Types of Plant Containers: Window Boxes, Baskets, Grow Bags and More

The round pot is only one way to hold a plant. Walk through any garden center and you will also find troughs, window boxes, hanging baskets, fabric bags and planters with built-in water reservoirs. Each solves a particular problem, and each has a catch.

This tour of the main types of plant containers explains what each one is good for and what to watch out for, so you can decide when something other than a classic pot makes more sense. For help with materials such as terracotta, plastic and glazed ceramic, see the guide on how to choose containers for plants.

Classic Round Pots

The familiar round pot is the all-purpose choice. It comes in every size and material, it suits a single plant or a mixed planting, and it can be moved, turned and regrouped as the season goes on.

The catch: small ones dry out quickly, and large ones are heavy once filled with moist mix. Size matters more than shape for most plants, and the guide to what size pot you need gives commonly suggested starting points.

Troughs and Planter Boxes

Long, rectangular containers suit plants grown in a row: a line of herbs, a strip of salad greens or a low hedge of flowers along the edge of a patio. They make good use of narrow spaces beside a wall or a path, and their larger volume of mix holds moisture longer than a row of separate small pots would.

The catch: a long box full of wet mix is hard to move, so decide where it goes before you fill it. Check that there are several drainage holes along the base, not just one at an end.

Window Boxes

A window box is a trough designed to sit on a sill or hang below a window. It puts flowers or herbs at eye level, both from inside the house and from the street.

The catch: window boxes are usually shallow and narrow, so they hold little mix and dry fast, especially on a sunny wall. They suit compact plants with modest roots. They must also be fixed securely, because a planted, watered box is much heavier than it looks.

Hanging Baskets

Baskets lift trailing plants into the air, where stems can spill downward on every side. They add color at a height that pots on the ground cannot reach.

There are two main kinds. Wire baskets are lined with coir, moss or a preformed liner, and they drain and breathe freely. Solid plastic baskets, often with a small attached saucer, hold moisture longer.

The catch: a hanging basket is exposed to sun and wind on all sides, so it dries faster than any other common container. A small basket in hot, windy weather may need water more than once in a day, while the same basket in a cool, still spell lasts much longer. Lift the base to feel the weight, or feel the mix, rather than guessing. Larger baskets are easier to keep moist than small ones. The steps for planting one are in the guide on how to plant a hanging basket.

Fabric Grow Bags

A grow bag is a soft-sided container made of thick, porous fabric, usually with handles. Grow bags are inexpensive, light and easy to store flat at the end of the season. Their generous volumes make them popular for vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and potatoes.

The catch: the same porous sides let moisture escape, so grow bags dry quickly in sun and wind. Water can also seep from the base onto whatever the bag stands on, which matters on decking.

Self-Watering Planters

A self-watering planter has a water reservoir beneath the potting mix. A wicking column or a strip of fabric draws water upward as the mix dries, and you refill the reservoir through a fill tube. The result is steadier moisture, which helps thirsty plants in hot weather and gives you more leeway during a short absence.

The catch: the name promises more than the planter delivers. You still need to check the reservoir and the mix, because a large plant can empty the reservoir quickly in summer. Fertilizer salts can also build up in the mix when water only ever moves upward, so many gardeners flush the planter from the top with plain water now and then. Look for an overflow hole, which stops rain from flooding the reservoir.

These planters are not ideal for plants that like to dry out between waterings, such as rosemary, thyme and lavender.

Railing Planters and Wall Pockets

Railing planters sit astride or hook over a deck or balcony railing. Wall pockets and vertical planters hang on a fence or a wall. Both make use of space that would otherwise grow nothing, and both bring plants up to eye level.

The catch: they hold a small volume of mix, so they dry fast and suit only small plants: compact flowers, salad leaves and low herbs. Fixing matters even more than it does for a window box.

Container Types at a Glance

Drying speed in this table is a general tendency. The size of the container, its material, the plant, the weather and the season all change it, and conditions vary from pot to pot.

Start with the plant and the place, then be realistic about care. The types that dry fastest need the most frequent checking, so a patio hung with small baskets asks more of you than two large pots at ground level.