Hi,
I have a few plumerias that need to be put in larger pots. Half wiskey barrels would fit into the landscape theme, which is rustic. I see the the run or the mill, that fall apart in no time. Can anyone point me to some that may last a few years either in the Houston area or online.
Thanks, Mike
Wiskey barrel planter
Mike,
You need to make a few "improvements" in the average whiskey barrel to make it last longer.
Drill holes through all the metal stays and drive some screws right through them into the wood of the barrel. Do this all around in each stay. Next, drill some extra drainage holes in the bottom. One is not enough.
It is the stays coming loose and sliding down and then all the slats shifting and sliding every which way that makes barrels fall apart.
Hope this helps. They will last for years when reinforced this way.
Gita
Many of my barrels rotted very quickly. I blame that on a fungus that grew out of the wood on the inside of the barrel. I wonder if lining the inside with plastic would help prevent that.
There is a plastic insert for whiskey barrel halves. I have seen them in garden centers for about $15. They would not be deep enough for plumeria, but would work well to change out seasonal blooms.
I agree with adequate drainage holes and above all, elevate the barrels with pavers, bricks ~ anything for ventilation underneath. I had a vintage one given to me a few years ago. It has been used this way for years before I got it. I have had it planted with butterfly ginger which takes lots of water. The barrel is holding up fine. It sits on the brick patio and I have elevated it with bricks.
Elevation is a good idea, Podster. It also keeps roots from trees and shrubs finding their way inside the barrel where the "good" soil is and taking over if it were sitting on the ground.
Betty, do you think that spraying the inside with a serious fungicide would have prevented the barrel rotting out? You would think the old Whiskey in the wood would kill anything.
There are plastic liners sold for whiskey barrels at HD and Lowes for $20-something. They are meant to be used to create a "pond" out of a whiskey barrel. You would have to drill some drainage holes in it, though. It is heavy plastic.
Gita
You guys are the best! And just in time! I have 2 whiskey barrels my DH bought for us and haven't filled them yet. Now I know what to do! Thanks!
Gita,
I was basically gardening in whiskey barrels because the previous owner of our house cemented most of the backyard. I used three pond liners to make a waterfall. When I took the setup apart to lclean it I could see the beginnings of the fungus problem. Someone recommended using the tar-like sealer used to seal roofs, but I couldn't find it. I read last night that it is toxic to some plants, but the article didn't mention which plants were affected. I was thinking that using the sealer to deprive the fungus of oxygen, then using a liner to protect the plants might work.
Podster, I had a bunch of barrels and found that the older ones seemed to last forever. Go figure! The only downside of using a whiskey barrel is the weight. I switched to fiberglass and/or resin. They DO last forever and are so much easier to cart into the greenhouse for the winter. The downside there is the price, but I get around that by asking for one on special occasions. :-)
Betty,
How about a good soaking/scrubbing in a strong bleach solution? I think bleach kills about anything.
One more time, Thanks for all the insight everyone.