Container Cacti

Harriet · Post by **Harriet** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:45 pm

You guys are going to get sick of me and drum me out of this forum, but I hope it doesn't happen before I get some more good advice from you!

I have a large metal trough about 3 feet long by 2 feet wide by 2 feet tall that has started to spring leaks and is no longer working as a water feature. So I want to use it to plant a cactus garden of sorts.

(Not really pretty now, but the birds love it!)

Will a metal container get too hot? It will be on an east facing wall, full sun all most all day, a little less in the afternoon. It will be under eaves so it will be protected some from rain, but will still get really wet sometimes, especially when the gutters overflow.

Should I add rocks to the bottom, or does that do any good? (Of course, I will drill adequate drain holes in addition to the rusted areas.)

Now for the good part... What plants do you suggest? I'm thinking an agave, an opuntia, and some other columular cactus. Is there an Opuntia that would droop over the side rather than staying upright? I need some suggestions that will stay somewhat compact so they will not outgrow the pot, are compatible with each other, are hardy to about 20 degrees, and look really really cool!

Oh, and if you have suggestions about the best places to get these things, that would be appreciated too.

iann · Post by **iann** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 4:57 pm

Metal will be too hot. You can insulate the inside with cardboard or polystyrene sheets, but you'd probably still want to go with species that like a lot of heat. Or cover the outside. How about siding on the trough

For drainage, you should raise it off the ground an inch or two otherwise the underneath will just get clogged up. Or you could put holes in the side near the base because they can't get clogged. That works better with Petunias than cacti because you can get a little ponding in the bottom.

P.S. You have gutters? I can't remember seeing a house in Florida with gutters. They seem like a waste to me, mostly the rain is too much for gutters to handle!

Harriet · Post by **Harriet** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:42 pm

Yep, I have gutters. Wouldn't be able to get in the front or back doors without drowning if I didn't! Right now they are close to useless because they are full of water oak leaves.

I will think about the insulation suggestion, I need to find some clever way to do it, I don't really want to cover the outside of the 'planter' because its out of the ordinary/funky look is what appeals to me.

I still need plant suggestions. Only now I need to make sure they can really take the heat too!

Silenus · Post by **Silenus** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 7:56 pm

I have gutters as well. Cereus sp. are fine for that container if you follow his advice, they can take a brutal beating. Or fill it and mix species of Opuntia and make it nice looking with colorful rocks or something.

dustin0352 · Post by **dustin0352** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 7:57 pm

Yup have gutters to lol.

iann · Post by **iann** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 7:59 pm

Maybe my subdivision was just too cheap to have gutters

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 8:13 pm

I think I would use a reed fence
It will conform to the container and you can cut the heigth and the length down easily to cover and shade at the same time.

Harriet · Post by **Harriet** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 8:55 pm

Reed fence is an interesting thought. Funny how I'm having to find a way to cool the planter down more than the plants!

What about putting a layer of bubble wrap next to the vertical wall of the planter, then some cardboard or some other slow to deteriorate insulator between the bubble wrap and the soil? I'd probably only have to do it on the side of the planter facing the sun.

Or maybe use layers of reed fence inside the planter instead of outside. Maybe an inch or two thick between the metal and the soil... would hollow reeds act as chimneys to move heat up and out?

Cereus is a good suggestion for the tall plant, I just have to find one! The ones I have are not ready for transplanting or cutting yet.

Buck Hemenway · Post by **Buck Hemenway** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 11:18 pm

Harriet, unless you're getting afternoon sun directly on the metal containers, and it sounds like you may not, I'm not sure that it's that big of a deal. I'd be far more worried about the gutter overflow than the heat.

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:12 pm

Had a thought...

There's going to be an awful lot of soil in that big bin. It's going to take quite awhile to dry out. This may be a good case for adding a layer of gravel at the bottom. Maybe even up to half way.

mendel · Post by **mendel** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:16 pm

I would fill it half full of perlite and put my soil mix on top.

Harriet · Post by **Harriet** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:02 pm

I was planning to add gravel, along with a lot of drain holes, otherwise there is still a good chance that the soil at the bottom will get stinky and nasty. (Those are technical terms, by the way.)