Mid-summer through early fall is an excellent time to purchase pots and planters. As many nurseries thin inventory in July, you can find some great deals. With seemingly zillions of choices, selecting the wrong planter for your needs is a time-suck and a waste of money.  Take a look at the top five factors to consider when shopping for planters. Your plants will thank you.

There are five important factors to consider when shopping for planters: Drainage, Permeability , Size, Cost and Material.

Drainage

Out of all the factors to consider when shopping for planters, drainage is the most important. Whatever you select must have adequate drainage holes. Plants need both room to grow and oxygen for their roots. If a plant gets too much water, the roots will rot and suffocate the plant. Essentially, it drowns. Also think about where your container will be going. If, for instance you are putting it indoors, be sure drainage doesn’t damage interior surfaces like table tops and wood floors. Consider alternatives like plastic saucers underneath plants if that’s your situation.

Permeability

Many beautiful planters are made from unglazed terracotta, wood and other natural materials. This is great as both air and moisture can penetrate the container. There are pros and cons to think about.

Containers that breath allow excellent circulation, cool the soil and provide more drainage for plants. On the other hand, these same permeable planters cause soil and roots to dry out more quickly and thus require much more frequent watering. Think about how you plan to use your planter and it will be easier to decide between natural materials or plastic/synthetic or glazed pottery.

Size

More factors to consider when shopping for planters include size (and weight). If you choose a large container, even though the container itself may be light weight, moist soil can be extremely heavy. If you select a planter that is already heavy, think about how you will move it around if you need to when it’s filled with damp soil AND plants. Also consider where the container will be. If you are choosing a balcony or elevated deck, be sure you think about how the size and weight could impact the structure itself.

Cost

As mentioned earlier, mid-summer through late fall can be a fantastic time to shop for planters. Nurseries and garden centres often scale back inventory with sales. Budget is always an important consideration. Glazed pots, as well as concrete and metal planters are often quite pricy: investment pieces, if you will. It certainly pays to get a deal on these if you can.

Other ways to acquire unique planters at a discount include repurposing other items to use as pots and buying second-hand. Discount stores such as Goodwill and yard sales can yield amazing finds for the savvy shopper. 

Materials

What a planter is made from is important for a number of reasons that we’ve already touched on. As an avid vegetable gardener, I really care about things like man-made materials and what chemicals may leach into the soil where I grow food. I often sneak veggies and herbs into decorative planters, so I always think twice about using plastic in my selections. This may not be of concern if you are only growing non-edible plants. 

Other considerations should be given to maintenance and durability. Do you like to replace your pots often and change up the look? If so, then buying really durable and often costly planters may not matter much. Conversely, you might love the thought of glazed ceramic pots, but live in a climate with cold winters. If you don’t have a good place to empty and store them, you will find yourself constantly repairing cracks and even replacing them. Give these factors some thought as you capitalise on end-of-season shopping!