Appreciation: House plants in tin cans?

Discussion in 'Indoor and Greenhouse Plants' started by TotalAlina, Dec 2, 2013.

  1. TotalAlina

    TotalAlina Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Maryland, USA
    Just came across a cute webpage (this one: http://www.homemadesimple.com/en-us/garden/pages/jade-plant-basics.aspx) that suggests putting house plants into tin cans. They either recommend making small holes for drainage or putting rocks on the bottom to avoid root rot. Now, it so happens that I have a cute tin can collection AND my regular pots are all pretty boring, so this would be a really interesting solution. However, I am afraid that (1) the can will rust through and through quickly; (2) the plant will suffer from the rust.

    Has anyone made this work, and if so, how?
     
  2. saltcedar

    saltcedar Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Austin, Tx
    Back in the Day.... nurseries used all manner of Tin Cans as pots. Quart oil cans were particularly popular. Yes they'll rust out but not likely before they'd need repotting anyway.
     
  3. SeeSchloss

    SeeSchloss New Member

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    Location:
    Nantes, France
    I have plants growing in tin cans. One of the cans (a ground coffee container) rusted quite fast (in six months or so), the other (a large cookie box) has been holding well for a year and a half now.

    You can see in the first picture how the coffee can fit very well inside a kind of toy watering can (which rusted about as fast as the coffee can, too). The plant inside does just fine in water though, so I simply moved it to a water container. The other container is on top left, the second picture was just after I dumped the rusty coffee can.

    I don't think the rust has any effect on the plants though, the only problem is that is allows water to leak from under the can and onto the furniture.
     

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