[dinahdabble]

I am lucky since my house has just been cavity-wall insulated, and I have a big bag of polystyrene granuals that escaped through an air vent during the job. The workmen say they are not toxic, but that they do have a kind of glue on them. Does anyone know if I can use them in planters? I have heard of people using polystyrene, but the glue worries me. If anyone has experience or chemical insight into this stuff, please let me know.

Dinah.

[verge]

Have a look at this dinahdabble.
Bubble wrap, polystyrene foam & cardboard use in gardens.

[dinahdabble]

Thanks. I can see from the articla that the polystyrene could be very useful to me. I am still worried about the glue that it is spreyed with, and wondered if anyone knew if it would be taken up by the plants. I will limit my use of it to ornamentals and keep it away from the veg for the time being.
Dinah.

[Liparis]

I think you would need to find out what sort of glue it is first and that may not be easy.
Bill.

[dinahdabble]

I decided to go ahead with the polistirene insulation in some of my non-edible planter displays. I realy put a load in, so as to be sure of the outcome - over half filling the tubs befor adding potting compost. The displays have been very good indeed. I still wouldn't risk puting anything edible into these containers, but certainly, the flowers (fuscia, dalia, panzy, sweet pea and a range of other bedding plants have florished. So if you have cavity wall insulation, and some of it escapes under the sink, or in through the extractor fan, or into the fitted cupbourds... etc, etc... asuming that it is the same type as mine, it is fine for potting flowers.

Dinah

[Garlicbreath]

We had the cavity wall insulation done last Spring but the filling was wool of some kind so the birds made off with all the scraps that escaped