can easily get drenched by the water running through the top container.

Although the bottom tray is a convenient place to keep your gardening tools, it can get damaged due to the water seeping through the holder above it. Therefore, a user might not be able to get any benefit out of the bottom tray.

Additional Features

The VegTrug 8 Pocket Herb Garden comes with a bottom tray underneath the herb compartments.

The extra feature offers an easy-to-reach shelf to the user to place their utensils or keep independent planters to enhance the look of the entire configuration further.

Buying Advice

Many people find looking for multiple planters to grow an extensive range of crops unnecessarily tiresome. For those individuals, the VegTrug 8 Pocket Herb Garden is the ultimate solution.

Its straightforward construction, spacious top shelf, and ideal working height make it the go-to planter for gardeners who like to have a wide variety of crops in their garden without putting up many individual planters.

The VegTrug Herb Garden is also an ideal space-efficient option for people who do not have sufficient space in their homes to house all their green dreams.

Alternative 3 – Greenland Gardener Raised Bed Garden Kit

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Featured Specs

• Size: 8 inches
• Volume: 42″ x 84″ x 8″
• Weight: 46.8 lbs.
• Material: Recycled plastic and wood (composite material)

Benefits

The Greenland Raised Bed Garden Kit gives you a confined space to grow a variety of fruits and herbs.

It essentially provides wood for raised beds as itdoesn’t come with a bottom tray. The wide rectangular planter is easy to assemble and move around. You don’t need any tools to put it together.

Made with composite material, this planter kit looks like real wood and stays healthy throughout the winter season, providing ample volume to plant deeper beds. It doesn’t rot and stays strong and sturdy for a while.

Drawbacks

One complaint that this Greenland product gets is the absence of a bottom layer.

People who do not have an outdoor space cannot use the Raised Garden Kit because it doesn’t offer a holding tray for plants. You can only grow crops in it if you have a soil bed in your yard. It’s not suitable for apartment dwellers.

Extra Features

The Greenland Raised Bed Garden Kit is made from recycled material, so it’s a nontoxic, chemical-free planter option that stimulates healthy plant growth.

Buying Advice

For people living in a suburban neighborhood with ample brownfields in their yard, this product can be beneficial.

It can help you divide your crops, making your gardening project highly efficient and systematic. If you are someone who likes order, the Greenland Raised Garden Kit is the best choice for you.

When it comes to choosing planters, the market is teeming with options. With some rifling, you can find the ideal planter for your urban garden. All you need is to remember your gardening needs and specify those to your vendor, and they’ll get you the best planter.

Frequently Asked Questions about Garden Planters

How do I make a garden planter?

While the gardening market is brimming with planters, some people like to dabble with DIY containers to build their garden space from scratch.

Although making a garden planter can be risky business if you don’t have experience with power tools, it can be done without running into an accident if you take the necessary precautionary measures.

Here’s what you will need to make a planter at home

Tools and Materials

• Lumber (or vinyl) 8 boards (4 for length, 4 for height)
• Wood Screws
• Weed barrier (estimate the square feet of your box)
• Square stakes
• Dirt (you can mix soil and readymade garden mixture)
• Any materials for trellis or pergola

Instructions

• Cut the wooden boards to size. If you think you cannot cut them accurately, get treated wood, and ask the vendor to cut it for you. Most vendors don’t cut pretreated lumber, so the best way to avoid using a chainsaw is to get treated wood.

• Screw the wood screws on the side of the boards and connect sides. Make the lower box first.

• Lay the box on the ground and line the weed barrier under it. If you wish to add a wooden layer at the bottom as well, then place a plank and use wood screws to attach it with the borders.

• Next, add stakes on four corners by making holes in the weed barrier, allowing the stakes to enter the ground directly.

• Build the second box by screwing together the remaining wooden boards.

• Once the second box is ready, place it on top of the first one.

• Screw wood screws through the stakes into the outside of the second box to secure the two boxes together.

• Fill in the dirt and get planting!

How do you waterproof a wooden planter box?

Wood planters are the most commonly used containers for urban gardening for various reasons.

Firstly, they keep plants safe from getting affected by changing temperatures, which readily happens with planters made from plastic or metal. Secondly, wood planters naturally blend in well with plants, making a garden as picturesque as possible.

While wood planters are excellent for healthy plant growth, they can get damaged if not maintained well.

Most wood planters are made with pretreated woods, most of which aren’t water-resistant. Therefore, you must waterproof your wooden planters to enhance longevity and ensure optimal plant growth.

Waterproofing a wooden planter is super easy. All you need is an 80-grit sandpaper, a polyurethane- or silicone-based caulk, and a brush.

To waterproof your wooden planter box, first sand it vigorously using the 80-grit sandpaper. Sanding the planter will make it rough and add little recesses that will hold the waterproofing solution well.

Apply the waterproofing solution in copious amounts using a brush. Once you have coated the entire expanse of your planter, let it dry for a long while. We would recommend you wait for a whole day before using your planter after waterproofing it.

Bonus Tip

Don’t use planters made from pressure-treated wood as it will leach the waterproofing chemical into your potting soil endangering your plants.

For best results, use planters made from cedar or redwood. Those wood varieties are naturally water-resistant and waterproofing them ensures absolute protection from water.

How do I keep my wooden planter from rotting?

While wood planters are an excellent container choice, they require some maintenance to last a while.

If you do not pay attention to their upkeep, you will have to often replace the boards to tackle the rotten wood. To avoid running into rotten wooden boards, make arrangements to ensure proper drainage and air circulation in your planters.

The first thing you must do when using a wooden planter is to check the base and ensure that it has sufficient drainage. If it doesn’t, drill holes to make way for the excess water to run out.

Next, make sure the potting mix you use is lightweight and allows maximum aeration. A heavy potting mix will get compact and prevent adequate drainage from the soil.

Place your planter over a brick or pieces of wood to allow air circulation. Also, don’t cram your seedlings in one planter, keep adequate space between them, and between individual planters.

If you follow the mentioned steps, you will save yourself from a lot of unnecessary trouble.

What do you put in the bottom of a planter for drainage?

To make your plants happy and healthy, the first thing you need to put inside your planter is a soil that allows sufficient drainage. A well-draining soil mix is essential for growing hearty crops.

But if your plants need more drainage, add some gravel or perlite to the dirt. Doing so will make room for more drainage and keep your plants dry.

You can also drill holes at the bottom of your planter to allow excess water to pass through. But to save the soil from washing out, place a coffee filter over the drilled holes. Doing so will keep the potting mix within the planter while giving an outlet for the water.

Conclusion

And there you have it, the ultimate garden planters for your urban garden. Although all the options in our guide are made from different materials, all of them provide ample benefits and utility.

From easy portability to adequate space for growing a wide variety of plants, you get everything you need to grow healthy crops with these planters. Now, all that’s left to do is to place an order and get your hands on any of these beauties.

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