Ceramic pots......what can I use as filler........?

Question

I have purchased 2 ceramic pots that are about 3ft in diameter..I want to fill them with dirt and potting soil, but not completely....can any of you out there tell me what I might be able to use as filler so the pots won't be so heavy....and chance cracking from being overweight

Answer 1

You can put styrofoam (that is used for keeping things from breaking in the mail) as a light-weight filler in the bottom of pots & other planting containers.

If you have a large, deep planter, you can put an inverted plastic pot on the bottom to fill in the extra space & then fill in with soil & your plant.

I find that adding perlite to the soil helps to keep the soil from getting too heavy, helps with drainage & helps keep plants from drying out.  Also, some people mix some peat moss with the perlite & soil for a light weight potting soil.

http://homeharvest.com/soilamendmentsper...

http://www.schundler.com/plantscapes.htm

BTW, Slugs don't like perlite: " The slugs stopped before entering the gardens and did not slime over the perlite to access plants. It appears that slugs were adversely affected by perlite. which proved to be an effective slug deterrent in the garden."

http://www.schundler.com/slugs.htm

Forum on using perlite & peat & adding styrofoam peanuts to potting soil:

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load...