how do I make light weight planters?

Question

maybe with peat moss or fiberglass

Answer 1

takady,
Hold on.

I have a magazine that has a different way.

While you are waiting (lol) , wire baskets are used to support Green Moss, Spanish Moss, and coco fiber. Allow for as much potting siol as possible, as the plants that you use need the moisture and potting medium to grow their roots.

Out of:
Sunset Garden Guide Fall Planting Ideas 1998, Page 94:
Tools
*Wheelbarrow or large container for mixing ingredients
* Lightweight plastic sheets or garbage bags
* Two or three pieces of wood dowel, 1/4 inch in diameter and at least 5" long
* Mold(s). Options include rubber dishpan, old plastic pot, clay pot, plastic mixing bowl, wood or heavy cardboard box, or, for a large sink, a plastic foam chest (approximately 9" by 18" by 7")
*Rubber gloves
*Painters dust mask

Materials:
*1 cubic foot peat moss
*4 dry quarts vermiculite
*47pound bag portland cement
*Water
*Fibermesh (large containers only)

Mix the ingredients in the wheelbarrow or other large container,
3 parts peat moss
3 parts vermiculite
2 parts portland cement

Add 1 part fibermesh for containers 2+ feet long
Add just enough water to make the ingredients malleable. Mix well.

It goes into more, but you ar interested, click on my name and e-mail me, I'll type oput the rest.

There are many already made light weight pots available these days. The foam containers are pretty good. Some of the fiberglass containers still have a bit of weight to them. All your garden centers have them.

Answer 2

I agree with step. You can take any planter that you can comfortably manage and put in a layer of broken up Styrofoam on the bottom of it, up to 1/3 of the depth, and then fill the rest of the way with your filler planting medium of choice. Just a note about peat moss: when it is wet it can be REALLY heavy, and when it is dry, it can be very difficult to get it to absorb water again.

Answer 3

I take wire baskets and line with chicken wire first.....then spaghnum moss which has been soaked in water well....add some soil...then you can clip the wire where you want to and stick in plants on the side as well as planting on top......fill in the soil as needed with plenty of slow release fertilizer as the mosses dry out rapidly, so water well..........they are gorgeous when you can stick in from the side petunia and other trailing plants.......good luck...

Answer 4

An easy way........


Buy a planter, put aluminum soda cans in the bottom as much as possible, and fill the top with dirt.


planter will weigh half as much..Cheap too

Answer 5

styrofoam is an option too.