This Clever IKEA Planter Set Turns a Tiny Balcony Into a Productive Kitchen Garden – It's Even Perfect for Strawberries
A planter with a cover opens up many possibilities for growing fruit or vegetables in small spaces
I have grown fruit and vegetables in gardens of all sizes, from tiny courtyards at home to sprawling walled gardens I was fortunate enough to work in. There is a perception that you need space to grow food, but having a small footprint needn’t stop you from growing homegrown crops. You can cultivate lots of your favorite fruits and vegetables on a deck or patio.
The IKEA ASPAREN plant set offers a great setup for it. It ticks all the boxes you need in a perfect planter for growing lettuce, carrots, spinach, radish, herbs, strawberries, or much more at home. It is a sturdy, deep planter with a greenhouse cover under which plants can grow and thrive throughout the season.
While it lacks pre-drilled drainage holes, you can easily add a few yourself to ensure your plants stay healthy. I could imagine growing lots of different edibles and flowers in one of these planters – the possibilities are wide-ranging. If you want to create a small vegetable garden on a deck, patio, or balcony, let’s see how the IKEA ASPAREN plant set can turn that dream into reality.
The IKEA ASPAREN plant set offers an ideal combination of a deep planter and a cover that turns it into a protected greenhouse. It is suitable for growing a long list of flowers, vegetables, herbs, and fruit in small spaces.
Perfect for Small Space Growing
The IKEA ASPAREN plant set measures 36 inches long, 36 inches tall, and 15 inches wide. That height measurement is the total height. It is split between a 16-inch-tall planter and a cover that offers an additional 20 inches of space.
It is compact enough not to take up too much space in even a small balcony garden – you can still have a couple of chairs with this planter or a few plants in containers.
The minimum 50% recycled polypropylene planter is deep enough to accommodate the roots of a surprisingly wide range of fruits and vegetables, even root vegetables such as beets or carrots (though you may be better off using shorter-rooted varieties such as these Short n Sweet carrot seeds at Burpee).
You might not be able to grow larger vegetables like potatoes or pumpkins in it, but there is still a nice range of vegetables it could comfortably house. The planter's size allows you to grow a variety of crops and enjoy a mix of vegetables and herbs in the same space.
Many people may not think you can grow fruit in such a planter. However, the IKEA ASPAREN plant set, which the manufacturer recommends filling with 40–45 litres of soil, has a perfect capacity for growing strawberries. The fruit has shallow roots, and you could feasibly get four strawberry plants into this planter.
The cover that is included in the IKEA ASPAREN plant set turns a planter into a small greenhouse. The 100% polyethylene cover creates a protected environment, so your precious plants are sheltered from rain, winds, and pests. The 20-inch clearance offers adequate space for many crops, including smaller tomato varieties that would thrive under the warm, protected cover (such as these live patio tomato plants at Amazon).
If you do get the planter to grow tomatoes on a balcony, consider also getting a pair of BRYTBÖNA pruning shears from IKEA to keep on top of that essential pruning. These pruning tools will also be ideal for harvesting strawberries and other crops.
The cover has ventilation holes for essential air circulation and a zip to open and close it to control the temperature and prevent your plants from overheating. Of course, you can even remove the cover in summer. It should be noted that it allows light to penetrate, but not water, so remember to keep a close eye on watering plants regularly during the summer.
To keep plants moist in the planter, you could get some SVÄMSKOG self-watering inserts from IKEA, too. These fit into the soil and slowly drip-feed moisture down to your plant’s roots.
The one thing missing from the IKEA ASPAREN plant set is built-in drainage holes. Good drainage is key to growing any fruit or vegetables in containers, and holes allow excess moisture to escape and prevent root rot.
If I got one of these, the first thing I would do is add some drainage holes – which can be quickly done with a drill, such as this TRIXIG lithium-ion drill and screwdriver, available at IKEA.
What the Reviews Say
People who have bought the IKEA ASPAREN plant set made the sensible decision to add a few drainage holes to the bottom. And one hails the planter as being perfect for their homegrown fruit.
‘I bought it to plant my strawberries. It’s keeping them great,’ they proudly proclaim.
Another shopper praises the construction of the IKEA ASPAREN plant set. They said: ‘Purchased to use on my very small deck, and I absolutely love it. The base is very sturdy and well-built. The zipper system is well-sewn together and appears sturdy.’
However, the same reviewer does highlight one issue with the cover, adding: ‘The canopy top is almost perfect, with the exception of the Velcro ties. They are way too short to really hold the metal posts, and I wish there was a way to close the side vents and bottom.’
A separate buyer has no issues with the cover and found the set perfect for their small-scale set-up at home. ‘We have this planter for our small yard in a townhouse,’ says the review. ‘It is compact enough and doesn't take up a lot of space
‘I love the cover that's included, and I'm looking forward to expanding my veggie-growing season. It was also very easy to set up.’
Shop More Planters for Small Space Growing
An elevated planter raises your plants to a more comfortable gardening height. This measures 30 inches wide, 48 inches tall, and 24 inches deep, and has pre-drilled drainage holes.
This corrosion-resistant steel bed is perfect for balconies, measuring in at 48 inches wide and 32 inches tall. Its 12-inch planting depth is suitable for many homegrown crops.
This decorative planter is a clever way to showcase ornamental or edible plants growing in containers. The shelf can be raised or lowered to suit your pots.
If you want to grow fruit in a container garden and enjoy juicy harvests on a deck, patio, or balcony, some fruits are more suitable than others. The best berries for containers are strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and gooseberries, and for many of these, you can get compact varieties more suited to containers.
Look for compact, self-fertile types when picking fruit for a small space, such as this Raspberry Shortcake raspberry plant at Plant Addicts.
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