Watertight aluminum planters – drainage solution

Aluminum powder coated planters offer an attractive and durable solution for adding landscaping to an existing urban location. The benefits of aluminum planters are: rustproof, crackproof, frost-proof and pest-proof. It is important to note, that the soil inside the planters contains minerals which can be carried by water runoff from watering the plants and may stain adjacent materials such as concrete. For this reason, on a recent project in Seattle, the planters were not allowed to drain onto the adjacent sidewalk. To work around this restriction, we manufactured the planter boxes with no drain holes and welded all seams to be watertight. Also, the client built in a clever water collection and monitoring system, which can be pumped out as necessary. A layer of gravel with a geotextile fabric are placed on the bottom of the planters and a PVC pipe extends from the gravel to the soil surface to be used with a kayak pump to remove excess water. To grow healthy plants all planters have to drain. Proper drainage assures optimal soil pH levels and prevents watterlogging, which is harmful to plant roots.