Need ideas to reduce overheating of black pots

jamserg · May 7, 2014

I'm trying to figure out the best way to reduce heat absorption by black nursery containers/pots. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

creister · May 7, 2014

paint the outside white, cover with paper?

jamserg · May 7, 2014

I am considering doing it, but would like to hear if it actually works and what paint color. I was thinking about using tin foil, but it's metal so might make things worse. If there was a plastic material ( I'm pretty sure I saw it somewhere but can't remember the name) similar to foil I think that would be a good solution.

JamesL · May 7, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamserg

I am considering doing it, but would like to hear if it actually works and what paint color. I was thinking about using tin foil, but it's metal so might make things worse. If there was a plastic material ( I'm pretty sure I saw it somewhere but can't remember the name) similar to foil I think that would be a good solution.

Were you thinking of Tyvek?
http://t.homedepot.com/p/TYVEK-HomeW...353/100422452/

It's the first thing that sprang to mind, but I think I like Ami's underlayment idea better.

MrBig46 · May 7, 2014

To construct something before containers/pots (foil or fabric) what shade them.
Vladimír

Cole_Robbie · May 7, 2014

Buried in the ground is the best heat diffusion, but the hole needs a drain, or else your pot floats out in a heavy rain. I think second best would be something with a lot of mass, like concrete blocks or bags of water surrounding the pot. Simple shade over the pot would be the next choice, and that may be enough. You could also shade the entire area over the plant.

For greenhouse plants in big pots, when it gets hot, I tend to keep them in a kiddie pool with a little water in the bottom. I have not had problems with root rot in hot weather, only cold.

ddsack · May 7, 2014

Cheapest covering would be to tape any white plastic, like folded kitchen white trash bags around the pots, assuming you have only a few and not hundreds of them. There is sticky contact paper in all colors and patterns meant for indoor shelving. Not sure how well that would hold up outside in the rain, even if the surface is somewhat moisture tolerant. White paint would be more permanent, but it does flake off after a season or two. Also, I have seen thin sheets of Styrofoam somewhere (?Menards or Home Depot type of store) that could be flexible enough to bend around a larger pot.

Worth1 · May 7, 2014

You will be far better off shading the containers so they dont have any radiant heat on them from the sun.
Rather than painting them as this would be like having all sides facing away from the sun.
The second best option would be to paint them white with the new paints designed for plastic.

The shade on the sides facing the sun will out perform the painted containers by quite a bit as there will be no radiant heat reaching the containers.

What is most economical and practical will be up to you.

Worth

amideutch · May 7, 2014

Get some foam underlayment for laminate floors, see link. Get some double sided carpet tape. Put tape on outside of container and cut your foam to fit the outer circumference of the pot and attach. You might need to run some twine around the foam if the tape does not hold. Here's a picture of two containers in my garden, one which is white on the left and the other that is purple with the foam wrapped around on the right.

Ami

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Roberts-1...6?N=5yc1vZbejl

luigiwu · May 7, 2014

Drill holes and line the inside with weed fabric before putting the soil in place. It allows the pot to breath, drain better, and air prune!

Ed of Somis · May 7, 2014

the first post you got is the simplest...and effective.

**coronabarb** · May 8, 2014

These are all great ideas. I like Ami's esp if you have recently done some flooring and have extra underlayment on hand.

zeuspaul · May 8, 2014

Some of my larger containers have brick/paver rings around them. It is one of the more attractive solutions but also pricey unless you have some unused brick lying around. It also makes it more difficult to move the container.

Some of my containers are grouped closely together.

Some of my containers are caged with black plastic hardware cloth or poultry netting. I simply cut a length and form it into a cylinder and then place it over the container. It provides some limited shade to the container and the plant. It also provides some wind protection to the plant. To increase the shading to the plant I add a second layer of the same material or window screen to the upper half of the cylinder. You could do the same to the lower half to shade the container. The primary purpose of the cylinder cages is to protect from birds but the shading and wind protection is an added advantage.

Zeuspaul

marc_groleau · May 8, 2014

I have wrapped some with aluminum foil. That seemed to work just fine.

habitat_gardener · May 8, 2014

I've planted blueberries and peppers in double pots. The outer pot is larger than the inner pot, and I put loose wood-chip and chopped-branches mulch between the pots. So maybe a 7-gallon pot inside a 10-12 gallon pot, or a 5 gallon pot inside a 7-10 gallon pot. Loose mulch is not a good conductor, so the heat does not transfer from the outer pot to the inner pot.

May 7, 2014	#1
jamserg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 105	Need ideas to reduce overheating of black pots I'm trying to figure out the best way to reduce heat absorption by black nursery containers/pots. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

May 7, 2014	#7
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	Cheapest covering would be to tape any white plastic, like folded kitchen white trash bags around the pots, assuming you have only a few and not hundreds of them. There is sticky contact paper in all colors and patterns meant for indoor shelving. Not sure how well that would hold up outside in the rain, even if the surface is somewhat moisture tolerant. White paint would be more permanent, but it does flake off after a season or two. Also, I have seen thin sheets of Styrofoam somewhere (?Menards or Home Depot type of store) that could be flexible enough to bend around a larger pot. __________________ Dee **************

May 8, 2014	#12
coronabarb Tomatoville® Recipe Keeper Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Roseburg, Oregon - zone 7 Posts: 2,821	These are all great ideas. I like Ami's esp if you have recently done some flooring and have extra underlayment on hand. __________________ Corona~Barb Now an Oregon gal

May 7, 2014	#2
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	paint the outside white, cover with paper?

May 7, 2014	#5
MrBig46 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Czech republic Posts: 2,541	To construct something before containers/pots (foil or fabric) what shade them. Vladimír

May 7, 2014	#6
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Buried in the ground is the best heat diffusion, but the hole needs a drain, or else your pot floats out in a heavy rain. I think second best would be something with a lot of mass, like concrete blocks or bags of water surrounding the pot. Simple shade over the pot would be the next choice, and that may be enough. You could also shade the entire area over the plant. For greenhouse plants in big pots, when it gets hot, I tend to keep them in a kiddie pool with a little water in the bottom. I have not had problems with root rot in hot weather, only cold.

May 7, 2014	#8
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	You will be far better off shading the containers so they dont have any radiant heat on them from the sun. Rather than painting them as this would be like having all sides facing away from the sun. The second best option would be to paint them white with the new paints designed for plastic. The shade on the sides facing the sun will out perform the painted containers by quite a bit as there will be no radiant heat reaching the containers. What is most economical and practical will be up to you. Worth

May 7, 2014	#10
luigiwu Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: ny Posts: 1,219	Drill holes and line the inside with weed fabric before putting the soil in place. It allows the pot to breath, drain better, and air prune!

May 7, 2014	#11
Ed of Somis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Somis, Ca Posts: 649	the first post you got is the simplest...and effective.

May 8, 2014	#13
zeuspaul Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: North County, San Diego Posts: 419	Some of my larger containers have brick/paver rings around them. It is one of the more attractive solutions but also pricey unless you have some unused brick lying around. It also makes it more difficult to move the container. Some of my containers are grouped closely together. Some of my containers are caged with black plastic hardware cloth or poultry netting. I simply cut a length and form it into a cylinder and then place it over the container. It provides some limited shade to the container and the plant. It also provides some wind protection to the plant. To increase the shading to the plant I add a second layer of the same material or window screen to the upper half of the cylinder. You could do the same to the lower half to shade the container. The primary purpose of the cylinder cages is to protect from birds but the shading and wind protection is an added advantage. Zeuspaul

May 8, 2014	#14
marc_groleau Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 444	I have wrapped some with aluminum foil. That seemed to work just fine.

May 8, 2014	#15
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	I've planted blueberries and peppers in double pots. The outer pot is larger than the inner pot, and I put loose wood-chip and chopped-branches mulch between the pots. So maybe a 7-gallon pot inside a 10-12 gallon pot, or a 5 gallon pot inside a 7-10 gallon pot. Loose mulch is not a good conductor, so the heat does not transfer from the outer pot to the inner pot.