I now know what to put in the bottom of my pots!

I do just about everything you can imagine to keep the soil from coming out the bottom holes of my pots. Well, I figured it out. Just repotted a hibiscus I have had for 4 years. Guess what I had put in the bottom... I had forgotten... polyester fiber fill! Water drains right through it, soil stays in, roots grow through it like it wasn't even there...you should have seen the roots in it.. they seemed to love it! Best part is.... I have bags and bags of it. I buy the leftovers after christmas at 75% to 90% off... dirt cheap. (actually cheaper than dirt) I use it to make dog bedding pads. I bought a lot last year. The sheeting or 'blanket' type works best. Here is a picture. I just cut a square... shove it into the bottom of the pot and start filling. that had been in the bottom of that pot for almost 4 years and it was as strong as it was when I put it in!

Tammie

Interesting... I wonder if it would keep nasty critters out?

What type of 'nasty critters' get into the bottom of your pots?

Snails, slugs, earwigs etc.

A friend gave me a large amount of plastic screening to cut and place in the bottom of my pots. Seems to work well (I press the potting soil down hard on the first inch or so in the pots) and so far I am very pleased with the results.

Tussee

I'd never thought of using batting. I usually use nylon netting.

I have bags of it in the garage so it was the natural thing to use. I really was surprised how the roots grew into and through it. I had rock on top of it in the pot... the roots just went straight down through the rock and spread out in the polyester fiber... it was a huge network of roots. The rock just fell away when I pulled it out of the pot. It does seem to hold a little water if no part of it is sticking out a hole and making contact with the ground or something outside the pot. The plant seemed to benefit from it since there were so many roots in that layer.

Tammie

Tammie-

THANK YOU for this info!!! Much better than my "diaper experiment"...LOL!!!

Slugs...Snails...Earwigs....ICKY! YUCKY!!! I got goosebumps from that...

Jan

Using a coarse shredded hardwood mulch about 4" deep has worked for me - pebbles and rocks were a disaster. I also use it across the top after I've added plants on top - keeps the leaves from being flooded, and protects them from drying out before the Brugs.

Great ideas... I had some packing material (like those packing peanuts) that came around a bathroom sink we ordered. After making sure it was environmentally friendly, I tore it into pieces and packed in bottom of pots and then added potting soil. Everything seems to love it. Holds moisture, but not too much...and it makes the pots lighter for moving around. Will have to watch for that polyester fiber fill on sale.. thanks for the tip
Elaine

I use Corn Meal

Cornmeal, Phicks?
Explain -

Yes, please explain the cornmeal... I use that to feed my worms sometimes.

Tammie

slugs eat it and it kills theam takes all there mosture

cool! I am going to sprinkle some on the top of my brug pots and around my cannas in the ground.... I was pulling slugs off my plants last night. Still can't find anything on my brugs but the leaves are veing stripped clean... just the central vein left on some! I look several times a day and night and can't find the culprits. The brugs are taking a beating from whatever it is.

Tammie

Fire ants like to make a home in my pots. I don't know if they do any damage to the plant but they are hard to get rid of.
Caren

Nylon screen help when repotting .
For ants some cinnamon , other bugs granex / grub-ex in bottom

Interesting thread. Thanks for the useful ideas..... batting and cornmeal!

I never use anything. Maybe I should!!

Tammie, grass hoppers love my brugs. Thankfully there aren't as many this year because of the dry weather. I'd rather have rain and a few more grass hoppers. Another week and the Japaneese Bettles will be here. Hope they suffer from the lack of water also.

I was using rock untill a friend told me about coffee filters. For a large pot I use 4 so that the holes are covered then I use lave rocks or packing peanuts so the plants' roots don't get wet feet.
I don't know why I never thought of coffee filters before. Sharing ideas is great!
Mickey

I use coffee filters also. 3 for a 3 g pot, overlapped to cover the center drain hole. I use unbleached coffee filters--they are brown not white. I also use them to start seed. Soak in water with H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide water) about 1 tsp for 2 cups. Drain well in a colander. then put in the seeds, fold over, and zip into a zip lock bag. Coffee filters go in my greenhouse tool kit.

Wow.. this is a coooool thread!
I use last year's redwood bark chunks. it's great for drainage and air circulation, but leaves the door wide open for slugs and earwigs.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/527353/

This is the "sticky" to the Container Gardening Forum. It is Al Tapla's discussion of soil/drainage in a container. As I understand this the object is to keep the mix in a container as homogeneous as possible. Otherwise, the water will "perch" or level out above, say rocks, that you have put in the container for "drainage". This can actually drown your roots, rather than all for drainage. This is one of my favorite articles in all of Dave's garden. Really, it can save your plants.

Wow, That is some seriously heavy reading for this early in the morning! Lots of good info tho. Thank you for the link!
Caren

It is amazing to me that some one would know what happens inside a pot! If you put a lot of packing peanuts in there, you have less soil and less water. The idea of a "perched" water table seemed exactly right to me. Ive seen so many plants go from rotted roots . . . the water was not going through the pot, just spreading out at a certain level to create conditions for root decay.

Al Tapla is my hero! Now I know what happens inside a planted pot.

I also started making my own potting mix with bark, perlite, and peat instead of buying it. I mix it according to Tapla's recipe. With shipping costs today and 100s of plants to pot up, that saves me money ... a lot of money...and my plants look healthier.

For a multitude of purposes, I use styrofoam peanuts in the bottom...big pots weigh less with them too. Also crushed alum. pop cans if I am feeling rich!!!!

I need my pots heavy.. the wind blows them over. I had a 14" that weighed about 45 pounds and the wind blew it over at least once a week. That plant is now in a much larger pot and I just dare the wind to try. That thing is so heavy, I can barely drag it!

Tammie

Thanks for the great idea!

I have tons of thick poly quilt batting given to me that I don't use (I like the thin cotton stuff)

I have learned that the poly fill does hold a small layer of water in it. I tip the pots occasionally to let it out. since it is in the bottom of the pot I don't worry. Also, I can tell when it is dry because it turns whiter again and that usually indicates it is time to water.

Tammie