Although planter baskets can look great on balcony railings, there’s often a worry that they’ll fall off. Perhaps your balcony is windy or you have a mischievous pet that likes to walk on the railing.
Whatever the reason, here are some tips for how to secure planter baskets to balcony railings.
Considerations Before Getting Started
There’s not much to consider before securing your planter baskets. That said, think about the following:
- Planter type. If you need to fix something directly to the planter, plastic will be best. Failing that, metal baskets with coco coir linings are also easy to work with.
- Renters generally can’t drill holes, so look for a less invasive method.
- Railings. Iron railings are easier to thread things through, but the narrow top makes it harder to secure things in place. Stone or brick walls are easier to straddle things on but securing things in them will mean using a hammer drill.
- One way or another, your solution will likely be visible. Think about how it’ll be showing and whether it’ll be obvious and adjust accordingly.
How to Secure Planter Baskets to Balcony Railings
1. Make sure they’re properly installed
This might be an obvious place to start, but it’s worth mentioning. Depending on the type of railing planter you buy, it might have some kind of bolt or lock for fixing it in place.
2. Zip ties
If you’re using metal planters with coco coir inside, zip ties could be your friend. Simply thread them through the planter and railing to hold it in place. While they don’t look the best, it should be easy to hide them, particularly on something like a wrought iron railing.
3. DIY railing planter
One way to ensure your planter is securely fixed to the balcony railing is to design it yourself. That way, you can guarantee it fits and use whatever fixing method suits your railing. Try adapting these DIY balcony railing bar plans to suit. The base will be fine, but then you could replace the bar top with a tray hanging off one side.
4. Railing brackets
Railing brackets exist for this exact purpose. Find ones that are adjustable so you’ve got more flexibility. It’s unlikely they’ll work on iron railings but should be fine on wood or stone walls. However, there might be some drilling involved, so they might not be suitable for renters.
5. Bolts and wing nuts
A wing nut expands quite wide, so should fit between most balcony rails. You’ll need to drill a hole in your railing planter, thread the bolt through and then secure in place with the wing nut. Use this in combination with some brackets, as the bolts alone won’t prevent the pot from sliding down the railing.
6. Rope
You can’t go wrong with a bit of rope. Trying securing the railing planter by tying it in place around the railing. Of course, this might not look great, but you could work in a deliberate design.
7. Straddling planter
A railing planter box is designed to sit on top of a railing. It’s a good place to start, although you’ll want to still secure it somehow. Some bolts threaded through the bottom could work. Alternatively, make sure the fit is snug enough that they won’t fall off easily.
Final Thoughts on Securing Railing Planters
Securing a railing planter ultimately depends on what the railing is made from. Iron railings are perhaps the easiest to work with, although stone walls aren’t far off. Either way, some of the solutions above should be suitable regardless of what railing (and planter) you’re working with.