Many stainless steel planters advertise a plastic liner.  Those are generally made out of the 304-grade stainless steel and the plastic liner keeps the moisture away from the inner planter walls; however, they still develop rust on the outside of the planter when used in outdoor application.

316-grade stainless steel is made with molybdenum and is manufactured for outdoor use.  The molybdenum provides higher resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion and gives 316 better overall corrosion resistant properties, which is not present in Grade 304.

A planter made with the 316-grade stainless steel will provide you with years of use and enjoyment without rust inside or outside.

The post Will my stainless steel planter rust? appeared first on Nice Planter LLC.

My neighbor taught me this trick after she purchased one of our Corten Steel planters.  She uses empty plastic water bottles to fill up the planter about half way and then fills the planter up with dirt to the top.

This approach has several benefits:

1) The planter is not as heavy because half of it is filled with air that is inside the empty water bottles.

2) You can use less dirt to plant.

3) Plastic bottles at the bottom of the planter allow for excellent drainage.

4) Plastic bottles at the bottom of the planter promote air circulation and will help to keep the roots of your plant cool.

5) This is a great way to reuse the bottles which may otherwise end up in the trash.

Tip: make sure the water bottle caps are nice and tight on the bottles.  Each bottle should act as an air bubble and keeping the caps tight helps ensure the bottles do not collapse under the weight of the dirt.

The post Planting in deep planters / pots and how to make large planters lighter appeared first on Nice Planter LLC.

Say you are filling your planter box or flower pot with dirt on the deck or inside the house and you do not want dirt coming out from the drainage holes, but you still need the planter to drain.  You can run to home depot and get some landscaping cloth (about $10).  But why do that?  Just line the bottom of your planter with newspaper or brown paper grocery bags.  The paper will allow the water to drain while keeping the dirt from falling out.  Also the paper will retain moisture, so less frequent watering needed.

I would stay away from using magazines, as all that paint on magazine pages will most likely prevent water from draining.

The post How to line the bottom of a planter on the cheap appeared first on Nice Planter LLC.

If you do not want to wait for a couple of weeks, wash the planter with warm water and soap when you first receive it.  This will remove any remnants of oil and the water will react with the metal initiating oxidation (rusting).  A periodic mist of water will accelerate the oxidation process, especially if you are in a dry climate.

Spraying vinegar onto the planter will give it the rust look in a matter of minutes.  This rust however washes off, so the next time it rains, your rust will be gone.  The planter really just needs a few months, with or without vinegar, to gain a natural layer of rust and seal.

The post We often get asked about the best way to rust a Corten Steel Planter or are there things that can be done to make the planter rust faster. appeared first on Nice Planter LLC.