Protecting your containers from UV rays

ovenbird · August 30, 2009

I see some of you have invested a small fortune in containers. How do you make them last? Are they made for outdoor use? How long do you think they will hold up?

I heard that Armorall for cars has UV protectant in it, and I wonder if it would help on the outside of the containers. I plan to use it on my rain barrels, plastic garden cart, plastic shed, deck box, etc.

rnewste · August 30, 2009

ovenbird,

I don't think there is a specific answer to your question on longevity. Depends on how you store them in Winter, etc.

I rotate mine at least yearly, to try to balance out their Southern exposure. Always keep the lids on them as they will keep the Sun from the container's lip. I've seen some folks wrap a bamboo curtain around them to shade them.

Keep us posted on what you finally come up with.

Ray

kerino1 · December 18, 2009

I painted my containers with "Krylon Fusion":
http://www.krylon.com/products/fusion_for_plastic/

Mainly with the hopes of keeping them a bit cooler - I used flat white, but also with the intention of keeping some of the UV's from rotting the plastic. This adds to the expense of each container - but if it gives me at least 2 more years time - I figure it's worth it...

Kerino

Zana · December 18, 2009

I don't coat my plastic pots/containers with anything. The Terra Cotta ones, I coat with a water-based non-toxic sealant on the outside. It seems to keep the amount of moisture leeched out of the soil mix down a bit.

I've been known to wrap groupings in black ground cloth. I'd sew up drawstring bags for each of the pots/containers. It also seemed to help with the amount of soil mix that might leak out of the bottom into the saucers. This worked fairly well, while I still had small amounts of containers and pots. But sewing up that many bags each year was a pain in the arse.

I tried boxing them in with styrofoam but stopped doing that for a few reasons: 1) the styrofoam didn't stand up well to the elements, or the dogs; 2) keeping it all anchored over time was getting to be too big a chore; 3) the aesthetics weren't all that great; 4) I couldn't guarantee a consistent supply of the same quality styrofoam.

What I did 2 years ago and would continue to do so, if allowed to "turn the backyard into a g-dang jungle", would be to put the black cloth under the pots containers on the concrete patio. At least for the height of the summer. That would cut down on the amount of reflected light in almost all spectrums. I didn't use it in the spring and fall, wanting the extra reflection to keep the pots/containers warmer in the cooler months.

To be honest, I have plastic and terra cotta pots/containers that are at least 10 years old that have sat out on the concrete patio through blistering summer heat. The ones that have to be tossed are the ones that get forgotten outside in the winter and crack from expansion of moisture. The vast majority of them are stored in the garage or in my shed (upside down if in the shed). The last year of the full jungle, I had between the tomatoes, beans, and herbs over 200 pots/containers, hence the nickname or rather description.

amideutch · December 18, 2009

I never thought about it but I think Armorall would work great. What I would do is e-mail the company and tell what you are planning to do and ask if there is any chance the Armorall could leach or penetrate through the container walls to the inside. If not, one application a year should do it. Good idea! Ami

August 30, 2009	#1
ovenbird Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Eastern Iowa Posts: 27	Protecting your containers from UV rays I see some of you have invested a small fortune in containers. How do you make them last? Are they made for outdoor use? How long do you think they will hold up? I heard that Armorall for cars has UV protectant in it, and I wonder if it would help on the outside of the containers. I plan to use it on my rain barrels, plastic garden cart, plastic shed, deck box, etc.

December 18, 2009	#5
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	I never thought about it but I think Armorall would work great. What I would do is e-mail the company and tell what you are planning to do and ask if there is any chance the Armorall could leach or penetrate through the container walls to the inside. If not, one application a year should do it. Good idea! Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

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August 30, 2009	#2
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	ovenbird, I don't think there is a specific answer to your question on longevity. Depends on how you store them in Winter, etc. I rotate mine at least yearly, to try to balance out their Southern exposure. Always keep the lids on them as they will keep the Sun from the container's lip. I've seen some folks wrap a bamboo curtain around them to shade them. Keep us posted on what you finally come up with. Ray

December 18, 2009	#3
kerino1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Southern, AZ (9b) Posts: 14	I painted my containers with "Krylon Fusion": http://www.krylon.com/products/fusion_for_plastic/ Mainly with the hopes of keeping them a bit cooler - I used flat white, but also with the intention of keeping some of the UV's from rotting the plastic. This adds to the expense of each container - but if it gives me at least 2 more years time - I figure it's worth it... Kerino

December 18, 2009	#4
Zana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,521	I don't coat my plastic pots/containers with anything. The Terra Cotta ones, I coat with a water-based non-toxic sealant on the outside. It seems to keep the amount of moisture leeched out of the soil mix down a bit. I've been known to wrap groupings in black ground cloth. I'd sew up drawstring bags for each of the pots/containers. It also seemed to help with the amount of soil mix that might leak out of the bottom into the saucers. This worked fairly well, while I still had small amounts of containers and pots. But sewing up that many bags each year was a pain in the arse. I tried boxing them in with styrofoam but stopped doing that for a few reasons: 1) the styrofoam didn't stand up well to the elements, or the dogs; 2) keeping it all anchored over time was getting to be too big a chore; 3) the aesthetics weren't all that great; 4) I couldn't guarantee a consistent supply of the same quality styrofoam. What I did 2 years ago and would continue to do so, if allowed to "turn the backyard into a g-dang jungle", would be to put the black cloth under the pots containers on the concrete patio. At least for the height of the summer. That would cut down on the amount of reflected light in almost all spectrums. I didn't use it in the spring and fall, wanting the extra reflection to keep the pots/containers warmer in the cooler months. To be honest, I have plastic and terra cotta pots/containers that are at least 10 years old that have sat out on the concrete patio through blistering summer heat. The ones that have to be tossed are the ones that get forgotten outside in the winter and crack from expansion of moisture. The vast majority of them are stored in the garage or in my shed (upside down if in the shed). The last year of the full jungle, I had between the tomatoes, beans, and herbs over 200 pots/containers, hence the nickname or rather description.