Overwintering pots: Anyone tried a Sandbox?

GoggleboxUK

Overwintering pots: Anyone tried a Sandbox?

Post by GoggleboxUK »

I have 5 large bamboo and 3 large Trachys which are all in pots. I have heard it suggested that burying the poys in the ground will help to stop the pots freezing through but I don't have room to do this at present.

I wondered abput constructing a wooden enclosure above ground which is large enough to hold all the pots and filling in the gaps between the edge of the enclosure and between the pots with sand, putting a thermal blanket over the top and then mulching with bark.

This should stop the sand from getting wet, allow rain to run off and down the sides of the sandbox and add insulation for the roots in the pots.

What do you think? Any reason why this isn't a good idea or any improvements I could make to this concept?
Ste

Re: Overwintering pots: Anyone tried a Sandbox?

Post by Ste »

I can see your idea Rick about insulating the pots. All I can say is...... Im in the building trade and out the 12 years ive been doing this, Jauary 2010 was a no go with work. We were on a new house build and after xmas and new year, we couldnt go back to work until February - the longest ive ever been off work and that was all due to the sand being frozen. There is always dampness in the air in winter and everything takes much longer to dry and I could pretty much guarantee that the sand you use will freeze. I dont know weather mixing some rock salt in with it would stop it from freezing (just nick some from one of the yellow salt bins on the street) But I would probably stuff the timber frame you make with something like straw, get plenty stuffed in. It certainley wont freeze like sand will.
I think Arlon is in the building game aswell, he will tell you how frozen sand can get.
GoggleboxUK

Re: Overwintering pots: Anyone tried a Sandbox?

Post by GoggleboxUK »

Fair enough. Hadn't considered the damp from the air getting absorbed. Ah well, back to the drawing board.

:DD
Ste

Re: Overwintering pots: Anyone tried a Sandbox?

Post by Ste »

I would still go with the idea of making a box round the pots and just stuff it with insulation or something like that
User avatar
redsquirrel
Posts: 12169
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 8:35 pm
Location: bristol
Contact:

Re: Overwintering pots: Anyone tried a Sandbox?

Post by redsquirrel »

gb,im doing a similar thing with my damaged butia,its already in the ground but a frame/construction is in progress where i can fill it with polystyrene chips to surround the trunk.if nothing else,it will stop wind chill,surrounding your pots,it would have to offer some protection??
mars ROVER broken down. headgasket faillure
GoggleboxUK

Re: Overwintering pots: Anyone tried a Sandbox?

Post by GoggleboxUK »

Polystyrene chips, now there's a good idea! Waterproof too.

;)
Trudytropics

Re: Overwintering pots: Anyone tried a Sandbox?

Post by Trudytropics »

Ste I concur about sand freezing, building work had to stop in Feb 2010 on my drive and front wall, reason sand frozen in bags, impossible to use. The poly chips sounds like a good idea, just don't attempt on a windy day. You could also place pots close to one another and wrap all around the outside to contain them then pour the chips into gaps. This would save building a structure, I was looking at rolls of bubblewrap on ebay, that could also be put to good use.

Just had a :idea:, why not try and get hold of cheap plastic pots but much bigger than the ones the plants are in. Put grit in bottom, place plant in pot into larger pot and then stuff insulation down into the gap. Sounds like it would work, plus pots can re re-used at a later date :D
Ste

Re: Overwintering pots: Anyone tried a Sandbox?

Post by Ste »

Trudytropics wrote:Just had a :idea:, why not try and get hold of cheap plastic pots but much bigger than the ones the plants are in. Put grit in bottom, place plant in pot into larger pot and then stuff insulation down into the gap. Sounds like it would work, plus pots can re re-used at a later date :D
I would struggle trying to lift my 285ltr pots into a bigger pot :lol:
kata

Re: Overwintering pots: Anyone tried a Sandbox?

Post by kata »

WTFH have you in there Ste :lol: :lol: :lol:
Ste

Re: Overwintering pots: Anyone tried a Sandbox?

Post by Ste »

The big Trachycarpus in one and the big (DEAD) butia in the other. The other 11 pots are only 110ltr but still takes 2 people to lift them as they are heavy. Dont know how many people it would take to shift the 285ltr pots :?
brendan

Re: Overwintering pots: Anyone tried a Sandbox?

Post by brendan »

GoggleboxUK wrote:Polystyrene chips, now there's a good idea! Waterproof too.

;)
last year i brought some sheets of polystyrene insulation put my pots on top traced round them and cut out the shape then sunk my pots in you may need a few layers depending on pot size. You could cut the sheets to fit in your box then mulch the top.
GoggleboxUK

Re: Overwintering pots: Anyone tried a Sandbox?

Post by GoggleboxUK »

Superb! Nice idea Brendan.

There's a big industrial unit just around the corner from me who do polystyrene in all shapes and sizes.

A few years ago they supplied 40 blocks the size of articulated lorry trailers so that a film company could make a wall to block out background noise whilst filming in a busy park.

I believe they cut and shape as required so I could get a block delivered that is precut with holes, twice as deep as my deepest pot and dispense with the wooden frame.

The weight of the plants would hold it down and I could, as you say, mulch the tops but only filling in the tops of the holes.

I think I'll be wandering down to the sales office tomorrow and making some enquiries as to cost.
User avatar
Dave Brown
Site Admin
Posts: 19742
Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:17 am
Location: Chalk, (Thames Estuary) Kent, England 51.5N 0.3E
Contact:

Re: Overwintering pots: Anyone tried a Sandbox?

Post by Dave Brown »

Sorry guys, a some of what has been talked about is flawed. Dry sand will allow temps to drop much quicker than wet sand. If the wet sand froze, the dry sand would have allowed the pots to freeze quicker. Sandy soils freeze much quicker than clay soils, and the difference is the amount of water it contains.

I believe the reason building work has to stop is not the sand freezing, but if the wet cement/concrete freezes it breaks the bond so it will crumble.

Also, if you insulate the ground the air above it will be colder, as a huge amount of ground warmth is given up on cold nights. That is why air temps above snow fields get much lower, as the ground warmth is cut off from it. :wink:
Best regards
Dave
icon_thumright
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
GoggleboxUK

Re: Overwintering pots: Anyone tried a Sandbox?

Post by GoggleboxUK »

Does that mean that if I were to cut holes right the way through polystyrene blocks, so the pot remained sat on the ground, then this would also help insulate the ground and when the temprature dropped it would mean the ground beneath the poly would hold even more warmth which would only 'vent' up around the pots?
brendan

Re: Overwintering pots: Anyone tried a Sandbox?

Post by brendan »

Dave Brown wrote:Sorry guys, a some of what has been talked about is flawed. Dry sand will allow temps to drop much quicker than wet sand. If the wet sand froze, the dry sand would have allowed the pots to freeze quicker. Sandy soils freeze much quicker than clay soils, and the difference is the amount of water it contains.

I believe the reason building work has to stop is not the sand freezing, but if the wet cement/concrete freezes it breaks the bond so it will crumble.

Also, if you insulate the ground the air above it will be colder, as a huge amount of ground warmth is given up on cold nights. That is why air temps above snow fields get much lower, as the ground warmth is cut off from it. :wink:
Dave im in the building trade and you are correct about the cement freezing and not bonding but also i had many a day in december that the sand used for bricklaying was that frozen you couldnt get a pick axe through it never mind a shovel to mix it even when day temperatures were warm enough to lay bricks the sand was unusable as just couldnt thaw out in time.
Post Reply