Good containers and good drainage

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stansangelxxx East Elmhurst, NY Jun 25, 2007

Now that we have identified my houseplants (thanks again!) I am wondering what kind of pots are best. I bought ceramic pots today that have one large hole in the base. I remember my mom always putting shards of broken pots in the bottom so I tried that but when I watered the plant, no water came out even though a lake was forming at the top! So I took out the shard of pot in the bottom and the water drained out, but so did a lot of the soil (it was black water I guess). Is there a happy medium? I don't mind the black water and having to replace soil sometimes so long as it isn't harmful to the plant at all. I was also thinking of using some leftover screens from my windows which would allow the drainage and not the soil to leak through? Thoughts?

Thanks!

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Jun 25, 2007

I would use the screen material, that's what a lot of people use and it works pretty well.

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WeeNel Ayrshire Scotland, United Kingdom Jun 27, 2007

You can use anything in the bottom so long as it lets water out and keeps soil in, I sometimes in desperation had to resort to breaking up bits of polystyrene packageing as I had run out of broken crocks, even lerge bits of gravel will do, if you have a huge problem with soil running through the drainage holes too fast, then best to place the pot INTO a bowl of water and this allows the water to be taken upwards, remove the pot when you notice the top soil start to change dark or stick your finger into the soil and when it feels damp remove the pot from the bowl and let it drain off the excess water and sit it back onto the saucer, that way you know the plant has taken up enough water on it's own. Good Luck. WeeNel.

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