Zinc pots.

So I might have made a bit of a beginners mistake......

I bought a set of 3 outdoor pots made from zinc. The metal is very thin. It gets very hot in the garden in the summer and I'm now thinking that these pots may get very hot and fry the plants as the metal heats up.

Maybe I should line these pots with something before I fill them with soil and plants so as to protect the plant roots?

There are plenty of more shady areas in the garden so maybe they would be better situated there planted up with plants that prefer shade or should I not bother using them (bought them online months ago - not sure if I could get a refund) and put my plants elsewhere?

Any advice?

Thanks.

 

A polystyrene lining should keep the metal from the plant roots I think. Look round the back of Supermarket refuse areas,
Jenny

 

Thanks Jenny. Polystyrene is a good idea. I'll keep my eyes open for some.

 

I have a tall zinc pot from Ikea this is in sun most of the day and seems OK . I have a stainless steel cube and that got unbelievably hot at the front of the house . What I do with it now is I put large plastic plant pot inside , raised up on a brick to get the correct height. I then packed expanded polystyrene around it to give it an insulating air gap , works fine keeps the planter that bit cooler.

 

great minds think alike !

 

Thanks Harry. Did your plants struggle in the stainless steel cube? I imagine it would have dried out pretty quickly?

 

Yes it got to hot to touch !

 

Oh dear! I'd better get some polystyrene and your idea of a plastic pot inside is a good un!

 

Presumably you don't want to paint them white? which would help ...

Do lead planters fare any better? I see plenty of them, and Victorians used them a lot ...

Otherwise its polystyrene

 

Kristen I didn't think of painting them white. That's a good idea actually because doesn't zinc go rusty too?

 

no no no Zinc is a protective coating against rust. When it is done on sheet steel it is called zinc galvanised and is quite attractive . Only paint them as a last resort .
(zinc actually does rust or oxidise it is white in colour )

 

Oh I see...I was just starting to think that these pots were more trouble than they're worth! Polystyrene it is!