Thoughts about using gravel at the bottom of a pot with no hole to create a drainage reservoir? Obv, drainage holes are better, but when you have a large indoor pot that you can't move, what's the solution?
Add perlite and vermiculite to the soil and measure how many litres you water in, and how many days it usually takes to dry out appropriately. Build the soil to suit your needs.
Having a pot with no drainage hole is the problem. You're planting in a decorative pot that probably should have glasd beads or marbles in it and not a plant.
Very important to note that using a terracotta pot also helps decrease root rot as it naturally "absorbs" the extra water out of the soil, quicker with outdoor plants. It's what clay does.
Apparently I’ve never thought that habit was to eliminate overwatering. My grandmother always put a shard of a broken pot over the drainage hole to slow potting soil from being lost while the water is running through. The shard placed in a curve over the hole allowed for plenty drainage. Once established the soil pretty much stabilized and was no longer an issue, but the shard didn’t cause any issues, so.. So I do it too. Her plants were amazing.
I've tried gravel drainage, no gravel, and what works best for me is exactly what you said- just one rock or shard over the drainage hole. It's my go-to now.
I think this depends where you live and how far you are in control of the watering. Here in the UK we get a lot of rain. Outdoor pots are going to get saturated - frequently. I've had plants that have been in pots for years and the soil changes a lot over time. The best compost can become a black, sticky mess given time and the right conditions and without rocks at the bottom of the pot, the drainage hole would block and the plant would become waterlogged. No question. These days I use coir+compost+perlite for almost everything and just vary the ratios and amendments depending on the needs of the plant, but still would never pot out a plant without crocking it - I use a layer of clay pebbles. Works well.
Great point! I live in northern NV where it's dry all year around, hot or cold. It works in my favor regarding the point of planting in none drainage pots. Just requires adjustments. The dryness absorbs the moisture in the soil quickly. Otherwise there is the option of adding light charcoal, in the right measurements adding rocks at the bottom etc.
I was taught (Thanks Mom=)) that drainage holes were critical, therefore make sure to put a little bit of, usually broken up pots or small rocks, over/around the holes to ensure they did not get blocked by compaction of the soil over time. It has never failed me. I have not tried using rock without holes, that sounds like a recipe for rot.
I do this too. The idea randomly popped in my head years ago and I’ve been doing it ever since. It not only helps prevent the soil from washing out, but also from clogging the drainage hole.
I watched this with interest as I always put pot shards and gravel in the bottom when repotting. The explanation given didn’t really convince me to change my habit.
I think that too, if i have a pot that is too deep for the plant, but i still want to use it, it makes sense to put material that doesn't retain water at the bottom to make the pot smaller in a sense. In that specific case, the pot need to have drainage hole and i would probably put medium size river rock below to fill the extra space. It's a hack to implement the "don't use a pot too big for the plant or the roots will rot" advice.
Think about it like this: water sticks to water. Don't believe me? Fill a cup to the brim with water and drop a penny in it. Then another penny. See how many pennies you can drop in there, and a few pennies in you'll notice the water taking a dome shape because of the surface tension- the water is sticking to water. Same thing with really dry soil not absorbing water right away. This effect is the same for the gravel and such at the bottom of your pot; the water really doesn't want to go in there unless the soil literally CAN'T hold any more.
@@animemaniac9717 Still is practical for the other points people have said here. Just not the amount he is talking about and for different reasons. First is to make the pot smaller so plant isn't overpotted. Second is so plant isn't overwatered because drainage hole gets soil compacted and clogged or slightly clogged. Second doesn't require much and I don't think is anywhere near the amount he is talking about.
When I want to weigh the pot down, I just add a few large-ish decorative stones on top of the soil around the plant stem, instead of in the soil. Most of the time it's sufficient.
@@Etianen7 Not enough for huracane season . All my pots with gravel at the bottom survive well if I move them next to my walls but the ones with stones on top they get knocked down bc the size of the tops catch the wind and off they go all over the yard ☹️
Ok so how about putting the gravel in the drain dish instead? That way the planter is slightly elevated and the water can drain better. Because if you just put the planter on the flat dish it can block the drainage holes. Good idea or nah?
I put gravel in the bottom to reduce the amount of soil I have to use. Soil is expensive, and a lot of pots are much taller than they need to be. Additionally, it can significantly reduce the weight of the pot if you use large clay pieces or recycled plastic pieces to take up space at the bottom of the pot, rather than it being all dirt. But this is interesting information that I'll have to keep in mind!
@@dh.151 Same! Although it might not be as much of a concern if it's just a decorative indoor plant... but I like to grow things that can be eaten or that are useful in other ways. We have 3 huge Sweet Gum trees in our backyard. Endless supply of light weight pot filler material. Lol! For indoor plants I usually just toss a handful of wood mulch in the bottom. Containers without a drainage hole usually get a layer of horticultural charcoal and mulch at the bottom under the dirt. It could easily be all in my head, but that's what seems to work best for me.
The phenomenon you are referring to is called a "capillary barrier", plenty of illustrations on google. It is for example commonly used to store the toxic by-products of mining, so that they do not infiltrate into the ground. There is however an important point to consider: the barrier works because the fine-grained layer (potting soil here) is much finer than the coarse layer (gravel here); but if you compare it to not having a coarse layer, you would have a fine-grained layer sitting on top of an impermeable layer (plastic) or a layer which is only slightly porous (clay), and not to mention the super coarse zone (the drainage hole) where the capillary barrier will very strong. So, although there definitely is a capillary barrier phenomenon, it is still better than the alternative. Note that if you use clay balls, the barrier will be weaker because clay is porous and will therefore generate some capillarity and help the topsoil to drain: water will drop from the soil at the points of contact with the clay balls and flow around them. If you use rock, I expect the barrier to be much stronger. So as a personal conclusion, I believe the use of clay balls will increase drainage. Additionally, it will minimize the impact of stagnating water (and help evaporate it), which is typical when a pot is not laying perfectly horizontally and the drainage hole is in the middle (make holes in the corners!). What does not make any sense, is when I read people recommending "a good thick layer [of gravel/clay balls], the thicker the merrier". A thicker layer provides no improvement whatsoever, but it has the undesirable effect of reducing the volume dedicated to potting soil, which in turn reduces the space available for the plants to grow. I recommend no more than 1-2cm of drainage layer (1-2 layers of clay balls).
Here in Japan everytime I buy soil from the depo, the packaging always says to gravel the planter. Like each and every one of them. Every product in Japan has manual printed on the packaging. So I automatically think that’s not just myth but an actual rule of thumb. Huh interesting.
He is not taking into consideration some of us live in the UK we have to add rocks and sand to soil or the rain happens 90% of the year the plants all drown so he is wrong xxxxx Ive learned through experience...... like you have ::))
That's the main reason I use some clay pebbles especially if the drainage holes are big. What is the science behind it? I never thought about going so deep, I just know from using my own eyes that the pots without clay pebbles always lose soil through the holes (when the roots of the plants are still small).
i stopped putting stuff at the bottom of pots, just because i've had problems repotting plants that had grown through the gravel- it's really hard to avoid damaging the roots when they're clinging to stones
When I use a well draining mix the roots hold the soil into rootbound mass the slides out like a cake without damaging any roots. The heavy gravel clings and Rips the roots when I'm sliding and the soil falls all over.
If they're clinging to the stones, the roots may be feeding from the trace minerals in the stone/gravel. Depending on the species you have potted. Agave and cacti do this. Look up the infamous stone eaters article. If the roots don't like it, they dont cling on!
Been growing (killing) bonsai for years. Sometimes a gravel medium can retain excess water because of water tension. Now after I water my bonsai (victims), I place something underneath to absorb the excess water.
It’s funny, I never thought I used gravel or shards to prevent overwatering; I always assumed it was to prevent the soil from running out with the water and maybe to keep the drainage hole from getting clogged up. Glad to know I can ditch this step.!
You reference that "studies have found", Iwould love to get some insight into what studies you're referring to as from what I gathered from my years to obtain a masters degree in geotechnical (soil science) engineering is that what you're saying is fundamentally wrong in terms of soil drainage. If you would like ill gladly dig into it for you :) The tldr of it, all soil permeability testing standards require a gravel like base as it ensure unimpeded water flow. Have a look a the "constant head test" within soil mechanics. Given that your point boils down to "don't over water your plants" is 100% true, I believe the goal of adding gravel is to make sure that when you do over water your plants, that water is as free as possible to leave the soil mass.
I use gravel in my 5 gallon planters. Due to the size of the container and it being outside, I want to ensure there's a clear, uncloggable path from potential rain. I don't use fancy potting soil because i'm treating it like a raised bed and working the soil myself with compost and natural ferts. I also see the water retention as a plus because when it's no longer raining i want it to retain a little extra so when we get into 90-100 degree days i'm protected
There's other reasons too though... roots need water, air and darkness, that rock layer is dark and full of super humid air. (perfect for roots) I've always done this, never thought it was for drainage though lol
I think the advice about putting pebbles or similar things in the bottom of a pot for drainage was originally for pots without drainage holes. I don’t use pots without drainage holes, so it doesn’t apply to me. I have been known to put stones or gravel in the bottom of a pot, though, for two reasons. The first is to keep soil from washing out through the drainage holes. The second is for ballast. Pots with plants of any height tend to be top-heavy. Stones and gravel are heavier than potting soil, and some extra weight at the bottom of the pot helps keep it from falling over. Neither of these reasons has to do with regulating drainage.
I’ve done it for the same reasons you said as well as to conserve soil. Especially if the pot is larger than the plant technically needs. I have some pretty large pots but many of the plants in them don’t have very deep roots. Also when you have a bunch of extra soil in the bottom of a pot that the roots don’t reach it can stay too wet and cause rotting.
I recently learned those water beads or Orbeez that are marketed as toys for kids were initially developed as a medium to plant in because they hold and release water as their surroundings dry up. Fascinating to play with. Only a couple of bucks for about a thousand which swell up to be about 4 cups worth when soaked in water. I wonder how well they work if mixed in with the soil.
Another reason to have gravel in the base is for plants in pots *outside*. During winter months in regions with less extreme weather (ie. no snow), the constant rain can result in you pot's saucer being constantly flooded with water (eg. 0.5-1in deep) ... at which point, if you have direct soil contact to this water, you'll more or less have a waterlogged plant (via capillary action). This can occur for for days on end between your rainy days, as the saucer may never have a chance to fully dry out. The benefit of using course gravel (for an inch or two), is to generate an air gap (which also typically reduces root bind) and reduce this capillary action of the soil grains.
1. The gravel prevents the soil from leaking out. But you can use just one stone instead. 2. The gravel prevents the hole from clogging with soil, but you can use just one stone for that. 3. The most important reason is the gravel traps air and when the roots grow into it they air prune, this helps prevent the roots from becoming bound and helps them fill the pot.
Yeah, i have watched a few videos on this topic, and now I really think that it is good to put (coarse ) gravel on the bottom of the pot. Coffee filters, or any kind of fabric blocks the drainage holes. Nothing at all on the bottom results in the soil itself blocking the drainage holes somewhat. It depends on the structure of the drainage holes in the pot you're using. The problem with soil in pots is the perched water table , the zone where the soil is completely saturated with water. This is dangerous. This water perched zone is always the bottom part of the soil. When using gravel, you automatically raise this water perched zone. And since many pots are wider at the top than the bottom, the perched water zone gets bigger when higher in the pot. But since coarse gravel allows a lot of air in the bottom of the pot, the perched water zone is likely to dry out much faster than in a pot without gravel. This topic may all get a bit too scientific for some people (it does to me), but I just like the idea of having the deepest part of the pot exposed to a lot of air. If you intend to use gravel, then don't buy pots that are much wider at the top than the bottom. When buying plastic pots, have a look at the bottom. Choose pots with lots of drainage holes.
@The Senate so in the video he says that its worse but doesn't actually prove it in practice... I however have tested this and placing course gravel or small stones at the bottom is best for the root system. If you really want proof of that then go look at all bonsai trees... they dont grow them in fine soil main reason for this is because it actually causes root rot for not draining effectively, again this will also depend on the type of tree/plant you growing. Saying that you shouldn't is foolish... also on a side note he talks about research yet doesn't provide the source for it... Dont always believe what people in videos show... seeing is believing, go test this for yourself and you will see the results
@The Senate source? please dont give me a link to some forum or opinion writing. Stones/gravel for the bottom for drainage is not the reason for it being done, its more around the root system as it helps for oxygen levels in soil for starters. any pot that has drainage holes will be fine when it comes to drainage, if anyone is using pots that dont have holes then that is just silly...
Gravel dosent help drainage that much but yeah uk u shud add it according to ur plant if ur plant likes to be in a place with more moisture instead of adding a humedifier or dont have the space for it you can use gravel now mesh is another story hut yeah gravel is usefull in certain cases just do your research
I know this video is about drainage, but I have a tip for people who don't like to water. If you frequently get coffees and have a lot of trays lying around, tear them up and pop them at the bottom of planters. I did that for my pansies last year because they were in direct sunlight and were constantly drying out. The cardboard retained a lot of moisture, so they didn't need to be watered as often. The pansies loved it. Haven't tried it with other plants, though. I imagine it works similarly to the sponge trick, though!
In gardening for roses in pots my grandma always taught me to put one big rock with a bumpy bottom over the hole to keep the potting soil from falling out when you start to fill it. To put a half inch layer of gravel, three quarters of an inch sand and and then potting soil mix for roses with an extra 2 to 4 cups of sand in the potting mix to help with drainage. We bought a sickly little miniature rose from Walmart if that lived to be over 10 years old. And only really died off because I had to move away to go to college and my grandmother got Alzheimer's. If we had planted in the ground before grandma got sick the plant would probably still be living to this day. Using proper drainage holes is one thing. But if you properly do the layering at the bottom of your pot it works. It's only wrong when people just put gravel and don't do the sand layer in between. Because sand smaller particle size breaks the surface tension of water and allows it to drain out properly. So basically a pot with no drainage hole is not correct for indoor gardening at all. Which is true. But you're actually just categorically wrong when it comes to plants in pots that do have drainage holes. Using a pot with a drainage hole you have to layer it correctly. Especially once my rose plant got bigger we up potted it to one that had rollers so it could be rolled in and out of the house. And depending on everyone's health and just the crazy life I led living at my grandma's it would sometimes get left outside for days so proper drainage was absolutely necessary. To make sure and unexpected rain storm didn't just drown my prized plant.
A trick I learned many years ago is to use shade cloth over the hole ... it works perfectly, stops the soil from escaping and still allows air & water to flow through. I do it with all my outdoor pots too. I learned the hard way about gravel at the bottom of my indoor pots. I’ve killed 4 over the past year doing this! It creates way too much moisture and I even found green slime growing. 🤦🏽♀️😕 It’s funny how many people are out there on RU-vid and web pages saying to add gravel to pots. I did it with some succulents outdoors too and even though they are surviving, I do notice how much more moist the soil is. Very helpful and important video. Thank you! 🙏🏽💚
You can also place a small pot, turned upside down in the large pot. Works great for large agaves and other plants that will often grow few roots in the center of the pot
I use some clay pebbles at the bottom because when the plants are small and the roots are no way near the bottom of the pot you don't lose any soil through the drainage holes when the plant is watered which is what I noticed happens, especially when the pot is going outside and I have no control over how much it's watered (due to rain) they also hold onto some of that extra water.
I’m pretty new to this and I recently repotted two plants and added a layer of little pebbles because there was no drainage hole and I wanted a backup just in case I over water even though I’m trying to be really meticulous. But now I’m so worried my plants are gonna die 😫 I wish I saw this first!
This makes sense to me. Particles larger than sand block off more area for water to trickle down through. A pile of gravel has less gaps than a pile of sand, so water is more prone to pooling in a pot. I also imagine soil fills/clogs gaps between gravel particles over time. I line a mesh/porous sheet at the bottom to prevent soil from leaking out the drainage whole.
In the very least it shouldn’t be sold as definitive proof. If I don’t know something for a fact I’d never tout it as such, but I think it’s important to showcase the different ways things are done. It’s what leads to innovation.
I guess, in gardening nobody knows the exact answers! I watched so many videos, but everyone has different opinions, so where is the true???We should learn by our self, and until I am learning, some of my plants died!
@@seyed28 One problem is that different people live in different places. Take the US for example. Someone from New York probably needs other approaches than someone in Las Vegas. It's good to tell people about personal solutions. It's bad to sell it as the only way.
Growing up I had never heard of this but recently I've been branching out with houseplants and "put gravel at the bottom of your pot" is literally in the instructions of multiple commercial potting soils and plant care tags so I started to think I'd been doing things wrong.
Great video, I still use a tiny layer of perlite in the bottom of my solo cups for my plant starts seems to work great but I will do a side by side with soil only and test the results thanks again! 👨🌾🌱🌾
@Crystal Thunderheart No noticeable difference. This season we germinated in our seed mix in solo cups and paper egg cartons and had around 99% success rate. Thanks for asking and happy gardening to you!
I grow a lot of trees and shrubs from cuttings and air layering. I always use 1 to 1 1/2 inch stones in the bottom of the pot [angular stones better than round]. In a tall pot, this layer may be 2 1/2 inch or more deep. The main advantage to me is that when I come to plant out, with one quick shake the stones come out and release a lot of the roots which are then very easy to tease out and spread in the planting hole. With no rocks, all you get is coiled mass of tangled root which always suffers damage when you try to release them. Works well for me. Can't speak to whether or not it is any good for house plants
@@epicgardening Yeah but I don't want soil constantly coming out of the pot and the drainage holes can get blocked which leads to soggy soil.🤨 I use expanded clay aggregate (LECA) in all of my pots. It wicks moisture down, aerates the roots and prevents the plants from sitting directly in water when there's some in the saucer. Also these "hydroballs" are just expanded clay and that stuff is cheap as well.
@@neonice I just use a 1 inch piece of landscaping fabric to cover the drainage holes. That way they don't get blocked and there's still good drainage and airflow
I agree with you. I saw these videos and put marbles on the drainage holes in the pot. Now my plant is suffering from root rot as soil at the bottom portion remains wet whereas top soil dries out.
My understanding of this is that when you have 100% soil in the pot water can pass from the soil, through the hole and out into air on the other side. When gravel is put at the bottom, the water must pas from soil, through the gravel and then through air, its as easy as noticing that the water has a harder time going through the gravel than through an open hole at the bottom of the pot. It seems counterintuitive but its like putting a cloth under the soil, the water seeps into it and stops water from passing through.
I’m not sure if I agree, as when I haven’t lined with stones the roots have ended up blocking the drainage holes completely and the plant has died. I live in England and it rains a lot so I cannot control how much water they get from rain.
Praise Him. If I’m at work (I’m full time) I can’t tell how much it rains at home in the daytime . You are also assuming I have rain shelter for my pots. I don’t as that would also prevent sunshine and we don’t have a lot of that here and certainly not as much as you do. It will also rain at night and it can be hard to tell how much as I am asleep. On top of that it rains so much here I don’t have time to spend my life running back and forth even if I did have any sort of control. We only have to water plants for around six weeks of the year if that. I am sorry that you can’t understand that but it is at no surprise to me bearing in mind where you live.
Epic Gardening That is one of the laziest answers I have heard in a while. You want us to listen to your videos but google the research you quote. Speechless. I am going to exercises the rule of thumb of not saying anything at all if I cant say anything nice.
InquiryTeaching So you’re making a comment. Are you saying I can only make a comment, if I have made a video? Are you saying, only people with videos can make any opinion or comments in all of RU-vid? More importantly, what part of my opinion is false or wrong or misleading? Please do say? Did he explain his “research says”? Did I lie about something in my comment? I did something better than make a video. I have actually planted several plants with rocks at the bottom all through out my life, I have personal experience with this, and all the pots have all been fine. There is nothing wrong with putting rocks at the bottom of a pot, putting gravel specifically, I haven’t tried, it is a specific material, you need to buy it from someone in specific, and it often not a gardening section, it is the construction section, that specific material (gravel) is probably used for some other reason and can behave different in pots. Rocks on the other hand are easy to find and have heard this rule of thumb “add a layer of rocks at the bottom” plenty of times. When you put a level of rocks it keeps the soil from coming out of the bottom of the draining hole, period. That is what many people say “it helps with drainage”. Not that there is a magical layer of water and rocks, not that it helps you not over water. You can have good drainage in a pot.... and still over water a plant!!?? The drainage will not prevent someone from over watering a plant every single minute will it? So please do tell me how I am not allowed to comment because I don’t have any videos. Do people have to be a politician to question politics? Or have a science degree to disagree with questionable science? You are headed down a path of authoritarianism and it seems you are happy to subjugate to anything or anyone that has a magical title. Thanks but no thanks, I don’t need permission from you to make a comment. ;) :) ;)
@@bobbico03 u just come off as a hater that's why your inquiry is a bit...mmm nasty u get what u give..maybe find a better way to ask a question to somebody who takes time out of his day to help people he doesn't know.. communication is everything. "It's better to be nice then to be right"
I plant in half wine barrels. Drill a few holes 3" up from the bottom, add wood chips or what you have, mix in some GP fertilizer. These are so deep you can add 6 to 10" of wood chips to save on soil. top off each year as they break down. Now you have a 3" space with water on tap for the soil. Simple and works with plastic anything too.
Serpa Design puts gravel at the bottom of most of his terrariums and bioactive enclosures. He puts window screen on top to keep the dirt from eventually mixing with the gravel. The idea is that beneficial bacteria will build up in the porous rocks and keep everything clean, while also allowing a reservoir for excess water.
Yeah, but terrariums =/= indoor pots, terrarium plants are normally tropicals that thrive in very wet, humid environments, whereas many houseplants prefer well-drained soil.
@@flowerheit4512 A lot of common houseplants (tropicals, of course) can be grown in terrariums or vivariums if they are large enough. They come from similar environments.
My great-aunt taught me to do this. I quit years ago. But with large containers I either use a disc or some other space-saving objects to reduce soil needs or fill the bottom with sand and put a layer of barrier fabric over it to keep them apart. Otherwise the containers get top-heavy and I'm sick of replacing broken containers that the wind blows over.
A crock or jagged stone at the bottom of a pot is a very common practise to keep substrate from being washed out of large drainage holes whilst watering. It also prevents smaller drainage holes from becoming clogged as potting compost breaks down or compacts. These old practises are, in fact, 'back to basics' as you say. Moisture content and where the water 'table' meets the roots is, of course, a consideration, but increased aeration may be a better trade-off, especially when utilising a saucer, preventing increased capillary action.
Yep, that's exactly what I've been doing with my loads of healthy houseplants for the last 50 years. Not all plants want to be in moist soil all the time so those pots definitely need some sort of soil retention at the drainage hole.
@@MargaretUIUC I tried that once thinking it was a clever idea. Nope, I'll stick with my trusty pot shard at the bottom of each pot. Besides, it is a good way to recycle my broken pots.
I've been using shards but still i end up with drainage issues. Perhaps its the topsoil im using as opposed to potting soil which isn't available in my city. Should i add sand?
I put gravel in my containers that don't have a hole in the bottom. Above this I put a mesh so it will never be filled with soil and roots. Now I never drown the roots and the leftover water is sitting in the gravel. Slowly evaporating in the soil where most of the roots are(at the bottom). Then I put some worms in the soil to keep it from condensing and decompose the organic materials I put in there. I also mic it with some sphagnum moss to help drainage.
I'm still confused by this debate. The water will leach through the soil and either come to the bottom of the pot or the gravel you've place at the bottom of the pot. Either way, the excess will go out the drainage hole. I don't see how gravel could cause the soil to stay wet longer than using no gravel. Maybe I'm missing something. I always use a little just to keep soil from being flushed out when I water. Now, if the debate is gravel and no drainage hole vs. no gravel and a drainage hole then that's a completely different thing IMO.
The idea is that while water might be expected to drain out, it can also end up staying retained by the soil. By lifting up the soil and putting rocks, you are not favoring the water to be absorbed my more soil, so it will stay in the soil for longer. Basically, if you put a wet sponge on top of a dry sponge, water will drain out further down because of absorption faster than putting the wet sponge on rocks that don’t absorb water.
@@ericrusso6250 it's nice when the idiot that can't understand a simple video needs further clarification and then gets all upset when people talk down to them like the idiot they are.
im new to container gardening and house plants. Thank goodness i did this with only one pot. HA. I live in the desert so over watering is not really an issue, stuff dries out pretty quick.=, but some of the plants i have repotted from friends the dirt smelt sour. But I am growing jasmine and other plants I will be bringing in this winter. Thank you so much. I had been been putting a rock layer in the bottom. And I do use the best potting soil.
Use Perlite instead of gravel at the bottom, so that way it can still absorb the water from the dish and draw it up into the soil without getting overly moist and creating soil born fungus or disease.
I add gravel to the compost in the bottom half of the plant to keep the compost open. and keep moisture in. Very hot and dry weather makes commercial compost go very hard and the water runs off and straight out the bottom of the pot. I put crocks at the bottom of the pot to stop the drainage hole blocking up with a hard blob of compost which could end up waterlogging the plant in winter. In the uk its hard to stop plants getting too much water when it rains non stop or getting too little in a summer heatwave when pots need water twice a day. For my agaves I use two thirds gravel or grit sand to compost as it likes to be free draining, and yet, they are big succulents so they need a good drink to keep them growing. They certainly don't want to sit in stagnant blocked water hence the crocks to try keep the hole draining freely. I find this works well. I sometimes use gravel to hold the crocks and keep them covering and protection the draining hole. I've always liked to grow a lot in pots and after forty years I think I have cracked it, but moving vulnerable plants into shelter in the winter is a big drag when you have too many pots to count. I'm guessing I might have two hundred plants in pots - I dare not count. Last year I gathered most of my young cordylines up and tied them for winter protection, first year I have done it as I wanted to keep more nice leaves on the plant, but they were worse after the winter than the once I left without protection. Sometimes we just worry too much.
Each video I watch on this channel leaves me learning something new. I've been growing indoors since the sixties and yet this young feller seems more knowledgeable than I am. Bugger! ;) I had to sub, eh?
I’ve used the gravel technique and sometimes a piece of screen and it works well for me. But thanks for the vid, I appreciate the time you take to make these.
I use some hair from my dog. She is a Samoyed and her fur behaves much like a sponge and it prevents dirt from getting out of the drainage holes. It starts to break down after a year or two, but that's okay.
I've been growing cacti in pots for 25 years and terracotta dries out waaaaaaaaaaaaaay faster than plastic. My best results come from putting a layer of forest mulch in first, which is spongy and fibrous and acts like a wick. Which is moist but still allows for air pockets. Also all the old books reccommend using broken terracotta for your 'crocks' instead of gravel, which I'm also a huge fan of. Terracotta is also 'spongy' and so is charcoal. I ve learned to try a whole lot of different things and wait a couple years to evaluate. One last tip. Mix crusher dust and potting mix 50/50 to make your own blend. It's the best of the best. Have fun :)
Nice! I always like to see ppl telling the truth, not just things every1 else says just cause they have heard it lol... My grandma planted plants in just plain soil and everything grew fine, no fertilizer, no perlite, no gravel no plant lights no bs and everything was fine, I do same and everything grows nicely plain and simple.
In Arizona when a pot gets dry it gets so dry that when you pour in the water it goes around the edge of the dirt and flows right out again. So it is helpful to have something hold the water until the soil reabsorbs it again
This is the first year I’ve taken your advice and did not put gravel in the bottom of my pots. This is also the first year my pepper plants have failed me.
I just repotted my philidendron like 20 mins ago and put gravel on it.. Then this is in my recommendation the moment I grabbed my phone... Google might have installed some hidden cameras somewhere around the house.. Lols
I use gravel in-between black nursery pots which I cover with an ornamental pot and the gravel goes below the drainage pot not in the soil to elevate the drainage from the water collecting in the bottom so its not sitting in it;s own drainage.
I've grown houseplants in pots that had rocks in the bottom, broken flower pot pieces in the bottom, and nothing but potting soil and they all did pretty good. I've used self-watering containers where I added water through an access point at the bottom of the pot, as well as those that had no access point at all. My plants did well as long as they had access to water. However, during my 6 month long hospitalization, the only plant which survived was my Christmas cactus. All the others gave up and died; probably because they were thirsty. Even a self-watering container needs to have water in order for it to water that plants.
Back in the day, this was a practice to prevent the loss of soil through the drainage holes. Years ago potting soil was not as nice as it is today. As time passed, gravel in the bottom became a mindless habit. It was taught to the younger generations. I never heard that it improved drainage. It just helped prevent a mess on the table.
Isn’t it a question of choice, sir? I think those of us who are quite creative probably don’t like the idea of sauces and water running everywhere LOL especially when we are not that practical, and I like your idea about putting a sponge at the bottom of the pot. I am going to try both solutions and see if I can keep my plants growing. Thank you for these videos which I am finding really helpful. I am starting to develop gardening indoors and outdoors as a little hobby. I am also blind, so this is also a factor involved in my gardening. But I seem to be doing quite well and really enjoying growing new things and trying out new ideas. Dictation was supposed to say: sourcers lol
Pretty sure that plant needs good water retention because it requires a humid and moist environment. Not adding gravel might have provided too much drainage? I don't even know, this is the first video I've seen of his and I just Googled the plant and used logic lol
I put some kind of mesh on the bottom and 0.1 inch of perlite... Keeps soil in the pot and the roots don't spread out... Didn't have any issues with rot or something like it - it all comes down to amount of water and how often you water your plants...
Yeh I do this for big massive pots for my dwarf fruit trees. Here in Australia we need to retain as much water as possible in the summer months and I rarely ever have to water in winter
Me neither. I still don't understand how come the opposite is supposed to happen, if you put gravel in to increase drainage. I don't get how the gravel is supposed to stop the drainage. I mean, water percolates downward through the layers of soil. We know this. This is what happens in nature. How come it can't happen in a pot?
Same. I have gravel/stones in all my plants except for two of them which actually have drainage holes and it works completely fine for me. Its not like they grow faster than the others (but on the other hand the only two ones with drainage holes are supposed to be super slow growing). But all of my plants seem to like it and they grow very well. :)
It's similar to how heat is transferred much more easily through direct contact of solids than through air gaps. Like, the difference between hovering your hand a centimeter above a hot stove burner and touching it directly (the heat doesn't travel as readily through the air as it does through the direct contact). Similarly, the water resists moving into the open air space created by the rocks, whereas it more readily moves from soil -> soil or soil -> sand.
Okay, makes sense. I did this a lot following the same logic and had tons of work picking the stuff out again when time came for repotting. I will stop this now.
@@bigperry1521 yup but they are not contained in a pot which makes for very different variables :) im not knocking any one who uses rocks or sand and has positive results at all just saying he's not wrong when it comes to the science of it .
I am new in gardening. I get confused about keep things under bottom of the pot. I try my own things to just cover the holes with tea bag "with tea removed" so the water drains out without the soil. and was thinking to put the tea bag "with tea in" to cover the hole. and I found the better to mix the tea "without the bag" in the soil. but still, I don't know what I am doing wrong or fine. Just don't like to see soil get out of pot. thank you for your ideas, I am also didn't like to put gravel at the bottom of a pots, I liked to keep things that the plant will eat later :D.
Two reasons I put something in the bottom of my pots. 1 it weights the pot down. When the plant grows, it can become neutral or top heavy and blow over in the wind. 2 it's helps stop soil washing out the drainage holes. Early in the season before the roots have fully grown, the bottom third of the pot is usually just loose soil. When you water it has a tendancy to wash out some of the soil and leave air pockets, which invariably provides a safe space for bugs. It's doesn't stop the soil wash completely but it does slow it down and gives the chance for the roots to take. I have to say, I don't always do it and it really depends on what's in the pot. I liked the sponge idea. Would it work with a piece of cloth? I imagine, especially if you're bottom watering, that a loose weave cloth would wick water much easier.
@Goyim United No one can right about everything all the time.. even something they're an expert in.. the great thing about humanity is that we are all learning all the time. Learn to be kind 😊
To make it Short. It helps with air pruning and keeping it from getting Root bound to much also with the looser roots at the bottom it helps to kick Start root growth when replanting. Some plants also Like rocks in the soil to grab on do. Like everything pros and cons but for the most part they aren't needed
Im a beleiver in turface as potting soil. Works great with bonsai, growing maples for bonsai, ive usedit for cactus too. I have a bunch of cacti to pit up, and they are going in it. Where to get it you say? Got my first bag from a agway store. This bag came from a iragation store. Google it to find it near you. Its used as a top dressing on baseball diomends to try up puddles on diamonds , in soil to help with drainage. Now heres the kicker. It doesent break down. Holds 2-3 times it weight in water, and drains like its going threw air, si watering is best done by submursing the pot in water for 3-5 mimin and let it drain out. It creats great root structure! So give it a try. I paid $16.11 for a 50 lb bag of it. Ill sift out the fines from it, then use the fines for a soil dressing.
I always put gravel in my pots TO RETAIN WATER (calcium rock or brick roof tile shards) i didn't knew people put gravel for drainage , and its wise to put a odly shape stone on top of the drainage hole so it doesn't clog and keeps soil not spilling out if u got a bigger drain outlet .. a tip i learned is to get more info on the plant itself and mimic nature's soil pattern ;)
I clean my LECA and add a few inches to bottom of fabric pots and works great. I even add LECA into the saucers and set the fabric pots on the LECA. Both ways works well.
Wow!! That’s pretty full on… he has a Zion National Park poster in the background & 2yrs after this video was uploaded, we all know who Gabby Petito is & how her favourite place was Zion National Park, the infamous photo of her wearing a Zion N.P sweater, which was the same sweater found on or next to her body 🤯🤯
Those big huge pots I've helped put old water bottles in the bottom not necessarily for drainage just to make the pot lighter so it could be more easily moved
Nothing for drainage in the bottom means the bottom soil gets packed by weight from.top especially with moisture drifting from top to further pack bottom line. So, its simple. Use pine cones readily available or even broken well rotted limbs for that bottom and will help with health of plant and last for some time and will help retain moisture and no need to mess with gravel when pots are changed out.
I don't put gravel in my pot to improve drainage, but to prevent dirt from coming out too easily when i move my pots... never heard people saying that it would do anything else.
I sometimes put a few stones or gravel at the bottom, but just for weight as it gets quite windy here. If i want drainage i would simply use a soil mixture that holds less moisture.
