rawler
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Wondering about Plastic Containers?

Hey guys/gals;

Long time lurker first time poster, I have a fairly large hobby greenhouse plumbed and ready to go. But one of my longest lasting problems since I got started in the green housing of my seedlings is that the buckets and containers I used always get crumbly after a while. I must have tossed about 10 large totes in the garbage due to this problem.

I assume its the high temp mixed with the UV that dries out the plastic, but is there anything you guys use that doesn't do this over time?

Thanks
Rawler

imafan26
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Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

Not really.
Even the garden pots break down or the roots break through. There are some UV resistant plastic that takes a while longer, but it is hard to find UV and food safe in the same product.
I have the same problem too. I just had a couple of 5 gallon buckets and a couple of garden pots (commercial kind) crumble on the way to the garbage can. I did make good use of them though they both lasted a few years.

The thicker plastic lasts longer especially if you can keep it out of the sun. The 55 gallon drums I get from the shoyu company is very thick. I use it for water barrels but I have cut a few in half to use as planters. That has lasted longer than muck buckets that will only last 2-3 years.

The other problem with plastic is heat. I have more than a few pots that have had partial meltdowns and deformities because of heat. Terra cotta lasts until I drop them or the plants crack the pots. Wire baskets rust, plastic basket handles break and the basket gets brittle, wooden baskets especially the fir baskets just fall apart.

HoneyBerry
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Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 1:10 pm
Location: Zone 8A Western Washington State

I have some fiberglass planters. They are durable. I don't have them in a greenhouse. I keep them outside. I prefer the fiberglass planters over plastic.

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Allyn
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Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:38 pm
Location: Mississippi Gulf Coast - zone 8b

The sun here is really intense in the summer. So far, I've had some luck painting the outside of the plastic buckets with exterior-grade paint. If I keep the sun from touching the plastic, it seems to last longer. I don't know yet if it is worth the trouble for the extra cost of the paint since the buckets are inexpensive (or free, which really fits my budget).

imafan26
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Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I started using resin planters but I still have problems with them cracking from impact. While they are light and can be decorative, I haven't used them long enough to tell if it is more uv resistant. They also rarely come with holes. In fact, I have been noticing lately hardly any pots come with holes and I was looking for hanging baskets and all I could find was the self killing kind.

ButterflyLady29
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Location: central Ohio

The black and dark green pots used in nurseries have held up well for me. But then I'm in the frozen north which has cloudy skies for 3 months of the year.

imafan26
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Posts: 13962
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

The closer you get to the equator, things break down faster. I keep my pots covered under tarps when not in use so they last longer that way. Even in a storage shed they melt down and glue together. If pots are grouped, the pots in the middle last a bit longer and they also last longer if they are buried.

rawler
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Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2016 10:51 pm

Well luckily all the way up in sunny and warm British Columbia Canada..... guess I have nothing to really complain about.....

Thanks a lot for the info all!



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