How To Garden With Deck Rail Planters – Complete Guide

Deck Rail Planter

Deck rail planters offer the opportunity to display fresh, colorful flowers.
If space is limited or you live in an apartment complex, these planters can add a bright spot to each new day.
So let’s learn how to garden with deck rail planters.

Selecting the Right Deck Rail Planter

Deck rail planters have come a long way from the simple oblong wooden cases that sat on the front porch open railing.

Designed for staying securely placed and keeping plants safe, multiple models are available that fit snugly atop a standard-sized rail or that have over-the-top steel hooks for hanging slightly below the rail. There are also custom planters for skinny or unusual rail situations.

Deck rail planters come in different sizes to straddle the top of your balcony railing and have different lengths for fitting any type of deck rail.

Look for self-watering planters or those made with no-rot materials that offer a lifetime guarantee. White, natural, and over-the-railing planters can fit any type of exterior design you may have.

Be sure to take measurements before ordering your deck rail planter so that it will coincide with the type of small plants you will be growing.

The Perfect Plants for Deck Rail Planters

You are not limited as to the type of plants to showcase in your deck rail planters. Successful combinations of flowers may look great in a magazine article, but consider your plant hardiness zone, what type of sunlight is required and whether the varieties you choose are a bushy or thin-stemmed variety.

A picture can show lots of bright-colored perennials, but will they all prosper in your part of the country?

Here are some suggestions for keeping your selection consistent with the climate you have.

Dahlia

Zones 8–11
Dahlias work well in deck rail planters. They require lots of sunshine and moderate amounts of watering. They have large blooms and can dwarf other annuals. Take your box height into account before investing in dahlias. They are known for getting tall.

Zinnia

Zones 3–10
Zinnias are easy to grow and pest-resistant. They love the sun and not much watering is needed. This is a good beginner choice in deck rail planters.

Begonia

Zones 10–11
Begonias are a subtropical plant with over 1,800 varieties that will grow anywhere as an annual. The deck rail planter is a good place to raise this sweet-looking plant. Although beautiful, the roots are poisonous to animals and must be out of their reach.

Geranium

Zones 3–9
This flowing plant prefers container planting to garden planting. Geraniums thrive when their roots are tightly packed together as in a deck rail planter. They tolerate both sun and shade.

Petunia

All Zones
Petunias are friendly to all zones due to the fact that they are true annuals. They need lots of sunshine but enjoy cooler weather. Be sure and watch the water level, as petunias can have a problem with too much moisture.

Roses

Zones 7–10
These beautiful flowers are simple to grow and take care of. Miniature roses are very well suited for deck rail planters and they have an outstanding color presence.

Here is an article on how to grow and take care of red roses

Hydrangea

Zones 3–9
A mystical addition to any planter with pink, purple, blue or lime-green shades, hydrangeas are a bush that does well in deck rail planters, especially the dwarf size. They are perfect for spotlighting a wraparound country porch.

Summer Snapdragon

Zones 10–11
Highlight your deck rail planter with aromatic herbs or creeping greenery. Summer Snapdragon is an annual that is drought resistant, is heat tolerant and has a grape scent.

These are only a few of the types of plants that you can use in a deck rail planter. Deciding on the height, length and depth can determine the type of plants that you wish to use. Ivy or sweet potato vine can add a spot of color to a concrete building’s balcony, while Creeping Jenny adds a picturesque look to plain rails.

Whether it’s autumn or winter, it still does not mean that you can not enjoy the beauties of flowers. In this article, we have listed fall winter garden vegetables and flowers.

How To Plant your Flowers in a Deck Rail Planter

Most flowers are drawn to the sun and will need six to eight hours of sunlight throughout the day. If you have large trees that obscure the sun, consider trimming the branches before beginning.

Once you have selected the perfect plants and purchased the recommended soil, drill small holes in the bottom of your containers for drainage. The areas should be clearly marked, or holes may already be drilled.

Fill your deck rail planter with potting soil to 1 to 2 inches from the top. The plant roots in your purchased container plants will be compacted from growing in a pot. Using a serrated knife, gently pull the roots away from the dirt so they will spread more easily in the new soil.

Scoop out a hole large enough to accept your plant and lightly pack the plant’s roots in their new home. Take care not to place the second plant too close to the first in order to allow roots to spread. Scale is important in placement and will deliver a healthier plant.

How To Water Your Plants

Remember that your plants drink through the roots. Make it a daily habit to check the soil each morning with the index finger test. This will give you a good idea of how thirsty your plants are. Some days the soil will be very dry, while other days, it will be moist.

Concentrate on only watering the soil closest to the roots and only provide the amount of water needed. Measuring the right amount of water is a science, but you will get to know the plants that live in your planter. Too much water can be worse than too little water, so that some experimentation may be necessary.

Deck rail planters have advantages over single-pot containers. Some of these include:

● Save floor space
● Provide a safe haven for plants
● Easy to reach for watering
● Made to scale with architecture

How To Garden With Deck Rail Planters Summary

If you enjoy gardening and colorful plants and feel like a change to your exterior, deck rail planters are worth looking into.

From bright and cheerful colors to bronze selections of fall, your home will be highlighted with flowers of different shapes, textures, and hues for your enjoyment.

I WISH YOU SUCCESS!

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