I Can’t Get Enough of These Steel Tubs in My Garden

Galvanized steel is generally recognized to be safe for growing edible plants, when the coating is in good condition. Corrosion might expose your plants to “small amounts of heavy metals,” said Brent Crain, a consumer horticulture educator at the Michigan State University Extension, “but not in a concentration that is likely to raise any safety concerns.”

Still, to be extra safe, Behrens recommends that you “regularly check the integrity” of your containers for signs of corrosion. Since acid can also contribute to corrosion, you may want to monitor the acidity of your soil, using an inexpensive testing kit, said C. Lee Burras, a professor in the department of agronomy at Iowa State University. Look for a pH level above 6, and, “if need be, add some arginine [and] ground up calcium carbonate,” Burras said.

Some people report that the metal can overheat their plants. This hasn’t been the case for me, but I live in the PNW, where our damp soil might protect the plants. My tubs and bushels (and the plants in them) didn’t overheat during our 2022 heat wave, when temperatures remained in the 90s for about a week. I don’t know how plants would react to longer stretches at higher temperatures. If you live in a warmer climate than I do, I’d recommend consulting local experts at nurseries and garden centers to make sure these tubs are suitable for plants in your environment.

My tubs live in one of the sunniest spots in our yard year-round, and I pick summer plants that like sun and heat. On our hottest days, the handles never get too hot to touch, and my plants remain as happy as anything else outside (they do need extra watering, though, which is a downside of any container garden).

The giant labels are also a pain to remove. It takes elbow grease and a fair amount of rubbing alcohol to get rid of all the sticky residue (sometimes I don’t bother and just turn the containers so the labels face away).

The handles are sturdy, but they’re small and thin—especially uncomfortable when the tubs are full of soil and actual trees. I have a few of these comfort grip handle covers, which help.

Finally, Behrens makes many tubs, but some of them are harder to find than others. If I find a size I really love, I’ll get multiples to have them on hand.