Will it fit my rail?
The first pick is the VOXOR 24 inch box pair, because its adjustable brackets fit rails 0 to 6.5 inches wide.
Start with VOXOR for a rail up to 6.5 inches wide, and choose another planter only if your rail matches its stated width.
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The four, at a glance:
- VOXOR 24 inch railing planter boxes with coco liner, 2-pack: adjustable brackets, rails 0 to 6.5 inches wide.
- Root & Vessel Countryside railing planter box, 24 inch: sits on flat 3.5 or 5.5 inch rails, no tools.
- HFHOME 24 inch railing planter boxes with coco liner, 2-pack: metal frame, 7 inches wide at the top.
- Dahey 10.5 inch metal hanging pots, 3-pack: separate pots on a hook for rails up to 2.7 inches.
VOXOR 24 inch railing planter boxes with coco liner, 2-pack
A rail up to 6.5 inches wide, in a pair of 24 inch boxes.
VOXOR Railing Planter Boxes, 24 Inch, 2-Pack, Coco Liner
Adjustable brackets fit rails 0 to 6.5 inches wide
Powder-coated iron, 6.1 inches deep
Check the Amazon price
VOXOR’s brackets adjust to rails from 0 to 6.5 inches wide, the widest stated range of these four listings. The box is 6.1 inches deep, and the iron has a rust-resistant powder coating.
The coco liner is a lining made of coconut fiber that holds the soil in the frame. The boxes also mount directly on walls or windowsills.
- Works well for
- Mounts on a wall or windowsill too, if you ever move the boxes
- Not needed if
- A rail wider than 6.5 inches
Root & Vessel Countryside railing planter box, 24 inch
A flat top rail 3.5 or 5.5 inches wide, where you want to set the box on with no tools.
Root & Vessel Countryside Railing Planter Box, 24 Inch
Sits on flat 3.5 or 5.5 inch railings, no tools
Two removable drainage plugs, plastic
Check the Amazon price
Root & Vessel says the box rests on flat railings 3.5 or 5.5 inches wide, with no tools. Two removable rubber stoppers on one side let water drain.
The planter may move around until it is filled with soil and plants.
It is plastic and made in the USA.
- Not needed if
- A rail that is neither 3.5 nor 5.5 inches wide (VOXOR's brackets adjust)
HFHOME 24 inch railing planter boxes with coco liner, 2-pack
Two metal-frame boxes with coco liners, for a rail whose width you have confirmed.
HFHOME 24 Inch Railing Planter Boxes, 2-Pack, Coco Liner
Metal frame with coco fiber liner
24 in top length, 7 in top width, 4.8 in height
Check the Amazon price
HFHOME lists a metal frame with a coco fiber liner, sold for hydration and drainage. Each box measures 24 inches long and 7 inches wide at the top, and 4.8 inches high.
The title calls the planter adjustable and mentions a support rod, but no rail width is given. Measure your rail and confirm the fit with the seller before you order.
- Not needed if
- A rail you have only guessed at (the listing states no rail width)
Dahey 10.5 inch metal hanging pots, 3-pack
A thin rail, up to 2.7 inches wide, with a few small herbs in separate pots.
Dahey 10.5 Inch Metal Hanging Pots, 3-Pack
Hook fits rails up to 2.7 inches
Pots 10.5 x 5.75 x 5 inches, drainage holes
Check the Amazon price
These are three separate small planters, not one long box. Dahey says each hook suits rails up to 2.7 inches, and the planter measures 10.5 by 5.75 by 5 inches.
The hook ships disassembled, so you install the iron pot on it yourself. The pots have drainage holes.
- Not needed if
- A long row of one plant (the 24 inch boxes hold that)
Which planter for which rail
Three of the four state a rail width, and no two are the same.
| Your pots and space | Start with this |
|---|---|
| A rail up to 6.5 inches wide | VOXOR 24 inch railing planter boxes with coco liner, 2-pack |
| A flat top rail, 3.5 or 5.5 inches wide, no tools | Root & Vessel Countryside railing planter box, 24 inch |
| A rail whose width you have confirmed, and a metal frame | HFHOME 24 inch railing planter boxes with coco liner, 2-pack |
| A thin rail, up to 2.7 inches, with small pots | Dahey 10.5 inch metal hanging pots, 3-pack |
Run this fit check against your own rail
Five checks tell you whether a planter works on your rail.
- Measure the width of the top of the rail in inches, at its widest point.
- Compare that number with the stated range: 0 to 6.5 inches (VOXOR), 3.5 or 5.5 (Root & Vessel), up to 2.7 (Dahey).
- Where the brackets let you choose, hang the box on the balcony side of the rail, so a spill lands on your own floor.
- Find the drainage: stoppers you can pull (Root & Vessel), holes in the pot (Dahey) or a coco liner that lets water through (HFHOME).
- Read your lease for rules on railings and planters.
University of Maine Extension is the university’s program for putting research to work in homes and communities.
It says each container needs at least one drainage hole in the bottom.
What grows in a shallow box
Maine Extension lists lettuce and herbs among the crops for a 5-gallon window box, so start there.
- Maine Extension lists lettuce varieties such as Tom Thumb and Salad Bowl.
- It says parsley, chives, basil and thyme are easy to grow in 5-gallon window boxes. Its examples assume 5 gallons.
- University of Maryland Extension, which offers science-based education across the state, lists 2 to 5 gallons for small herbs such as basil and cilantro.
- It says large herbs, including rosemary, sage and lavender, need 5-gallon or larger pots.
HFHOME’s 24 by 7 by 4.8 inches works out to no more than about 3.5 gallons (806 cubic inches, at 231 per gallon, so approximate). That is room for small herbs, not for rosemary or sage.
A shallow box holds less mix than the pots Extension describes, so water it often. Maine says you may have to water container plants daily, and Maryland says to check them daily, especially in summer.
To decide between lettuce and herbs, work out how much direct sun your balcony gets, since the hours of sun decide what suits the spot.
Weight once watered, and the lease
A full box weighs more than the empty box in the listing, and the rail has to carry the full one.
Soil, plants and water all add to the weight, and a shallow box gets watered often. Ask your landlord or building manager what the rail may carry and whether planters are allowed on it.
Working out weight limits and building rules comes first in the seven things to know about balcony container gardening.
Measure the rail before you order
If the rail will not take a box, a shelf is another way to use a small balcony. Vertical container gardening for tiny spaces uses shelf stands and stacked crates instead.
Before you order, measure the top of your rail in inches and read the width range on the listing.
