Polystyrene Propapacks

Peter S, are you saying the pot should be insulated from the ground during the day but not at night?
Hex, surely if you took it to its extreme and had a massive pot thermally linked to the ground then it would gain some benefit, What I am thinking of is something like a raised bed, although the frost can get in from the sides it probably wouldn't go any deeper in the middle than in flat ground. But insulate it from the ground and I think it would, and take it further and raise it off the ground as most TV gardeners state, and it could freeze solid. :rolleyes:

 

Wish i'd never mentioned it now Pete LOL :D

 

Oh, dont be like that, although I do tend to get a bit carried away on some of my pet hates ie. TV presenters all quoting one another instead of coming up with their own ideas :D

 

I think this has got a bit involved. :rolleyes:

Yes Pete2255, I would agree with you. Being more massive, the ground warms up and cools down more slowly than the air. So, at night, in frosty weather the ground is usually slightly warmer than the air. This means that plants in pots (largely surrounded by the air) are not quite as hardy as plants in the ground itself. Pots will warm up quicker during the day, but during the winter we are usually more concerned with keeping the plant alive.

Incidentally if you move your pots to the side of the house, you get some extra protection. A heated house acts a little bit like a night storage heater.

My apologies Gardening Newbie - I think we got sidetracked. :D :D :D I never did hear if the polystyrene protopacks worked well enough to warrent buying them.

 

I'm so glad that I never mentioned the crows feather that protects them from rain now :D

Isn't polystyrene granules beneficial as an additive to orchid compost? (recently obtained a moth orchid)

 

who`d have thought polystyrene pots would have been such a hot topic for debate

I must apologise to Helen for my part in the hijacking,incidently my searches for polystyrene protopaks came up fruitless but they may exist somewhere.

Just to reply to pete2255,
if you increased the pot size to the extreme, the sides would also increase, so you`re still be in the same boat.
Reduce the area exposed to the cold air or increase the insulation value

 

I sorted Helen a supplier in the second post Hex

Two wests and Elliots still do em

 

ahh..Thanks Steve
that makes me feel a lot better

 

Not from Wainfleet by any chance are you

 

Nope, not from Wainfleet, Steve

 

Yeah well I do like to get to the bottom of things, hope I didn't bore anyone.
Anyway hows this crows feather idea work then Steve.
:D :D :D

 

Forget the crows feather for now

I was speaking to charlie yesterday, as you know he has a knack for talking to plants (PS if you are looking in charlie can you do a post so Nathan can put the 'by royal appointment' logo on the site)....and he told me how to pose a question to the bay and olive trees...which I did.

The olive tree said its roots did feel warmer with hessian and polystyrene protection and the bay tree said the only benefit he got was by being a couple of inches further off the ground he could see over next doors fence and spoted a nice laurel next door he wouldn't mind cross polinating

I know no ones going to believe this but would I lie to you :D :D :D :D

 

:D :D :D