There are 5 reasons large garden planters crack, and one simple solution so that you never have to deal with cracked planters again.
Cracked planters are annoying to say the least. For one, it’s expensive to continually repurchase planters. Even inexpensive planters start to add up when you have to rebuy them every other year or so. Not to mention, repotting is stressful for plants, and could even jeopardize their life.
The number one reason large garden planters crack is because they are not made to withstand the elements. We know this firsthand because it’s the reason TerraCast is what it is today. We were founded on sustainable practices, not just in the factory but also in terms of creating long-lasting products. This includes creating planters capable of withstanding a wide range of elements without suffering cracks, discoloration, rust and so forth.
Let’s take a more technical look at 5 reasons most garden planters on the market crack.
They Are Porous
For some reason, planter manufacturers continue to use porous materials. If something is porous that means water and other elements can soak deep inside, hence how stubborn stains and extensive water damage are produced.
Once water soaks inside of your planter walls, freeze and thaw cycles occur as the weather heats up and cools down. During these cycles the water trapped inside expands and contracts as it turns from water to ice and back again. This creates an unsustainable pressure that eventually causes the planter to form small cracks before breaking entirely.
Your standard garden planter is made with a topcoat meant to shield the planter from water and other intruders but this top layer is quick to wear off. All that it takes is a golf cart or weed whacker bumping into your planter and the topcoat is penetrated, allowing water to get inside.
Frozen soil is a common cause of cracks in planters; they may start off small, even invisible to the eye, but over time these microscopic cracks start to crumble the entire planter. Once a planter cracks it is not repairable.
Another huge issue with porous planters relates to stain absorption. Porous materials soak in stains like a sponge, hence why everyday planters are often ruined by graffiti.
TerraCast understands the importance of creating non-porous planters, thus greatly reducing the risk for planter cracks. Our planters are also great at resisting stains; even graffiti is easy to clean off. All that you need is a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to remove vandalism.
They Are Too Heavy
Large garden planters should not be heavy. Once filled with soil, plants and plenty of water it is only going to increase in weight. If you start off with a heavy planter, for instance a stone planter, you are going to be hard-pressed to move it when needed. As a result, overly heavy planters are often dropped during transportation, thus resulting in a cracked or completely shattered planter.
TerraCast creates a durable yet lightweight planter like none other thanks to our unique resin-based blend. As a result, it’s much easier to move planters around; reducing the risk someone drops it. Even if you are coveting the look of stone, we can create that look for you without the heavy drawbacks.
Even if you do drop our planters, there’s no need to worry. Trust us, we make a truly durable planter. We’ve even thrown our planters off the roof to see if they would break… and they don’t!
Planters Are Not Made To Withstand Impact
Traditional large garden planters are not made to withstand much impact at all. This is contradictory to the fact planters are often forced to endure all kinds of impact, from golf balls to weed whackers and even cars crashing into them. Depending on where your planters are located, worlds of things are waiting to crash into them. If it only takes a little impact to break or crack a planter it won’t be long before you’re replacing it.
We have literally seen our planters hit by cars. After the mess of broken glass is cleaned up, our planters are simply pushed back into proper positioning. We actually enjoy messing around with the actual strength of our planters, as it always amazes us. In fact, we’ve even thrown planters off the top of our roof, clubbed them repeatedly with golf clubs, and time after time our planters sustain 0 damage.
They Are Not Waterproof
Most planters are not waterproof, despite the fact they are meant to hold water and sit outdoors. Stone, clay and concrete planters are all susceptible to water damage, as are many other popular planter materials.
Water is capable of producing a lot more damage than people often assume. That means the key to preventing damage is to keep out water. It’s not just rain or sprinkler systems that create the potential for water damage; moisture in the air is another contributor. If you live near the coast, the rich salty air will create damage even faster.
Our non-hydroscopic and non-porous resin planters don’t allow water or erosion to take place. Instead, they are built through and through to resist water damage.
You’re Not Buying Planters From TerraCast
The number one reason your large garden planters continue to crack is because you’re not buying TerraCast Planters! There’s nothing else like our indestructible resin-based planters on the market. We welcome you to say goodbye to cracked planters and hello to long-lasting planters you can rely on.
Shop our full line of large garden planters here: Planters.