Large Metal containers

Greetings! I live in Athens, Greece. I have a terrace I want to redecorate with plants and I want to exchange all the little pots that I currently have with a few but large metal containers (made form stainless steel sheets - grade 304), because a) I find it more pleasing to the eye and b) I want to have the option to plant small trees. I want to make something like a "roof garden" for my family to spend quality time at.

The containers I want to order have to be 2 meters long, 40cm wide and 60cm tall to meet my requirements. So we're talking about pretty big containers. At first I thought about wooden containers but decided against them because they were too expensive (either as ready made or DIY kits) and because I had my doubts about how they'd fair after some years.

I researched the cost of constructing containers of this size from stainless steel sheets and it is considerably cheaper, plus way more durable. My only inhibition is about heat management. Summers in Greece can be quite hot and dry (up to 40 degrees Celsius). Imagine how hot these containers will get in the summer. I will mostly be planting large decorative plants and trees (olive trees, pine trees and other trees that are native to the Greek ecosystem) in them and will be using timed watering.

Despite the heat, the containers are made of a non porous material and will contain about half a cubic meter of soil each, enough to retain alot of moisture inside. Do you thing I will have problems with roots overheating if I use the metal containers I describe above? Should I go forward with this?

Thanks in advance...

 

My worry would be the heat on the metal, should a child or adult even touch one.

 

That would be a valid concern but, from my experience from other metal containers, the heat gets diffused in the soil so the metal surface doesn't heat up as if it would if it was empty. Also, I am thinking of painting the outer surface of the containers with a light color paint to take advantage of the reflecting properties of such a coating. Lastly, we will be mostly spending time in the terrace when temperatures are not that high, before lunch or late in the afternoon...

 

hello Gor,
I had a stainless steel container at the front of my house . On a hot English summers day,thats about 25°c , it became unbelievably hot and stressed the plants in it. I would think in an Athens summer where you may top 40°c a metal container would be like an oven. Is a stainless steel container really cheaper than wood ? Stainless is very expensive these days.

 

That's a great idea. I will look into the costs. Do you think marine plywood will last? will drilling holes in the bottom of the container compromise its water resistance?