GRC Pots
There are many trees out there, both ornamental and edible, that can grow beautifully in pots, so long as you pick the right pot for that tree. If you’ve ever had a look at online pots, the sheer amount of choice can be overwhelming – plastic, ceramic, concrete, wooden – which pot material is best?
When it comes to growing designer trees in containers, large GRC pots are what you need. Here’s why…
What are GRC Pots?
GRC stands for Glass Reinforced Concrete, and this is becoming an increasingly popular material to use for garden pots. It consists of high-strength fibreglass along with a sand and cement mix, with this unique blend resulting in a super-strong, but ultra-lightweight, plant pot.
The reason why large GRC pots are so often recommended for trees is that they are strong enough to contain all of those spreading roots while being lightweight enough to be easily moved around a garden. Large GRC pots may look heavy, especially since the material’s density is so similar to pure concrete, but GRC is actually 70% lighter than concrete, and is also lighter than terracotta and terrazzo too, making it much easier to handle.
GRC is also a completely frost-resistant material, meaning that you won’t have to worry about your large GRC pots becoming damaged when the temperatures start to drop. Fires are something else that GRC can withstand – it won’t burn when exposed to flames, helping to keep your potted plants safe.
Online pots are available in so many different shapes, sizes, and styles, and large GRC pots are no exception. Due to how versatile GRC is, it can be moulded into just about any shape and style imaginable, with many of the designs used being pretty complex. Details are easy to add in too, whether this may be a striking texture, intricate ornamental elements, or anything else, which is how large GRC pots always manage to beautifully complement a feature tree.
GRC is also a material that can be easily coloured with paints and pigments, making them easy to incorporate into any style of garden.
Many gardeners are moving away from plastic pots – once they break, which often happens very easily, they then end up in landfills, contributing to the many environmental problems the planet is already facing. Concrete pots aren’t much better, as large carbon dioxide emissions are released during their manufacturing process.
However, this is where large GRC pots really stand out…
Since they use less cement than traditional concrete, the emissions that come from producing them are significantly lower. So much so that GRC is officially listed as a sustainable material.
Large GRC pots are becoming increasingly popular, so you’ve probably already come across a few while online pot browsing. If you’re planning on container-growing a tree, large GRC pots really are the way to go – not only will they keep your tree safe, protecting it from weather extremities, but their lightweight nature means that you can easily move your tree around your garden if needed, whether this may be to adapt its light levels with the seasons or to place it in a warmer location during the winter.
Dress Up Your Garden with Large GRC (Glass Reinforced Concrete) Pots
Large GRC (Glass Reinforced Concrete) pots can make your container gardening easier than you ever thought possible. As every gardener knows, large plants require large pots. If you are growing young trees or even certain types of vegetables, an ordinary houseplant pot just is not going to do the job. The big problem with this is that big pots are heavy.
Many large garden planters are made of cast concrete and can be extremely difficult to move from one place to another. This is where GRC pots are almost magical. Sometimes also called GFRC pots, these planters are made from concrete that is reinforced with glass fibre. The fibre helps bind the concrete together, creating a pot that is both lightweight and strong.
Of course, when you add earth and a young tree to a GRC pot, it is still going to have some mass, and you might want to put some wheels under it to move it from place to place, but you will have the option to move the pots themselves into position before you add the coarse drain material and growing medium as well as the plant that is intended for that pot.
Convenience is always nice, but if you are purchasing something to house a prize grass tree, or your favourite dragon tree, or even that sweet little agave that just seems to be getting bigger and bigger, then you want a pot that is as special as the plant that will be growing in it.
One of the great things about GRC pots is that not only are they lightweight, yet strong, but they can also be moulded into a variety of shapes ranging from your basic cube right on up through elegant Grecian or Egyptian urns, moulded with grapes and fruits or glazed to look like exotic temple ornaments that might have graced the steps of the famous hanging gardens.
You can have a wide selection of colours, as well, ranging from basic terra cotta to sleek designer colours that can help highlight your special plants. More than that, with a wide range of colours and shapes you can select pots that will go with the theme you have set for your greenspace, whether the pots are destined for a sunny place in your summer garden or a more permanent position in a greenhouse, solar living space, patio, balcony.
While one of the attractive features of GRC pots is being able to have a large, strong, durable pot that is still sufficiently lightweight to move about without special equipment, the material can be used to make smaller containers as well as large ones. In fact, one approach is to have a set of GRC pots in graduated sizes. These sets can help tie a garden area into a graceful arrangement while accommodating different sizes and styles of plants.
It is easy to see why many gardeners are raving about these pots. They combine practicality, design, colour, and size to allow you to design the appearance of your garden your way. No more wrestling a heavy concrete planter from one location to another, or having to chivvy it onto a dolly or rolling platform to be able to move it.
Better yet, no more need to compromise on design, by installing almost match items with established items. Many companies will produce the pots you want on demand. If you don’t want to wait for a bespoken pot, most sellers will have a wide selection of GRC pots from which you can select the best one for your garden.
In no time at all, you can be the envy of your fellow gardeners or members of your local garden club. Better yet, you will be able to select the right size pot for the plants you are growing so that they are comfortable and grow well. After all, when you are container gardening, it all starts with the container. GRC pots can be the answer to your container gardening needs.