Pros and Cons of a Concrete Flowerpot
Are you planning to spruce up your outdoor space with some potted plants? Do you want to make your lovely garden more flourishing? It doesn’t matter what you have in mind because it only makes sense that you would want your plants to grow in the best possible conditions. With all the different planter options made from different materials, your decision-making will be more effortless once you learn the benefits of concrete flowerpot. These versatile and customizable pots are the must-have staples that you can add to your backyard.
Container gardening lets you plant numerous varieties of flowers, vegetables, herbs, ferns, shrubs, or trees with limited space. This also adds some mobility to your plants if you have a bigger garden. While almost anything could be used as planters and with each kind of container having its own set of pros and cons, Miravila concrete pots can be your best option for those trees and larger plants that you don’t have any plans to move.
But before you go out and buy these concrete pots, it would be great to make yourself familiar with their strengths and weaknesses.
Table of Contents
The Good
A Plethora of Choices
Concrete pots are available in an extensive variety of styles, sizes, patterns, and designs that you can choose from. It doesn’t matter if you want something that has a little bit more character or you just wish to settle for something quaint and small. You can be sure that there are lots of choices that you can consider.
The Perfect Decoration
You can stain or paint concrete for you to create an array of decorative effects. If you choose to leave it bare, concrete pots can also develop that mossy and aged look to achieve a more classical and natural look. Concrete planters, unlike plastic ones, usually feature some decorative elements. In case you want to customize your concrete containers further, you can also add mosaic tiles on the outer surface to add some exciting pops of color.
They’re Durable
It is not a secret that concrete is a durable and strong material and not like plastic or wood containers that tend to get brittle or rot over time, you can expect concrete to last for several years. With concrete being a heavy material, it is less likely for a concrete flowerpot to blow over during a strong gust of wind or accidentally get knocked down by lawnmowers, kids, or pets. Concrete will not get ruined by prolonged humidity or rain if you are living in an area with a damp climate.
The Ideal Size
Bigger plants like shrubs and trees need large containers to ensure that their root systems will have enough room for growth. Most concrete pots are available in large sizes. They are also strong enough to ensure that the pot won’t break because of the large roots. When planting herbs, vegetables, flowers, or tinier plants with smaller root systems, the use of a large container means that the roots will be less crowded and the soil will have better moisture conservation.
Proper Insulation
The lighter color of concrete planters combined with their thickness can help keep the soil protected from fluctuations in temperature. Pots of darker color have the tendency to draw in heat and may quickly end up damaging the roots that can make the soil dry out, especially during sunny and hot climates.
Environment-Friendly, Functional, and Strong
Concrete pots are solid and provide the best heat insulation for your growing plants. Since they can last that long, these planters are also considered as eco-friendly.
Long-Lasting
Well-made concrete planters can last for many decades. Unlike other concrete products poured in a mould before being painted, skilled pot makers hand-blend a color additive to the precast mixture to ensure that the shade will be consistent all over the planter. It means that if there is an accidental chip on the surface, you will not see any glaring grey or white blemish staring right back at you and instead, what you will see is another layer of similar color.
The Not So Good
Additional Preparations Before Planting
The poured concrete products must be left outside first for them to be rained on several times prior to putting soil in them for your shrubs, herbs, vegetables, and flowers. It lets the additives from the manufacturing process and dyes to leach out of the concrete. If not, the soil’s pH could be increased to a level that might not be really good for your plants.
They’re Big
A concrete flowerpot has the tendency to be very heavy and there might be a need for you to set it first on a sturdy foundation or a slab. Aside from this, once these planters have been knocked over or bumped into by accident, they may also break easily.
Winter Maintenance Might Be Necessary
If you are living in an area with freeze-thaw conditions, concrete pots that are left outdoors during winter can break or crack if you don’t take proper precautions. If your planters are used for annuals, it is recommended that you move them first inside.
As for perennials, it is recommended that you completely empty out the planter, rinse it properly, and allow it to dry thoroughly and probably even cover it up during the season. If there is moisture left inside the pot or got trapped in those air pockets of these poured concrete products, this moisture will contract and expand under freeze-thaw conditions. The process can then cause breaking and cracking on your planters.
Other Important Considerations
With concrete being porous, there is a tendency for the soil inside the pot to dry out much faster than it does in a non-porous container. You can use a waterproof concrete sealant for sealing the container’s inner surface or you also need to make sure that your plants are watered on a frequent basis to avoid wilting. A concrete flowerpot is heavy and upon adding plants and soil, it might be harder to move them. Make sure that you carefully pick the location of your concrete pots before planting.