Wrapping containers with foil? - Page 2

SteveP · June 29, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricky Shaw

I have no life.

Looks like life is pretty good to me!👍

Barb_FL · June 29, 2016

Ricky - your garden looks fantastic! What a rebound from the hail damage.

Thanks for the idea re: the foil bubble wrap. I want to try it for the fall season.

Is this it? http://www.homedepot.com/p/Reflectix...6025/100012574

Seems like a good price;

dmforcier · June 29, 2016

Ed, Salty, you're missing half the point by just painting the pots.

Yes adding reflectivity will help a little, but what really makes the difference is air gap between the wrapper and the pot. In other words, shade the pot.
.

Worth1 · June 29, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmforcier

Ed, Salty, you're missing half the point by just painting the pots.

Yes adding reflectivity will help a little, but what really makes the difference is air gap between the wrapper and the pot. In other words, shade the pot.
.

I couldn't agree more and have brought this up many times here in the past.
A person is far better off to stop the energy from hitting the pot in the first place.

Think of it this way.
If something was going to fall on your head and you had the choice of a helmet resting on your head or your head being under a structure which would you choose.

For a farther test go to two cars sitting out in the sun a black one and a white one.
Both cars will be so hot you cant hold your hand on them.
Now place those cars in the shade and neither one will be hot.

A simple structure of some sort with an air gap placed on the sun side of the containers is the best way to keep them cooler.
Light of all kinds is energy if you stop the energy flow it is like disconnecting a wire.
A black pot sitting in a bigger black pot would be better than a white pot.

Worth

Ricky Shaw · June 29, 2016

Barb, that's what I have exactly. Yep, Home Depot is where I got mine, and the stuff cuts easy with regular scissors.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmforcier

Ed, Salty, you're missing half the point by just painting the pots.

Yes adding reflectivity will help a little, but what really makes the difference is air gap between the wrapper and the pot. In other words, shade the pot.
.

+1000

JaxRmrJmr · June 29, 2016

I have never really had problems with heat (or least I don't think I have), but I used the cheap foil from the dollar store this year to wrap my buckets. I was more so trying to save the bucket from deteriorating from our intense summer sun. I don't remember exactly but I was getting somewhere around 5-7 buckets covered per roll.

AlittleSalt · June 29, 2016

I completely agree. If I had something to create a dead air space I would.

The reason I'm painting those two pots is because the flowers that'll be planted in them only bloom in the sun. I'll put them in an area that gets morning sun and afternoon/evening shade.

dmforcier · June 29, 2016

No no no. You shade the pot not with a building or tree, but with the bag or foil or whatever that you wrap it with. It won't affect the sun getting to the flowers at all.

Let me try a slightly different emphasis: shade the pot.

fonseca · June 29, 2016

Reflectix is what I use as well, the foil-backed bubble version. It is not cheap, but it traps a layer of air that helps isolate containers from the heat, which is more effective than foil. I have a lot more containers this year, so only a third are covered with reflectix, and the plants in uncovered containers are suffering.

My 27 gallon black tubs are not insulated, and those plants in particular are all heat stressed despite having a full water reservoir. I was counting on the cucumber plants to shade the containers...

Loosely wrapping containers in a few layers of burlap/jute fabric can also make a big difference, and is more economical.

Tracydr · June 30, 2016

If you can get cheap dash protectors for cars with the bubble wrap they would be good to cut and wrap pots with.

Ed of Somis · June 30, 2016

I totally understand what you all are saying about "wrapping" a pot....rather than just painting. I will consider that if I need to in the future. My weather is not as intense as some of yours. However, I had a car salesman take me through his lot one day...and the results were the opposite of Worth's. My hands could not touch the black car for one second without getting burned. The white cars were so much cooler to touch is wasn't funny. The gray/neutral colors were in the middle. Very impressive demo by the salesman. However, I still get what you are saying about wrapping and creating a heat barrier.

Worth1 · June 30, 2016

Strange I have seen white cars that were hot but black cars are horrible.
Maybe it was the pigment in the paint.

Both cars will be hot on the inside though from the windows.

Anyone notice if you lay a steel bar down it will get hot but if you stand it up it wont.
This still baffles me.

Worth

Ed of Somis · June 30, 2016

Yea, I think we are all saying the same thing...with a different twist. I know when I was young and looking for girls...I liked to have a tan face. If I laid in the sun to tan...it was important to get the sun angle correct. Indirect UV's were not too effective. I think there are similarities here with container growing. Any of this make sense???

Worth1 · June 30, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed of Somis

Yea, I think we are all saying the same thing...with a different twist. I know when I was young and looking for girls...I liked to have a tan face. If I laid in the sun to tan...it was important to get the sun angle correct. Indirect UV's were not too effective. I think there are similarities here with container growing. Any of this make sense???

That heat you feel on your skin in the sun is IR light or energy.
The UV light does not put out any heat that I know of.
This is what fools a lot of people on the beach on a cloudy day when they get toasted.

So in effect you could use IR blocking film to stop from cooking your plants.
Worth

Merediana · July 1, 2016

And I'm sitting here using black containers on purpose so my tomatoes can get a bit extra warmth in this cold summer

I really see a huge difference to my neighbours in ground plants (I gave them my leftover plants - no runts, all equal with the ones I kept) and they are all growing so much slower because the soil doesn't heat up properly.

I'm using all the tricks including not watering in the evening so the plants stay warmer during the night...

IF we get some hot days I'll probably try a white garbage bag because it's cheap and easy. I only struggle with my root pouch it dries out sooo much quicker than the buckets...

June 29, 2016	#18
dmforcier Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,825	Ed, Salty, you're missing half the point by just painting the pots. Yes adding reflectivity will help a little, but what really makes the difference is air gap between the wrapper and the pot. In other words, shade the pot. . __________________ Stupidity got us into this mess. Why can't it get us out? - Will Rogers

June 29, 2016	#23
dmforcier Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,825	No no no. You shade the pot not with a building or tree, but with the bag or foil or whatever that you wrap it with. It won't affect the sun getting to the flowers at all. Let me try a slightly different emphasis: shade the pot. __________________ Stupidity got us into this mess. Why can't it get us out? - Will Rogers

June 29, 2016	#17
Barb_FL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Indialantic, Florida Posts: 2,000	Ricky - your garden looks fantastic! What a rebound from the hail damage. Thanks for the idea re: the foil bubble wrap. I want to try it for the fall season. Is this it? http://www.homedepot.com/p/Reflectix...6025/100012574 Seems like a good price;

June 29, 2016	#21
JaxRmrJmr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Jax, FL - 9A Posts: 172	I have never really had problems with heat (or least I don't think I have), but I used the cheap foil from the dollar store this year to wrap my buckets. I was more so trying to save the bucket from deteriorating from our intense summer sun. I don't remember exactly but I was getting somewhere around 5-7 buckets covered per roll.

June 29, 2016	#22
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	I completely agree. If I had something to create a dead air space I would. The reason I'm painting those two pots is because the flowers that'll be planted in them only bloom in the sun. I'll put them in an area that gets morning sun and afternoon/evening shade.

June 29, 2016	#24
fonseca Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 205	Reflectix is what I use as well, the foil-backed bubble version. It is not cheap, but it traps a layer of air that helps isolate containers from the heat, which is more effective than foil. I have a lot more containers this year, so only a third are covered with reflectix, and the plants in uncovered containers are suffering. My 27 gallon black tubs are not insulated, and those plants in particular are all heat stressed despite having a full water reservoir. I was counting on the cucumber plants to shade the containers... Loosely wrapping containers in a few layers of burlap/jute fabric can also make a big difference, and is more economical.

June 30, 2016	#25
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	If you can get cheap dash protectors for cars with the bubble wrap they would be good to cut and wrap pots with.

June 30, 2016	#26
Ed of Somis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Somis, Ca Posts: 649	I totally understand what you all are saying about "wrapping" a pot....rather than just painting. I will consider that if I need to in the future. My weather is not as intense as some of yours. However, I had a car salesman take me through his lot one day...and the results were the opposite of Worth's. My hands could not touch the black car for one second without getting burned. The white cars were so much cooler to touch is wasn't funny. The gray/neutral colors were in the middle. Very impressive demo by the salesman. However, I still get what you are saying about wrapping and creating a heat barrier.

June 30, 2016	#27
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Strange I have seen white cars that were hot but black cars are horrible. Maybe it was the pigment in the paint. Both cars will be hot on the inside though from the windows. Anyone notice if you lay a steel bar down it will get hot but if you stand it up it wont. This still baffles me. Worth

July 1, 2016	#30
Merediana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: germany Posts: 190	And I'm sitting here using black containers on purpose so my tomatoes can get a bit extra warmth in this cold summer I really see a huge difference to my neighbours in ground plants (I gave them my leftover plants - no runts, all equal with the ones I kept) and they are all growing so much slower because the soil doesn't heat up properly. I'm using all the tricks including not watering in the evening so the plants stay warmer during the night... IF we get some hot days I'll probably try a white garbage bag because it's cheap and easy. I only struggle with my root pouch it dries out sooo much quicker than the buckets...