Painting Veggie Pots - Safe from Chemicals?

[LovetoGarden22]

I do all my gardening in pots. Veggie and otherwise. Where we live, we have red clay, and thats it. And therefore all of the attempts to garden in the ground have gone bad. Since I started container gardening, I have found most of my pots and planters at yard sales and thrift shops, which means they are badly mismatched. My question is- can I spray paint my planters safely? They are all plastic, and 90% are used for my veggies. I am worried that any chemicals or toxins might contaminate the soil.
Also, besides painting, what other ideas could you give me on how to make them look good as a group? They are all different shapes, colors and sizes. In fact 8 are big buckets like you buy from Home Depot or Menards. Any garden-safe ideas are welcome!

[tomc]

Tape off the tops of your pots. Spray them empty. Allow them to dry before adding soil. That should work for plastic pots.

As far as ceramic pots go. Paint on buttermilk and dust with chopped moss. You'll end up with chia-pots...

[LovetoGarden22]

So the spray paint won't contaminate the soil or plants?

[imafan26]

Usually if you want to keep the paint from peeling, you should clean the pots of dirt and rough up the surface with some fine sandpaper first. They do make paint specifically for plastic. Read the label for toxicity issues. It will be easier to paint the pots empty on newspaper and give it some time to dry. It is harder to paint the pots with plants in them as you will have over spray which will get onto the plants unless you are planning to paint them with a brush. I have only seen the paint for plastic in a spray can. It is usually for painting outdoor furniture.

[catgrass]

As said, don't try painting the pots with spray paint if you have plants in them. You could cover the plants, though. If paint gets on the plants, it could clog the pores on the leaves and prevent them from getting sunlight and hurt the plants. As far as getting on the soil-unless it is thickly covered, I don't know that it would hurt, as long as you're using a latex paint.

[applestar]

This is actually an interesting project.

How big are your pots? It made me wonder because you said those 8 are "big buckets" -- as in 5 gallon? 'Cuz 5 gal is actually kind of small -- almost minimum -- for growing vegs. Maybe you meant those tubs with rope handles...?

I think one way to make them more "matching" looking is to makes some kind of cover for them. We could continue the salvaged theme -- how about chip bags -- cut off top and bottom seam so you have a tube, then turn inside out and slip on. Use cold glue gun or double sided tape... Or even tightly stretched on duct tape adhesive side out to keep from slipping off. I sometimes do this with black nursery pots for brighter light reflection when using indoors during winter.

Fruits and veg netting bags might work... Used burlap feed sacks if you can get hold of them somewhere.... If you are willing to sew, Burlap and other inexpensive materials, landscape fabrics that I personally don't like as mulch but could work for this.

You could deconstruct wooden pallets to create a surround for grouped pots. You'll see their mismatched colors through the slats but the containment would unify the view. You might search out baskets at same sources as the pots.

[tomc]

As long as the interior is taped off (and empty) there should be no overspray that could migrate.

You being in MN, I might pick a darker color. a warm pot is a plus. if you was in GA, I'd urge you to paint it white.

[MrBote]

I have painted pots before. I washed with soap and water and scrubbed them with a sanding sponge and then wiped them down with acetone to get off any mold release oils. The paint will stay on with just normal handling if you aren't too rough with them. Hardly any overspray gets on the interior using a little forethought and common sense. I didn't have to mask anything. Worse things fall out of the sky with the rain on your plants and soil than what a little overspray might contribute, hazard wise.

Bamboo tied together with string or wire makes a tidy little wrap for a pot. Sections of grass, or bamboo roll up blinds can be used as well.

I am considering doing a "camo" paint scheme on a few.