Do not lose hope if you consider your outdoor area is too limited to cultivate and grow plants. Planter boxes provide room and convenience for both productivity and accessibility.
Who could spot the difference between raised containers, beds, and planter boxes when your options are limitless? Stick to the most popular terms to keep things easy.
Raised garden beds are the large platform on the ground with an exposed bottom. While a sturdy base lies on four or even more legs, lifting the planter box away from the ground. Both alternatives allow you to grow several flowers and vegetables, but raised beds are more extensive and have more soil quantity.
How are planter boxes made?
Although several materials are available for planter boxes, some are extremely popular. One of these is wood planters, a low-cost option that is easy to make using easily accessible materials. Redwood, cedar, and cypress are also long-lasting alternatives.
Moulded concrete or gravel, galvanised or plated metal, and metal-and-wood combinations are popular outdoors.
Why would you grow your plants in a planter box?
You might desire to cultivate edible or aesthetic flowers using planter boxes for various reasons. Here are some crucial advantages to think about:
- Planter boxes are ideal for minimal-space planting, and you may use them on patios, balconies, porches, and more. They come in various forms and sizes, turning even the tiniest outdoor areas into rich mini-gardens.
- Planter boxes are ideal for growing on hard and flat surfaces since the supports lift them entirely off the surface, reducing the chance of damaging your patio or pavement. In addition, because it will not confine the water between contacting materials, it will generally dry once drained.
- Avoid pests. Due to their heights, planter boxes are generally not accessible for ground-dwelling creatures like rabbits, gophers, moles, and other problems. Of course, insects may still discover your plants, but they are much easier to monitor because they are in such a limited space.
- Planter boxes flourish in light, fertile soil, which helps resist soil-borne illnesses. In addition, by using a sterilised pot mix, you can avoid widespread infections in in-ground planting.
- Easy access. If stooping and bending are challenging for you, raised planter boxes might make gardening extremely easy.
How to make the most of your planter boxes
With all of these advantages, it is no surprise that gardeners adore planter boxes. Fortunately, growing effectively in various sizes and containers is not difficult. However, if you want to achieve the best results, consider the following suggestions.
1 Use a planter and container-specific soil mix.
While loading your container using garden soil may be enticing, do not succumb to this urge. You can only use heavy, dense soil to form in-ground gardening. That is not a good mix for container gardening.
2 Make adequate drainage for your planters.
Check the planter box if it is watertight when adding well-drained soil. When turning basins or irrigation troughs into containers, it can happen. Water must be able to escape; otherwise, the roots of your plants may become soggy.
3 Select the appropriate box size
The simplest way to figure out what size (width and length) of the planter will best suit your purposes is to measure your space.
If your container is two ft. or less, you will not require access on each end with caring for your bed because you will be able to reach across without difficulty. However, you will need accessibility from both ends if the space is more expansive.
4 Place planters in the appropriate location
Another thing to consider where to put your planter is its accessibility to water. For example, you want to be near the hose connector if you are not installing sprinklers, so you do not have to tote water around.
In addition, keeping your plant near the kitchen can be beneficial when raising vegetables and herbs.
