On 3/28/12 3:59 PM, New2this wrote:
Hello all.

Am very new to this gardening lark and am seeking advice on potting
plants.
I have recently acquired two lovely Bay trees that are doing very well
much to my surprise.
I have decided to take it up a notch and am a little bemused.
I have 3 lovely copper hanging pots approx 9inches wide x 9.5 deep and
can't decide what would be best to put in them?? I would like something
that lives all year round (not necessarily flowering) but they will have
to cope with extreme weather I.e FULL sun in spring/summer and gale
force winds any other time!!
Also can the plants be planted directly into the copper or should the be
kept in plastic??
Help please!!

The copper will very slowly disolve into the potting soil. Copper is
toxic to most (all?) plants when taken up by roots. It is used as a
fungicide (especially as copper sulfate) on fruit trees and other plants
because it is deadly to fungus and does not harm most plants when
applied to the foliage. However, it can kill desired plants if it is
present in the soil. In the garden, it will leach below the level where
roots can find it, thus avoiding damage to plants; but in a pot, it will
gradually become more and more concentrated.

Use some kind of flower pot inserted into the copper pots, either
plastic, terra cotta, or clay. To prevent standing water from carrying
copper back into the inserted flower pot, be sure the copper pot has a
small hole in the bottom to prevent standing water.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary