Drainage in Planted Pots?
Question:How can I make sure that I have adequate drainage in my potted plants? Do you fill it with soil or do you put rocks in the bottom to help with drainage. I heard this helps, but why? And are there any other methods than filling my pots with gravel?
Thanks!
Answers:
If you have a pot with a drain pan, you won't need the rocks. However, if the pan is full, you need to empty it so the roots don't soak in the water.
One non-smooth rock near the bottom to make sure the hole stays open is all you need. then a thin layer of grael in the dish for the plant will ensure it does not sit in water too long.
I had always been told to use gravel also. Making sure that the pot has a good hole in the bottom helps as well as using a tray underneath it. There are several good soil mixes that include materials that help with drainage, look for something like that. Clay pots are also good for drainage,but after a number of years you have to replace them as they begin to crumble from doing their job. Using moss on top of the plant will hep reduce evaporation resulting in soil drying up. Also, I would look into one of those soil guages that tells you when your soil is dry. The point is to keep the roots from rotting from sitting in excess water. This kills plants pretty efficiently! Done it a lot myself. Also, using a humidity tray can reduce the need for direct watering by keeping the atmosphere damp. That is a larger tray that is full of gravel and water, then place your plant on top of that. If you do that you don't need the smaller tray that prevents leaks. You aren't filling the plant's pot with gravel, just a couple of inches!
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