Planter Boxes: What to Grow Throughout the Year

What is Seasonal Planting?

Seasonal planting is all about choosing suitable crops for the right time of year. By aligning your planting schedule with the seasons, you can optimize your harvests and get the most from your investment in your planting boxes. Each season has ideal crops that thrive under specific conditions, such as temperature, sunlight, and moisture levels.

Succession Planting

Succession planting is a technique where you stagger your planting times to ensure a continuous harvest. During summer, you can plant fast-growing crops like basil, lettuce, and radishes at intervals. This way, you'll always have something fresh to harvest throughout the season. Succession planting maximizes your planter box space and ensures you’re never short on homegrown produce.

Factors to Consider

Before you start planting, consider your local climate zone and weather patterns. Different regions have varying growing seasons, so it's essential to know when to plant each type of produce. Also, consider the sunlight your planter boxes receive and temperature fluctuations. Proper timing is critical, so plan your planting and harvesting cycles accordingly.

Spring Planting - Early Spring Vegetables for Gardening Containers

Spring is the perfect time to start planting cool-season vegetables. As the weather begins to warm up, lettuce, spinach, peas, radishes, Swiss chard, and carrots are perfect spring vegetables to plant. These easy-to-grow vegetables thrive in cooler temperatures and are perfect for kickstarting your garden after the winter.

Place your planter boxes in an area with plenty of sunlight. If the nights are still chilly, consider using a frost cover to protect your young plants.

You can also get a jump on things by starting indoors. Once you determine your spring vegetable selections, you can plant seeds indoors, where they have more protection. Then, when temperatures rise, you'll have starter plants to move outdoors in your selected location.

Transition to Late Spring

You can transition to planting warmer-season crops as the weather continues to warm. Tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers are excellent choices for late spring planting. These plants love the increasing sunlight and warmer temperatures, and they'll start producing fruits that you can enjoy in the summer.

Summer Planting - Heat-Loving Vegetables

Summer is when your planter boxes can shine, producing a bountiful harvest of heat-loving vegetables. Top summer vegetables to grow include tomatoes, eggplants, zucchinis, and bush beans. Each thrives in the summer heat.

Remember to monitor your plant's water needs, as they can dry out quickly in the heat. Water regularly and use mulch to retain moisture in the soil.

You can pick up a self-watering planter box if watering isn't your thing. For example, EarthBox planter boxes feature sub-irrigation to ensure you don’t overwater or underwater your plants. The fill tube lets you add water to the reservoir where plant roots access it as needed.

Fall Planting - Cool-Season Vegetables

As summer winds down and the temperatures cool, it’s time to switch back to address your fall vegetable garden. Kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, beets, and turnips are excellent choices for fall planting. These vegetables can tolerate the cooler weather and even improve in flavor after a light frost.

Here's a tip to extend your growing season as temperatures drop: Use row covers or move your planter boxes to a sheltered area when the weather gets colder. This process protects your crops from early frosts and keeps your garden productive well into the fall.

Preparing Your Planting Boxes for Winter

Preparing your planter boxes for the colder months is essential as you transition from summer to fall planting. Remove any remaining summer crops and refresh the soil with compost and lots of organic matter to replenish nutrients. The enhanced soil will help your fall crops thrive and prepare the soil for winter planting.

Winter Planting - Cold-Tolerant Vegetables

Winter doesn’t have to mean the end of your gardening season. Some vegetables are surprisingly resilient and can thrive in colder winter months.

Cold weather doesn't kill these hardy plants; it slows their growth rate. The hardiest winter vegetables to grow include:

• Spinach
• Onions
• Garlic
• Leeks
• Broccoli
• Kale
• Cabbage
• Brussels sprouts

These vegetables can withstand heavy frost of air temperatures below 28. They can each withstand freezing temperatures and provide fresh produce even in the depths of winter. During the most frigid days, you can move containers to a more protected location.

You can also use cold frames or insulate your planter boxes with straw or other materials. These materials will create a microclimate that keeps your plants warm and allows them to continue growing.

Indoor Growing Options in Gardening Containers

If outdoor gardening isn’t feasible in winter, you can still enjoy fresh produce by growing herbs and small greens indoors. Planter boxes are perfect for indoor gardening. They allow you to grow herbs like basil, parsley, and mint on your windowsill. You can keep your indoor garden productive throughout winter with proper lighting and care.

Year-Round Planting Tips

Year-round planting in planter boxes allows you to enjoy fresh produce regardless of season. You can keep your garden productive throughout the year with the right planter boxes, soil care, and strategic planting. Here are some tips to ensure your planter box garden thrives every season.

Choosing the Right Planter Boxes

Planter boxes differ in quality and performance. So, choose the ones that suit your gardening needs. Look for boxes with proper drainage to prevent waterlogging. Consider insulated or double-walled boxes to help regulate soil temperature.

Mobility is also a plus, as it allows you to move your planter boxes to the best location for each season. So you might want to consider a planter box with casters.

Soil Health and Fertilization

Maintaining healthy soil is crucial for year-round planting success. After each growing season, refresh your soil by adding compost or organic fertilizer. Doing so replenishes nutrients and keeps your plants strong and productive.

Check your soil's pH levels regularly and adjust them as needed. These checks help your crops get the nutrients they need for healthy growth.

Generally, most fruits, vegetables, and herbs grow best in a pH range of 6.0–6.8. When the soil pH is outside this optimal range, it can be harder for plants to get nutrients and water.

Consider Planter Kits

Regardless of what season you start planting, you can get off to a fast start using a planter kit. Kits include everything you need for successful gardening—a planter box, fertilizer, mulch cover, growing medium, etc. Just select your plants and quality soil mix, and you're off to the races.

For example, EarthBox sells an herb garden kit for $34 and a vegetable planter box kit for just $64. Best of all, EarthBox systems have a track record of success for gardeners at all levels.

Enjoy Fresh Produce Year-Round with Planter Boxes

Seasonal planting in planter boxes offers a simple and effective way to grow your produce all year round. By understanding what crops to plant each season, you can enjoy a continuous harvest of fresh vegetables and herbs.

Whether you're a veteran gardener or just starting out, seasonal planting keeps your garden thriving throughout every season. So, grab your planter boxes and start planning your year-round garden today!