Native Plants
![](../_images/smarty_plants.gif)
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
![](../_images/mr_smarty_plants_logo_web_200w.jpg)
rate this answer
![](../_images/star_00.gif)
Tuesday - February 24, 2015
From: Newtown Square, PA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Diseases and Disorders
Title: Safe Concrete Planters For Plants?
Answered by: Anne Van Nest
QUESTION:
We are building low concrete walls around a patio (in Washington, DC). Can we create the walls to act as planters or will the lime leaching make the soil too inhospitable for most plants?ANSWER:
Beck Cowles has written a good article about building raised beds for plants and includes the pros and cons of the different materials available. It is on the Ecology Center website. This is a non-profit group in Berkley that has been focusing on the environmental impacts of urban living for over 40 years. Beck says that concrete less than one year old can leach lime, affecting soil pH and suggests that lining the planter can prevent the lime from entering the soil.
As an alternative to this, Claudia Brownlee on her website, Artistic Garden talks about making hypertufa containers out of cement and soaking the containers for at least 3 days to leach the excess lime out so the planter won't be toxic to plants. She also suggest if containers are too big for soaking that hosing them down 2-3 times a day for 3-5 days will also work. Other suggestions include leaving the container outside for 1-2 months so the rain leaches out the lime. Good luck with your planter.
More Diseases and Disorders Questions
Texas persimmon with scorched leaves from Austin
July 11, 2013 - I planted a Texas Persimmon seedling (five gallon) in my yard in early April. It is in a sunny, well-drained spot, and I have watered it regularly since planting. All was fine until the last weekend i...
view the full question and answer
Growing Dwarf Yaupon Holly in Texas
December 04, 2013 - We planted 10 extra dwarf yaupons in our Austin front yard. They were identified as 'Gremici' dwarf yaupon. I googled them to get more information about them in order to determine why five have di...
view the full question and answer
Bulging trunks on post oak
August 05, 2011 - I have a huge post oak with a codominant trunk that is bulging between the two main trunks. The bulging is causing the trunks to spread apart, so one of the trunks is getting much too close to the ho...
view the full question and answer
Small tan balls on oak from Pipe Creek TX
May 21, 2014 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, our spanish oak is growing tan colored lumpy balls about the size and weight of a marshmallow..sometimes just one at the end of a short stem and sometimes 2-3 clumped together....
view the full question and answer
Demise of Flameleaf Sumac in Austin, TX.
July 31, 2012 - My Flameleaf Sumac suddenly died. Beetles came out around the trunk when I cut it down. How can I prevent this on the other sumac?
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |