The most popular options are rocks, packing peanuts, and old 2 litre bottles. While decorative pots like this add to the beautiful dramatic appearance of container gardens, they have some drawbacks. Drill 1/2 inch holes 4 inches apart around the bottom edge. Hey everyone I just bought a really small schefflera plant and I bought a bigger pot to put it in. A Styrofoam container holds more potting mix than many plants require. In the past, it was recommended that broken pieces of clay pots, rocks, wood chips or Styrofoam packing peanuts be placed in the bottom of pots as filler and to improve drainage. If you plan on moving your container regularly, filler can help reduce its weight. Otherwise, plant roots will grow into the peanuts, creating a mess when you want to switch plants. And the best part is you can plant these Styrofoam planters up in just a day or two. Not to mention, purchasing enough potting soil to fill large pots can become quite expensive. For small planter and flowering pots, plastic mesh, weed barriers, and cheesecloth are viable options. You can put old newspapers, magazines on the bottom of the raised bed garden. I say put some rocks in the bottom, and mix some in your dirt so that it will resemble a more natural growing environment. Always use eye protection and gloves when using power tools. The good news is there are many materials you can use to fill your planter. Styrofoam is lightweight but does Styrofoam help with drainage? With vegetables needing 8 inches of soil, don't use more than 3 or 4 inches of foam in a pot 12 inches deep. Large planters can take bag after bag of soil. When filled with potting medium, large pots can be extremely heavy and unmovable. With this method, container designs can easily be changed out each season, plant roots are contained within the potting mix and, if Styrofoam filler does break down in time, it can be easily fixed. Sign up for our newsletter. For decades, container gardeners have used Styrofoam for drainage. Plastic window screening: You can buy big rolls of plastic window screening for very little and cut pieces to fit the bottom of your pots.This is a cheap and easy way to cover your drainage holes, letting water out and keeping soil in. It is not that you can’t put a layer of gravel at the bottom, it’s just you won’t have to, and there are times it is just easier to care for your plant if you didn’t. Container gardening lets gardeners grow vegetables in small spaces like balconies and patios. In pots with little to no drainage, the area of Styrofoam may be waterlogged and cause these plant roots to rot or die. Read more articles about Container Gardens. But filling such large planters can sometimes take several bags of potting soil. Irregardless of whether you have drainage holes you should pick up some 3/4" drain rock at your local rockery (you can get in bags). Hi,what can I put in the bottom of large flower pots besides styrofoam peanuts to take up some room so I don't have to use lots of potting soil.I prefer not to use regualr dirt as it makes the pot lots heavier than potting soil does.I thought about newspaper but what else could be used.Thanks in advance. Packing peanuts: A lot of people use packing peanuts in the bottom of their pots.They are cheap and do work, but there are some disadvantages: Large planters can be very heavy if filled with soil and drainage rocks. If you want to use less dirt in your planter you can fill it partially with styrofoam packing peanuts before adding dirt. Lots of good suggestions but one thing for sure - if you use any type of styrofoam/peanuts please put them in pantyhose or something similar that you can close up/seal so they will not be a mess when time comes to change the plant or soil. So I was wondering, what filler at the bottom of the pot do some of you use so you use less soil? Blocks of foam also can be used as filler. After that, you either have to store it or find something to do with it. Put the newspapers on the bottom in a manner so the edges of newspapers overlap each … What Is a Raised Garden Bed? But still, something is better than nothing. We’ve got four easy ways to help you fill out the bottom of your containers with materials you probably never thought of. Many glazed decorative pots may also lack proper drainage holes or do not drain well due to all the potting mix. What to Put in the Bottom of a Large Planter. If you don't weight the bottom then the dirt and plants in the top will make it top heavy and the planter could fall over . because it will have or get root rot from all the water, and you can drowned it out. Large urns and tall decorative glazed pots are especially popular these days. Because foam is a man-made material, concerns have arisen about chemicals leaching from foam into the soil and contaminating plants. The rocks help drainage, but are not totally necessary so long as you have holes at the bottom. Pot fillers are also a great opportunity to recycle non-biodegradable trash like plastic. Soaking these packing peanuts or broken bits of Styrofoam in a tub of water for several days can help you determine if the type you have breaks down or not. Drainage is dear to your flowers and plants. Read on to learn more about using Styrofoam for container filler. I have also used crushed pop cans and plastic bottles as well as pea rock. Here is an excellent link that has several suggestions that might be what you are looking for. The Styrofoam planter above is planted with Platycodon “Sentimental Blue” which is a tiny Balloon Flower. The size of the container and the vegetables you're growing dictate how much foam to add to the pot. You may end up drowning your plant or causing root rot. Building a Raised Garden Bed on Grass. Potting soil is not cheap, so whether you are using a large planter as a statement piece for a smaller plant or for a large tree, in most cases you do not need to fill the whole planter with soil. With large planters and pots, consider more space occupying options. Styrene, part of the polystyrene chemical that makes up most food-service and packing foams, drew concern from consumers after the National Toxicology Program listed it as a possible carcinogen -- or cancer-causing agent -- in the 2011 12th Report on Carcinogens. It must be dear to you as well for the sake of the plants. Whether set on a patio, porch, in the garden, or on each side of an entryway, stunning container designs make a statement. Reuse dense styrofoam to fill the bottom instead. If fillers block the container's drainage holes, your plant won't drain properly. Before you line the bottom of your planter with a filler material, consider the needs of your plant. Adding a few inches of foam peanuts or chunks in the bottom of the container reduces the amount of soil needed to fill the planter. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. If pieces begin to dissolve in the water, do not use them in the bottom of pots. you said it yourself, the perched water table will always be the same height. However, because landfills are overfilled with non-biodegradable products, many Styrofoam packing products are now made to dissolve in time. I don't add any if my pots aren't big - … Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Maybe you would like to co-ordinate with the pillows, or a favorite blooming hydrangea. Another problem gardeners have had when using Styrofoam in containers is that deep plant roots may grow down into the Styrofoam. I put rocks, broken pots, Styrofoam chunks, etc whatever i have around to fill up the bottom a few inches so I don't have to spend alot on potting soil. Horticulture Magazine: Questions About Container Gardening, University of Illinois Extension: Tips and Tricks for Container Gardening, American Chemistry Council: The Safety of Polystyrene Foodservice Packaging. Whether you have a few flowers planted in pots or you have an entire vegetable garden in containers, you have probably heard that adding Styrofoam to the bottom of the container helps improve drainage. Foam doesn't break down easily in the environment, which means it's unlikely to degrade in a vegetable gardening container so it's safe to use as filler. As you can see, this is a regular fibreglass planter pot with a drain hole in the bottom . You can run to home depot and get some landscaping cloth (about $10). However, research has shown that clay pots, rocks and wood chips may actually cause the pots to drain slower. Grass can’t simply be turned top-side down and then used a base layer for a raised garden bed. The soil in the container -- and therefore the foam under the soil -- doesn't get hot enough to cause a problem since it normally stays cooler than the ambient temperature. What you use to put under raised garden beds will be determined by the type of groundwork you’re working with. Do you have any old Styrofoam boxes or containers lying around the house? Step one: Line the bottom with about 2 inches of rock or gravel. Upside down empty plant containers. This is a guide about using styrofoam in plant containers. By reading this article, you will know the proper things to be placed in the bottom and lots more. Styrofoam also contains no nutrients for plant roots to absorb. I have two very large pots that I plan on planting over the next day or two. Drill drainage holes in the bottom of the planter if none are already present. It also gives gardeners the flexibility to move the containers depending on the weather, such as sliding them under an overhang during a potentially damaging thunderstorm. Sure it is not very long-lasting as landscape fiber. Well, the plant is small but the blossoms are just as big as on the regular sized plant. Many vegetables need about 6 inches of soil, so if you have a pot 12 inches deep, you can fill it halfway with foam chunks or peanuts. Although some chemicals in the foam can leach out if it gets overheated -- such as when you heat a foam cup of coffee in the microwave -- it doesn't leach chemicals under normal temperature circumstances, according to Dr. Andrew Weil, a pioneer in the field of integrative medicine. Say you are filling your planter box or flower pot with dirt on the deck or inside the house and you do not want dirt coming out from the drainage holes, but you still need the planter to drain. 6-8 holes should be enough for most tall planters, but you can make more if your planter is wide or it seems like it could use more. After adding the foam, level it slightly with your hand so one side isn't significantly higher than another, allowing for even root growth. It is not recommended to use Styrofoam peanuts for potted plants now, because they may break down in water and soil, leaving you with sunken in containers. How to line the bottom of a planter on the cheap. Containers are available in a wide array of colors shapes and sizes. Large containers often need filler in the bottoms, and foam chunks or peanuts can fulfill that need without causing harm to those who eat the vegetables. They can also add weight to the container. Water and care for the vegetables as normal; the foam helps with drainage at the bottom of the pot but doesn't change soil density or the plants' needs in any way. Not only is all that soil expensive, but it's heavy. Plus if you have straight soil in the pot, then all the water setting in the bottom of the pot makes your plant un-happy. The report also says, however, that foam is safe to use around food; the danger lies with workers in industrial facilities that build items such as boats with styrene. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Do Potting Soils Need to Be Sterilized Before Use? The same reason why different sizes and shaped containers can work just fine, … It is not that you can’t use them, just the watering schedule may be different. This is essentially to elevate your reservoir and allow drainage to take place Fill the container to about an inch (2.5 cm.) Some people use rocks, others use pieces of broken pottery, some people use packing peanuts and others use those little special plastic inserts that are made just for that purpose. Now, as for the bottom of the plant holder, just use another piece of the foam, but, add a layer of small pebbles on the bottom, to allow drainage that can recycle back. So when you top off your planter with potting soil, you’ll have plenty of leftover dirt for other gardening projects. Can You Machine Wash Foam Mattress Toppers? Line the bottom of the container with a few inches of Styrofoam peanuts if you’re growing shallow-rooted plants like lettuce. (Most vegetables only need between 6 and 8 inches of soil, so any soil deeper than that is a wasted expense.) Instead, put them in plastic bags, and fill the bottom of the planter box with the bags. I have heard of packaging peanuts (styrofoam). That gets expensive quickly, and you end up paying for soil you don't need. It consists of a box that has no top or bottom placed in a high-intensity sunny area with quality soil. If you're moving your favorite houseplant or cubicle-friendly companion to a new, larger planter, try adding some packing peanuts to the bottom of the planter. How Does Foam Insulation Work on Windows? I mention my concern, too, in the article. Recently, I came across a Styrofoam planter made from a cooler from Lisa. Also, the foam keeps soil from washing out of the drainage holes while assisting with drainage by keeping the soil from compacting at the bottom of the pot. Too much water and lack of nutrients can cause beautiful container designs to suddenly wilt and die. You are completely incorrect in your article. I put rocks in them and it also helps with drainage if you have pots without holes in the bottom. 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