How to Protect Cast Iron Planters
If you have a cast iron planter filled with ornamental plants, you have quite a dilemma. The very thing that your greenery needs to thrive is the biggest enemy of your planter: water. Water causes your cast iron planters to rust. Once the rust is established, you must remove it immediately to stop corrosion and preserve your planter. After planting a garden urn, the last thing you want is to uproot plants and dump out the soil to remove rust. Instead, the key to protecting an urn is to take preventative steps to protect it.
Inspect your planter for signs of rust. Eliminating rust before it can corrode a cast iron surface will keep your planter in good condition.
- If you have a cast iron planter filled with ornamental plants, you have quite a dilemma.
- After planting a garden urn, the last thing you want is to uproot plants and dump out the soil to remove rust.
Remove rust spots by rubbing your planter vigorously with a wire brush.
Paint your cast iron planter to shield it from the elements. According to Barbara Israel, owner of Barbara Israel Garden Antiques, painting cast iron is how the Victorians protected their cast iron urns. Some Victorian iron garden pieces may have up to 21 coats of paint on them that have been added over time.
Allow the first coat of paint to dry. Then brush on a second coat of paint. Multiple coats of paint will give the planter the aged texture of old iron.
- Remove rust spots by rubbing your planter vigorously with a wire brush.
- Multiple coats of paint will give the planter the aged texture of old iron.
Rub paste wax over the surface of the cast iron to protect it from moisture.
Tip
Inspect your planter for rust and apply paste wax to the exterior yearly to prevent rust. Retouch the paint every few years.
A newer type of finish for cast iron is a powder coat resin pigment finish. Powder coat finishes can be applied with a spray gun and then baked on. This is a more durable finish than paint, but according to Barbara Israel, surfaces that have powder coat finishes never develop the aged patina that repeated painting provides.
Related Articles
References
Tips
- Inspect your planter for rust and apply paste wax to the exterior yearly to prevent rust. Retouch the paint every few years.
- A newer type of finish for cast iron is a powder coat resin pigment finish. Powder coat finishes can be applied with a spray gun and then baked on. This is a more durable finish than paint, but according to Barbara Israel, surfaces that have powder coat finishes never develop the aged patina that repeated painting provides.
Writer Bio
Tracy Morris has been a freelance writer since 2000. She has published novels and numerous online articles. Her work has appeared in national magazines and newspapers including "Ferrets," "CatFancy," "Lexington Herald Leader" and "The Tulsa World." She holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of Arkansas.
