What can I use to get rid of the bugs without harming the plant. The bugs are really small & black, look like small nats(may not be spelled correctly).

You can buy bug spray for house plants at any hardware store or discount store. They will not harm the plants. I usually spray a little on the soil too.

The other answer is correct but I might add to that is that you need to have a diluted solution of the bug killer in a bucket larger and deeper then your planter and do a quick soak of 5min.s in it. This will kill any eggs the nats leave behind that will just hatch after treatment.