Tall Planters for a Balcony: Depth, Materials, Wind and Weight

A good tall planter for a balcony has enough planting depth and volume for the plant’s roots, a base wide or heavy enough to stay upright in wind, and drainage holes. Fiberglass and resin are the lightest to move; metal heats and cools faster. Fill it with potting mix, not gravel, and check the wet weight before you buy.

Height is only one way to sort planters. The balcony planters hub sorts them by material and use, and lightweight planters, metal planters and wooden planters go deeper on the shells used for tall designs.

Planting depth versus planter height

A tall planter’s height tells you how it looks, not how much room the roots get. Some tall designs have a raised inner shelf or a removable insert, so compare the listed planting depth or soil volume with the overall height before you buy.

University of Maryland Extension says to match container size to both the top growth and the root system, and to consider both depth and total volume. Its minimum container sizes give a useful floor:

A tall planter is most useful for plants that grow tall themselves, such as a bay, rosemary or a staked tomato, or for raising a trailing plant up to eye level. For more on crops, see growing tomatoes in pots, growing herbs in pots and vegetables in containers. For a cook who grows rosemary or bay, see our gifts for herb lovers. For trailing plants to raise up high, see flowers for balcony planters.

Fiberglass, resin and metal tall planters compared

The material changes how fast the mix dries, how warm the roots get and how the planter handles winter.

University of Maryland Extension notes that plastic not made for outdoor use can turn brittle in the weather, so check that a resin planter is sold for outdoor use. It also warns that dark containers can raise potting mix temperatures enough to injure tender roots. On a sunny balcony, a pale tall planter is the safer choice.

Keeping a tall planter upright in wind

Wind is the main risk for a tall planter on a balcony. University of Maryland Extension warns that tall plants in relatively small, lightweight containers can blow over or become top-heavy, and notes that a container wider than it is tall is less top-heavy and more stable in a breeze.

Ways to keep one standing:

• Choose a planter with a broad base, or a square shape rather than a narrow cone.
• Stand it against a wall or tucked into a corner, out of the strongest gusts.
• Keep the plant in proportion: a tall shrub in a slim, light pot catches the wind like a sail.
• Water before a windy spell, since dry potting mix weighs less.

Tall planters for privacy and layering

A row of tall planters planted with shrubs or grasses makes a living screen. Layering works best with height steps: tall planters at the back against the wall or screen, mid-height pots in front, and low pots or trailing plants at the edge. That keeps every plant in view and puts the heaviest containers where they are least likely to be knocked.

For screens that work alongside planters, see balcony privacy screens. For small pots at a raised height, see plant stands.

How heavy is a tall planter once filled?

A tall planter is light when empty and heavy when full. University of Maryland Extension says a 20-inch diameter container filled with moist potting mix and plants can weigh 100 pounds, and suggests wheeled plant caddies to make heavy containers easier to move.

Do not add gravel or broken pots to the bottom to save mix. The same source says rocks, gravel or pot shards do not improve drainage. Every container needs adequate holes or slits to drain excess water, so the roots do not sit in water and rot.

A row of tall planters puts a lot of wet mix along one edge. Read balcony weight limits before you line up several large planters, and set each one on a saucer so runoff stays off the floor.