Concrete Planters: Are They Safe For Plants? Know Here!

Planters can be of different materials one of the oldest and durable is the concrete planters. Most of the old houses have this kind of planters. They can be customized planters as per your shape and size. On other hand, it is suitable for all kinds of plants, depending on the kind type of plantation the planters can be developed.

It can be for vegetative plantings or for flowers in the roof garden or in your front yard. These are the best for all seasons.

 Plants are smooth creatures that look appealing when they grow.  However, it looks beautiful when they receive proper sunlight, water, and air and dies if they receive too much water and heat.  If things got complicated, the plants also needed the best composition of soil and Ph of the soil.

Now, the question arises, do all plants do fine with these complications?  Let’s find out!

Concrete Planter
Concrete Planter

Are concrete planters best for planting?

Concrete is harmful to some plants because it is usually made of cement and lime.  And you know that lime is the biggest threat to growing plants. Thus, it raises the question to beginners whether they should opt for concrete or not.

On the other hand, lime has a high Ph level that makes it highly alkaline which makes it some plants hard to survive. However, there are some plants that need high alkaline and thrive in lime.  

Plants and vegetables you can grow in concrete with having high soil

  • Begonias
  • Orchids
  • Oregano
  • Cabbage
  •  Morning glory
  • Easter lilies

What are some easy fixes to grow plants in concrete planters?

It doesn’t matter if you want to make a DIY planter or use a concrete planter for planting. Here are some fixes that can help you have great planting.

  • If the pH of the soil is high, you can change it by adding sphagnum moss or organic mulches.
  • Soak the planter in water for three days before using it to leach the high alkalinity. If you want to make most of this, seal the planter with a transparent sheet.

Note- When concrete pots are in raw form, it is usually porous, but when you seal them it will become non-porous. But there is a good thing about sealing pot is it reduces efflorescence.

Plus sealing the pot can help you enhance the life of a planter. So in our opinion, you should seal them, but the final decision is all up to you.

If the concrete containers are coming from the store, it means they have gone through the seals and watering process.  But for great use, you can perform the leaching activity.

Quick Tips to make concrete planters safe

Here in this section, we are sharing some good tips to make the concrete planter safe for use.  Read below:

  • Seal the planter both inside and outside to reduce the alkalinity using a foam brush.
  • You can reduce its alkalinity by performing a leaching process which is refreshing the pot by putting it into water for three days.
  • If you want to change the ph value of the soil then planters made of concrete are the best.
Concrete Planter
Concrete Planter

Final Words- Are concrete containers toxic for plants?

No, these are not toxic for plants. You can say that concrete can be harmful to some plants, but not for all. The simple reason for being toxic for some plants is that they are highly alkaline that affect the plant's growth and sometimes kill them. So, one should pick the plants that are safe to grow and need high alkaline value.

 

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