StoneLite Fluted Tubs

The StoneLite Fluted Tub is a rounded, bellied planter cast from glass-reinforced concrete, made in four sizes from 42cm to 56cm across. Vertical fluting runs the height of the pot, and the material gives the surface of solid concrete at about a third of the weight. It suits a garden that wants a softer silhouette than a straight cylinder gives.

Why you'll love it

• Volume in a small footprint. The belly holds more soil than the rim width suggests, so a 48cm tub takes 85 litres and rides out a hot spell.
• Light enough to move. Nine to fifteen kilograms empty across the range, which is what glass-reinforced concrete buys over solid cast concrete.
• Eleven finishes. Raw concrete, plus ten Dulux Weathershield custom-spray colours from White on White through Neutral Grey to Charcoal and Terracotta.

Sizes and what fits in them

Measurements are outside dimensions, diameter by height.

• 42 x 42cm, 58 L, 9kg. A compact shrub, a dwarf citrus, or herbs by the kitchen door.
• 42 x 50cm, 67 L, 11kg. The same width with more depth, which suits anything sending roots straight down.
• 48 x 48cm, 85 L, 12kg. A clipped ball, a cordyline or a small feature plant with room to stay put for years.
• 56 x 56cm, 15kg. The largest in the range, for when the pot is meant to be seen from across the garden.

Material, weathering and drainage

Material. Glass-reinforced concrete, cast thin over a fibre matrix, which keeps the wall light and still strong.

Outdoors. Custom-spray colours are finished in Dulux Weathershield, with a 15 year guarantee against blistering, peeling and flaking. That covers the coating staying put, not the shade, and raw concrete patinas the way concrete does. Almost any custom colour can be sprayed to order for an extra $60.

Drainage. The tub has drainage holes. Keep them clear, stand the pot on feet, cover each hole with fibreglass flyscreen rather than fabric or geofabric, which clogs, then add 50mm of 10mm gravel and fill with a premium potting mix rather than garden soil.

What to expect when it arrives

Pots ship empty. Raw concrete is dispatched in 2 to 5 business days, and custom spray colours are made to order, so allow 2 to 3 weeks. Tubs are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. A 42 x 42cm tub is an easy one person carry empty, and a two person job with 58 litres of wet mix in it.

Related pots and planting

• See the egg and round pot range
• Browse concrete and stone pots
• How to pot up without setting a plant back
• Plants that do well in containers