Polystyrene boxes

Does anyone use these large poly boxes, our fishmonger has some, and I want to grow some veg in them.

Are they alright through the winter?

 

I use these to store my dahlias in you will need to put some drainage hole in though , great for keeping the frost out of the soil so would be ideal for growing veg, they last for years its the sunlight that brakes them down not the cold you can use Masonry paint , I have a beehive made out of the same stuff and have used that on the outside as instructed by the supplier, you may need to just roughen the outside with sand paper 1st though helps the paint stick .

Spruce

 

There is a thread on the Scottish Rock Garden site somewhere on turning these into troughs for growing alpines. I have some which were covered with hyper-tufa to make troughs. The biggest problem we found with them was that our hens adored the polystyrene and ate the boxes.

 

I would think that polystirene boxes are the perfect way to keep the roots cosy, which is the most important part of the plant to be kept frost free.

 

I've used polystyrene boxes for years. I use a small deep one to start my leeks, a bigger one to grow onions and in winter I use them to store dahlia tubers and begonias packed in shredded paper. One of the boxes has now been in use for well over 10 years.

 

We used them years ago when we lived in Plymouth, only had a balcony to grow stuff on there. As the trawler men came ashore with their booty, we used to go and get some fresh fish to eat and they gave us the boxes for nowt. Life was so good back then, but now they are hard to get as the stores wont let them go.

 

Must admit I've never been a fan of growing plants in polystyrene.

True, it is a great insulator but bear in mind the original use, ....to keep things cold.

Insulation works both ways, so if used outside, once the soil in the box freezes it takes ages to thaw out.
Also, in early spring they wont warm up so quickly.
But will maintain a more even temperature in summer I guess.

Main use I found for them is keeping a hole in the ice open on the pond at night in very cold spells.