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Protecting my pots?!

talksrJWJ97d_PtalksrJWJ97d_P Posts: 1
in Problem solving
Hi there,
I would be grateful of any pointers and help on this.
After last winter, despite covering my bay trees with protective netting (not the pots), the pots are now rotten and falling to pieces. They are faux lead clayfibre. They will need replacing, but I am worried about my remaining pots. I have included a photograph. I took this several years ago and the olive trees in these pots are substantially larger. 

These pots are terracotta I think? Is there anything I can treat them with to protect them as unlike in the photo, they are cracking and some parts are starting to come off. They are salvageable still. Thanks in advance. 

Posts

  • Doghouse RileyDoghouse Riley Posts: 347
    edited November 2021
    I'm afraid it's the way of the world now, for decades because of the competion a lot of stuff is made "down to a price" yet they can still  seem expensive.
    Unless all the air expelled from the clay, before the post are fired, there's always a danger in freezing weather of them "blasting" out because of the small amount of air trapped in them. It also happens with bricks.

    As there's more than one it's a general problem with your pots.

    You could transfer them into plastic pots for now, take the pot ones into a shed or garage clean them up and find a suitable glue to repair them but I don't think there's an easy fix.

    Over ten years ago we bought  five of these "frost resistant" pots  I guess they were dyed , from Wyevale, (photos were before the winter) but they blasted out during cold weather of  the first year we had them. So I took close up photos of the damage, (I wasn't going to lug the pots back to Wyevale) and showed them to the manager.



    He told me "They were only advertised as frost resistant."
    I replied, "True, but they haven't resisted," so I got my money back. He took the sign away and I never saw any of those pots  again, maybe they had more complaints.


    How long have you had them? It might be worth trying the same tack.

    Since then all our pots I've bought have been glazed  Apta pots, (most from Wyevale)
    They have a ten year guarantee. None have cracked, but they can break if the wind blows them over.

    They do make teracotta ones too.




  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    Advice from Radio 4 GQT was to put the pots into a clump near to the house .and surround the outside with bubble wrap
    Any plants in the pots that are not so hardy then these need to have some fleece around them as well.
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    I’ve got a small selection of pots from Italian Terrace. This is their advice

    https://www.italianterrace.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Pot-Care-A4-Leaflet-2020.pdf
    Rutland, England
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    PVA is good for protecting terracotta pots, but you'd need to do it inside and out to get the benefit.  I think you'll need to look at new ones anyway if the plants are getting too big for them. 
    The resin/fibre ones don't last particularly well anyway, I'm lucky if I get a few years out of them before they start falling apart. 
    It also depends largely on your climate. Wet then freezing is the biggest problem, so you might find fleecing or bubble wrapping is the best temporary measure. 
    Investing in some good quality glazed pots is probably a better idea.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I always paint terracotta pots for outside/decorative use with 2 to 3 coats of acrylic varnish, inside and out.  You can get matt, satin or gloss finish.  I usually use matt for plain pots and satin for fancy ones.  24 hours between coats and never more than 3 or it goes milky.

    For yours, you'd need to transfer your plants to other pots - bigger and with fresh compost so they can grow on - and then clean and thoroughly dry your terracotta pots before varnishing them.   PVA is fine too but I think varnish gives a better waterproof finish and the idea is to keep water form being absorbed and then expanding and contracting as it freezes and thaws as that's what makes your pots flake, crack or break.   
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Doghouse RileyDoghouse Riley Posts: 347
    If you've a cracked pot (not broken) it can be worth  removing the plant temporarily to another pot and letting the damaged one dry out in the garage, or shed,  after giving it a good clean.
    Then covering both sides of the crack with Gorilla Glue to form a 1" band. This dries clear and should hold, well, it did for me, for one of the older glazed  pots we have that hadn't a ten year guarantee like the Apta ones.
    It should work for teracotta too.
  • talksrtalksr Posts: 2
    Thank you everyone for your helpful posts. What I have done for now is purchased two thick coffee bean sacks from the coffee man at my local market and wrapped the pots in those.

    As you can see, the olive trees are so much bigger than in my original picture. I had several olives this year, though not big enough for eating.

    I will also purchase some fleece to cover the top end of the plant so it doesn't die.
    Then in the spring time next year, I will go with some of your suggestions re varnishing or PVA-ing the pots.

    Thanks again for your help on this!  :) ...p.s sorry for the dark photo, I got back quite late from shopping and wanted to get the pots covered right away! 


  • Zoe P2Zoe P2 Posts: 848
    Obelixx said:
    I always paint terracotta pots for outside/decorative use with 2 to 3 coats of acrylic varnish, inside and out.  You can get matt, satin or gloss finish.  I usually use matt for plain pots and satin for fancy ones.  24 hours between coats and never more than 3 or it goes milky.

    I've never heard of this method but I think it's something to consider!



    I have a dream that my.. children.. one day.. will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character

      Martin Luther King

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    It's a winner and cheap and lasts well.  No nasty chemicals for brush cleaning either.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • parrotfeather*parrotfeather* Posts: 188
    I find that old bubble wrap covered in sacking looks OK and works well, but the most important thing is not to leave your pots on the ground...lift them up on feet, bricks or whatever you have so that they can drain properly.  It makes a huge difference. 
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