What is the best thing to put in the bottom of planters?

If you have an especially big planter to fill, light, bulky materials are your best bet. Examples include plastic drink containers, milk jugs, crushed soda cans, foam packing materials and plastic or foam take-out containers.

Do you need rocks at the bottom of a planter?

You do need a nice substantial layer of rock ( or one of the above) if you don’t have drainage holes at the bottom. (Yes you want drainage holes, but I know some of you are going to use cache pots without holes to plant in any way.) The substantial layer on the bottom gives a place for the excess water to go.

What do you put in the bottom of a wooden planter?

Place a sheet of plastic or metal screen cloth over the entire bottom of the pot to keep drainage holes open. Alternatively, put shards of broken flowerpot or other pottery over the holes.

How do I get good drainage in my pots?

Placing a layer of gravel or broken pottery pieces on the bottom of the container, below the soil, can help stop the flow of dirt through larger holes. Alternatively, instead of using gravel to prevent the potting mix from escaping through the drainage holes, use a landscaping fabric.

What do you use to line a planter box?

Line the entire planter with a sheet of plastic, trimming it so that it reaches but does not go over the rim. Staple the plastic all the way around the rim. Using a screwdriver or sharp stick, poke through the drilled drainage holes to let excess water drain out of the plastic liner.

Why do some plant pots not have holes?

Why Do Pots Need Drain Holes? With the exception of a few aquatic plants, plant roots don’t like to sit in water. They need to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with the air, and excess water closes off the air pockets in soil. Plants in pots without drainage holes are prone to becoming overwatered.

What can be used for drainage of potted plants?

Materials That Can Be Used for Drainage of Potted Plants 1 Liner Pot. Decorative ceramic or terra cotta planters do not always have drainage holes drilled in the bottom of the pots. 2 Coffee Filters. One challenge with planters that have drainage holes is soil washing out through the holes when watering the plant. 3 Gravel. 4 Perlite. …

What can I use to drain my pots?

Liner Pot. Decorative ceramic or terra cotta planters do not always have drainage holes drilled in the bottom of the pots. Use a plastic planting container that has drainage holes as a liner inside of a larger decorative planter to ensure that the soil drains.

What to put in the bottom of a trough planter?

Some people place a sponge in the bottom of their planter to absorb extra moisture (and prevent dirt from falling out the drainage hole). If your large plant pots and trough planters don’t have a drainage hole, Kevin at Epic Gardening shows how to DIY.

What to put in bottom of potted plants?

At the bottom of a container, they will prevent your plants from drowning in too much water. Don’t have enough of the previous two ingredients? Try wood chips or pine bark nuggets.

What can you use as a base for potting soil?

These experts suggest that using items like rocks, pot shards, sand, pebbles or gravel as a base for the pot under the soil is very bad for drainage. The truth is, only potting soil ought to be used in a pot with maybe a little bit of a filler material mixed into it.

Why is it important to have good drainage in a pot?

Having good drainage in a potted plant is clearly very important for the health of the plant, but luckily, it isn’t difficult to achieve. Drainage holes, quality potting soil, and not putting drainage materials in the bottom of the pot should be more than enough to keep the plant healthy and root rot free.