reducing weight in large flower pots

Judy Glattstein jglatt@ptd.net
Thu, 10 Feb 2005 12:37:36 PST
Soda pop cans also work well. Turn them upside down so pop-top is on the
bottom. Another suggestion which I find useful - cut a circle of the
water-permeable landscape fabric (Typar is one brand name) just a little
larger than the diameter of the pot at the level of the top of the cans.
This prevents soil from sifting down between the cans, styrofoam peanuts, or
whatever you might be using.

One caveat - the less soil you have in a container the more poorly it will
drain, regardless of what space-filling material is below it. Perched water
table is the fancy name. A 20-inch tall pot filled half or two-thirds with
soil will not drain as well as one the same size that is filled with soil.
Think of a wet sponge standing on edge compared to a wet sponge laid down on
its largest surface.

Judy in New Jersey where the snow is melting. So of course it is supposed to
drop down into the 20s Fahrenheit tonight.


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