How to Get the Best Drainage for Your Container - Why What You've Been Taught is all Wrong
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- Опубліковано 26 лип 2017
- Getting the best drainage for your container is critical for plants to look and perform their best. But what we've all been told about filling the bottom with rocks or cans, etc. is all wrong. I'll show you why that doesn't work and show you how to get the best drainage for your container. Then, watch my Urban Gardening playlist: • Urban Gardening
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I think the point of having rocks at the bottom is to help prevent the drainage holes from getting plugged with wet soil. Scale absolutely does matter, so your use of very little soil and so many rocks doesn’t make any valid point, other than that if you fill a pot with mostly rocks and only a tiny layer of soil, the soil will stay saturated (but only because there is not much soil!). Obviously if you flood very little soil with lots of water, it will stay wet longer than lots of soil with the same amount of water.
Brad. The point of using a lot of rocks in this demonstration for simply to illustrate more easily the science behind what happens to water flow when substrates of two different textures meet. I agree scale is important so that the more soil in the container the less chance of water collecting around the roots. But that's not the point of this video. It's to show that this does happen, wherever the interface is. And the primary reason people put rocks or cans or packing peanuts or whatever at the bottom is the myth that it helps with drainage, not to prevent drainage holes from getting plugged. Just use a screen for that.
Would it be possible to do this experiment with a larger container and a one/two rock layer at the bottom?
With rocks at the bottom you won't have to water that often so it's more water efficient:))
@@Felix9lives That's nonsense of course. You need to give as much water to the plant as it evaporates regardless.
Triplemania actually, Felix is absolutely correct in making his point that plants that are grown in a medium that can hold water for longer periods will not need to be watered as frequently. Your theory of water evaporation is not is incorrect however. Even in fabric containers very little moisture is actually lost due to evaporation compared to the amount that is absorbed by the plants roots as it takes a very long time for the moisture from the lower areas of soil in the container to wick up to the top to be evaporated. I wish you were correct for what it’s worth though lol ✌️
In real life (non-randomized) trials I've had best experience with small amount of gravel at the bottom. Less issues with blocked holes and water-logging after lots of rain. Given how much diffrent advice from experts is out there I guess it's much less clear cut and depends on many factors, soil quality, plant preferences, type and amount of material used, planter size and shape and so forth...
Dont stress, you seem to understand. Many videos on perched water tables say dont do the rocks at the bottom. But the exact reason they say why is also what contradicts them.
Even a pot with straight soil/potting mix will have a perched water table. The stones just raise it from the bottom of the pot. Exactly like you said, case by case, situational difference, species etc. all come in to play.
Ive done way more study and theory on this than practice, i agree and back you on what you say via experience.
@@ormcgazm I swear my experience is similar too. It's not that it cancels out the perched water table, it just raises it. I only use smaller gravels to avoid blocking the drainage and it works fine. Bonus points if your soil is gritty too (for succulents)
Everybody is such a bloody expert......I'm sick of hearing so called experts arguing with each other, its like being in the House of friggin Commons.
In that case reading youtube comment might not such a good idea....
I add rocks at the bottom, just for the weight, we get a lot of wind and my pots get knocked over. Added the rocks helps .🙂
I planted rosemary in pots with rocks and it did fine, they did outgrow the pot so they are in the ground now😊
I do not use rocks and, have found drilling a 1" hole on the side approx 2" from the bottom of the container helps with drainage too. HTH
Lol your sponsor "brought to you by corona season after season".....the humor does not escape me fast enough...I can't stop laughing!!
Omg I died laughing! 😆
😂🤣🥲
the test seemed flawed with the balance of materials, and the container sizes, and the relative ratios of dirt to rock to container.... The exaggerated rock to dirt ratio ruined the acceptability of the results.
I think it would have been better to use exact and equal measures of water for each, but the containers are the same size and the only difference is the addition of gravel. Where the action is happening is at the change in the substrates surface, so it doesn't matter how much gravel is underneath.
@@dhaniegirl it totally matters how much there is for a drainage layer. It should of only been about a half of an inch in that container. On top of that it shouldn't have been pea gravel, because of its smooth surface are it compacts more. Literally should have been driveway gravel. This guy is a joke...
@@joshbrazzell8549 there’s good research to back up his claim from the Washington State University Extension.
@@lizherbst7393 you should try to link it to me, that'd be interesting
@@joshbrazzell8549 I watched it in class, when I was studying horticulture. I couldn't find it with a quick search, but I'll look again.
Thank you. Finally a proper explanation on UA-cam.
Glad it helped! Thank you.
We have huge black walnut trees, I use the walnut shells broke in half to help with drainage. They are extremely lightweight and neutral ph.
Thank you for tackling this issue quickly and succinctly.
Thank you for teaching me this. I am learning how to garden, and your UA-cam channel has generously helped me really understand how to garden correctly with inspiration! Thank you again.
This is one of the most discussed topic of container gardening. If we dont put any thing in plastic pots then soil will start coming out of drainage holes over time. I am having both kind of pots with pebbles and without pebbles and my plants are doing fine in both the pots for years
If you're concerned with soil coming out through the holes, why not just lay a piece of window screening on the bottom before you add your soil. That will prevent most of the soil loss and still address the issue discussed in this video.
Landscape fabric (aka ‘weed blocking cloth’) is also useful and a bit easier to cut than wire mesh.
Thank you. You have answered a fundamental question. I will try this today!
Excellent video !!! Thank you so very much. I now know what to do. South Africa calling. It’s night time here right now. I can’t wait for the morning to start on my pots. 🤗
I watched so many videos where people put stones, so that's what I did.
My plants are not happy, and the leaves are turning brown. I have another plant I used straight soil and its happy and beautiful. Thanks for for showing me the difference and it explains why my plants aren't happy.
No more stones
I'm repotting my plants
Excellent. So glad you found this. And thanks for sharing your experience with this comment.
Agreed !! 🤗
Thank you for the drainage demonstration, I’m going to do this with my grandchildren before we plant the flowers they chose. It’s something they will remember when gardening! 👍🏻
Thanks Gail. You are welcome!
Try a simple, new chunk of household sponge at the bottom.
Thanks for this very important demo. I'm a new horticulturist (ish) so I need to learn all I can to grow healthy plants.
Thanks for the great advice.
Love this and loved your show!!! Thank you Thank you Thank you
My Quarantine Weed Plant Thanks YOU;)
Thank you for this well explained video 🙏
In my opinion, the one with the pebbles is better. I find that pebbles do help. The pebbles also help to prevent the soil from falling out. I find that if you add really big, misshapen rocks, it helps with drainage. There will be gaps. If you put a stone over the drainage hole, the water will come out, because the rock is misshapen and doesn’t have a tight seal. Whatever works for you though!🙂
did you watch the video?
@howardmckeown7187 he over exaggerated the situation. A rock or a few won't cause saturation. It's only when there are too many of them. I use rock(s) to prevent the soil from leaking from the pot when the soil is irrigated. That's the only reason I use them rock(s).
For my bloodgood japanese maple tree I took a 30 gallon pot and added a thin layer of stones and river sand over that it works really well it the river sand prevents the soil from going into the air spaces that the stones make therefore prevents clogging.
@RaffaelloLorenzusSayde I agree, but I use a tropical soil mix with bark and coconut husk, so I hardly get saturation.
Great information and it makes since
I usually place few pebbles right on drain holes. More soil means more nutrients means more root growth.
Why anyone would fill gravel? Bamboo grows in gravel. But still it’s better to thoroughly mix gravel, sand, soil.
Thank you very much, helpful tip
I've used gravel, sand, mulch and some plastic milk jugs to help with drainage and weight (with large containers) . I've had mixed results over the years but can see where over watering a container thinking it's draining but becoming saturated is a problem for the roots of some plants. I'll experiment some more this year since I'm planning on repotting everything due a harsh winter.
Excellent video. I appreciate the content because I will be doing more container growing this year. Thanks Joe
Thanks Madlyn. Glad you liked. Good luck with the growing season!
I put pine cones at bottom of pots for drainage
Great info. Watching from Trinidad and Tobago.
Brilliant! Thank you.
Best sir ji , good way to explain
Great video 👍🏻👍🏻....Just a quick question, could you please tell me if keeping a single layer of shade net at the base of the soil is ok?...I did it coz I made few big holes for drainage and didn’t want the soil to pour out...Thanks👍🏻
So counter intuitive! Wow!!!
Id be curious what the results would be over the course of several days, especially if you used a more reasonable amount of rock. You've shown that a layer of rock can raise the level of a perched water table, but I wonder which pot's waterlogged section will dry out first? If you did a larger pot that only had a few inches of rock, you woulnd't waterlog the entire pot like you've shown here.
Thank you!
Thank you so much!
Thank you, my morning glories have been doing poorly and I think you just answered why. I'm going to clean up my pots asap
Thank you..i always use straight soil...
I wish I’d found this video before potting up some of my succulents as per recommendations from other videos. I only put half to 1 inch of gravel but after a year when I was repotting I noticed there was green slime growing due to all the excess moisture. Thankfully my succulents didn’t die as I was watering every 2 weeks or longer as I noticed how moist the soil was. Never using gravel or rocks again. I do however use shade cloth cut to size on the bottom with all my pots. It works very well and allows airflow but stops soil leaking out. Been doing the shade cloth over 20 years and never had any issues with it.
What kind of shade cloth?
@@ale347bakerI don’t think it matters … it just needs air holes. Some people use old sheer curtains as I’ve witnessed on a few UA-cam videos.
After watching this video, I stopped adding rocks to my pots, and my plants have all died so quickly. Unfortunately, most planters sit on drain plates, so I've found that adding rocks actually gives the plant a bit of a "buffer zone" for the water to hang out where the roots can access it when they're ready, meaning you can water the plant less often AND not have to meticulously move the plant over to a sink-without spilling anything on the way-to separate the plate and drain it every time that dish fills up.
Sorry that happened to your plants but glad you found an approach that’s working for you. 👍
Great video
phew ! I was worried I was wrong with only soil I'm new to this haha
Ingesting. I'm still going to put some aggregate in my big house tree pot. Ill mix it up
Mixing it up makes all the difference. 👍.
Very nice
Just saw this video and read the comments. I'm amazed so many missed this point: if Joe did the test with just a normal thin layer of rocks at the bottom, there wouldn't be enough visible difference in water movement to be obvious right away. As in real life, he'd have to wait for months for the plant to start showing the negative effect on drainage and crapping out ... proving his main point that in the LONG run, the rocks on the bottom are bad for the plant.
So what is best for drainage adding the Bottom layer with Rocks or something simillar or fill the pot completely with Soil?
Thanks.
perhaps I am not seeing correctly, but I saw some of the water flow through the rock version shortly after you put the water in it.(before the wait time)???
Good video
Thank you.
a friends grandma told me that you need to and enough rock to cover the bottom and then mix rock and soil no more than 1/20 of the container depth or an inch for both layers but she also only used containers that were more than 2ft tall and was definately a witch who could revive any plant
First thanks for an interesting video!
My question is if it’s ok for a big pot, around 24 inch high, to stand on a plate with the drainage water. The water depth is around 1 inch. The watering is automatically and the soil feels good but the plate is always full. This is in Israel so it’s warm here!-)
Happy for advice
Thanks
It only goes wrong, if the roots clog the drain hole... Is best to have more than one...
-Or other strategies to prevent blockage.
Gases AND the water could really foul things up for your plants.
Dear Joe, thank you for your excellent effort in simulating your concept right in front of our eyes. It was very convincing and was performed very professionally. What you proved seems very reasonable for the small and medium size pots. What about fairly tall pots. Filling a tall pot with quality soil is expensive. Do you have a solution for that. Thank you.
Exactly the answer I’m looking for!
My question is what do you when you have a very large outdoor planter? I certainly don't want to put in 3 bags of soil. That gets extremely heavy.
Yay! My laziness and cheap-skate-ness has paid off! (I never add anything at the bottom of my containers.)
Natalie McGuire I put one small rock in each hole, I’m lazy too lol, now I’m drilling holes one inch from the bottom to see which worked for this 82 yr old teenager.
I used charcoal and nonwave
Right but if you are truly cheap, like me, then aren't you defeating the purpose. container soil is expensive. What is your solution to that?
The best!
Hgg
Thanks
Clear, concise, useable info.Thank you- Subscribed
Merrill Phoenix thank you!!
Interesting concept but i do not agree i always place gravel or rocks covered over with 60 /80% shadecloth to prevent the rocks below from getting clogged up with silt or soil then top up with a non clay soilmix
What if we add brick pieces at the bottom of the pot? They are excellent water absorbers. Also if we add some brick pieces to soil itself?
Can I use woodchips instead of soil or pebbles as filler at the bottom of a pot?
I use larger lava type rocks for my planters. Is the non effectiveness the same?
Your information on the pot feet was just what I needed to know. My pots are on the porch so I know they'd just make a mess if I let them drain and I thought the bottom plate would just keep the water from draining. You're help is just so much appreciated. Thank You, Ray
Awesome Ray! Glad that helped. Thanks for watching. Joe
what if different substrates but no soil, only pumices and leca(in the bottom) or what is one substrate but in different sizes (bigger is in the bottom)
thanks
Great info. I'm about to do some repotting of seedlings into bigger pots. I have 2 questions.first is it ok to put newspaper as the barrier? One sheet sufficient or more? Secondly, can i reuse last seasons potting mix and add compost and fertiliser to replenish nutrients? Or do I need to buy new? Would use winters brassicas mix to plant this summer's tomatoes. Thanks.
Newspaper will quickly dissolve, so, no, that won't work. Try a piece of burlap, which will last longer, a piece of window screen, a used dryer sheet seems to last indefinitely but you must be sure it lets water through.
Hi what do u think of self watering pots
I wonder if people add the padding because it requires less watering, as opposed to a plant with straight soil that needs watering every day? Straight soil is probably best just to prevent them from getting waterlogged and developing rot.
thanks for the video. do you have any advice on what to do when using pots with no drainage holes?
Meghan no drainage means wet mouldy earth , I have just had to empty 5 big concrete containers, because the plants werent growing, at the bottom I had layered it with terracota , the bottom layer of earth was thick and gungy . The terracotta had blocked the holes so no drainage , consequently my plants were dying with rot. So best you drill some holes in your posts gal , I am trying to make my holes bigger xxx
Succulent specialist Debra Lee Baldwin does. Look for her website, then look for advice on watering, & the subheading: "How to water succulents in non-draining containers". (Not posting with the link included.)
nice informatin
Guys need help if I don't use stoned is it ok to use a piece of cloth at bottom of pot (above drainage hole) in order to prevent soil coming out from drainage hole
does the soil you are using there have perlite in it?
Then what is your recommendation to keep the bottom hole from clogging up with soil, and still allowing drainage? Should landscaping weed preventive cloth be used? It would allow the moisture through?
Kara Birrell I would use a cut piece of window screening. Even weed cloth can clog eventually.
I love your podcast!!! You are all around awesome!
I didnt know that you had a UA-cam channel by this name.. I will be watching. New sub
Thank you Nina!
Awesome Nina. So happy to hear that. I love doing the podcasts and glad you found them!
That's interesting and informative but leaves us with a dilemma. Potting soil is expensive. The fillers we add to bottom of pot are dual purpose; drainage and save $ on soil. Can you address this problem with some advice? Thanks in advance.
You should give it a try. Maybe in just one pot. Likes little experiment. I’ve been gardening for 30 years and learn new things every day. In the beginning, I believed that all my soil would fall out the bottom. So out of fear I put rocks in the bottom. I have not had that experience. It just doesn’t happen. Plus your plants have the added advantage of having more soil in the pot from which to draw nutrients. When the soil is depleted, they cannot go to the store and get food. They need all the soil they can get, so filling it with as much good soil as you can helps so much. And if you decide to add compost, mix it thoroughly with the potting mix so you have all the different sized particles mixed well. That way you are not creating the same problem you’re trying to avoid with the gravel.
Wow.
What an eye opener.
Thank you.
Your video was better than any I saw. May I ask what should be under the the pot so that it will drain and not sit on a plate and keep the water inside the pot? Thank You, Ray
Thanks Ray! Many times the surface is just uneven enough to allow water to exit the drainage hole(s). However, you can also purchase "pot feet". That's the term I know people use to describe small objects made for this purpose. You typically insert 3 of these "pot feet" under the bottom edge of the bot to raise it just a bit off the ground thereby ensuring that water does indeed have a clear way out of the pot. You can indeed google the term "pot feet" or "pot risers" to see what I'm talking about. Hope that helps.
ive tried regulat potting mix n i mix it with spagnamoss im not a pro just staring n my aloe sims to like it! n after i change to a brand “jiffy flora fluer” i didnt add anything jst soil in the bag n my aloe almost dying hahaha then i add spag n perlite sims now abit better but im thinking to add pinebarks see how it works
Subscribed 🤘🏻
Wow!
Is it possible to put stone on top of the soil of a pot, like mulch?
Actually pure soil is not good either some plants just need perlite mixed in and sand so the soil holds less moisture or does't compact and retains air better, cos roots rot if there is no air in the soil, bonsai mix usually is just mostly stone like mix with barely any soil for example, some plants also better off in clay pots others in ceramic pots some type of rocks can also absorb water also to keep in mind, i would put in a stone barrier at bottom just so the roots dont sit in tray of water on saucer altho i dunno if that actually helps im not sure.
Anyway a good soil mix drains as fast as it needs to so it cannot be overwatered, rather then not giving a little that does't reach the drainage hole, cos you wanna be able to wash out all the salts that acumulate into the soil.
Perched water tables work in the ground not in containers. Different environments. Use mesh if your concerned about soil loss.
What can I do to drain when I live on the second floor?
What would be best to use to cover a large single hole on the bottom of the pot so that the soil does not come out?
Landscape fabric
Some people say it is to avoid snails and slugs in the dirt of the vase
ummmm, water started coming out of the one with rocks almost immediately.
Mimi Sunshine
Nope. I saw it too
Thank you!
@@leviwdietz not going to lie, both soils looked pretty poor
Nice vedio...but plz guide me..how to stop losing soil from d drainage hole, I mean what should I place in bottom to avoid that to happen.
Place a piece of screen in the bottom.
why is a screen god...i use a thin layer of large perlite because i have alot of it so why not..not for better drainage but to aid in not losing any medium threw holes...works great! and yea screen will work to..but you make it seem like thats the only remedy@@joegardenerTV
Corona - season after season
Wow
Quack quack
Potted plants need water to flow through the soil mix to bring fresh air through to the roots. However, non-compacting, lightweight potting mixes will wash out of the drainage holes; adding rocks doesn't help. An ordinary (used is best) dryer sheet lining the bottom of the pot, covering the drainage holes, allows water to drain through, but slows it down and keeps the soil mix from getting washed out. The dryer sheets don't rot or fall apart - it's important to make sure water can pass through before using them.
You can see water easily draining from the gravel bottom.
Add perlite or mix in some sand which I usually do for my succulents - great drainage and good nutrients from potting mix.
Im a noob to this planting stuff, but wouldn't having a drainage hole just leak water from the bottom creating a mess?
What about for the people like myself who absolutely NEED to weigh down their two URN planters because they sit on steps & are prone to wind ???
Fair question. I would instead mix the heavier material in with the soil, so it's all throughout, vs. just at the bottom creating a seperate layer. This way you can still get the weight but not impede the drainage.
Joe, what about the theory of placing small plastic bottles in a large container, to make it lighter to move around? It takes up about half the soil. Is that why my Azeliia plant was dying?
when you put different material in the container, you raise the water table. There's no way to say what is causing your azalea plant to die but raising the water table where the roots are sitting in water too long would be one reason. You can create a false bottom in a large pot but you still end up with less soil volume and more roots in less soil. But a false bottom such as with "ups-a-daisy" container inserts are a decent option for large pots.
@@joegardenerTV Pardon my ignorance Joe, what is an ups-a-daisy container?
@@noel888 It is a product that was made to be inserted into round containers to create a false bottom so as to reduce the depth required to fill entirely with soil. It's usally used to light the weight of large containers or reduce the volume of soil needed to fill.
I subscribed because you look good.
But how do you fill a huge pot with just soil? I have elephant ears and cactuses that are in HUGE pots. I bring them inside my house when Temps drop to cont. to enjoy them all year. I've done this for years. As some might know. Neither of types of these plants have large roots systems. I can not afford to fill all my pots with just potting soil, not to mention the fact they get way to heavy if I did and wouldn't be able to move them. So if your not supposed to fill with rocks or another type of "filler" substrate, then what is your suggestion please. And thank you!
Thank u
I have a question about drainage:
I have a big pot, around 23 inch high with stands on a plate. There is a drainage hole on the side of the plate at around 1 inch from the bottom. The watering is automatically so the plate is usually full to the drainage hole and the soil on top always feels good. I live in Israel so it’s quite warm here...
The question is if it’s ok with the water in the plate?
Hoping for some advice.
Thanks
Do outdoor plants need saucers? I just came across an article that mentions to avoid placing saucers underneath outdoor container plants because saucers full of water will keep the soil in the pots wet (unhealthy condition). I’m so new to this..I don’t understand, if you don’t need a saucer, does the pot still need a drainage hole? If it doesn’t have a hole, how does water drain? Help please!
feel like having some sort of drip tray that can hold the pots but lets water run through could be good, or placing pots on soil.
you can water plants by filling up the saucer with water, and if you have a fast draining soil the water would quickly just end up in the saucer, one could empty the saucer occasionally but that seems like a lot of work.
probably good to consider where the water's gonna go once it run through the draining holes, some flowers don't want to stand in water, and pot should probably not be standing in water for prolonged periods of time either.
In general this theory is correct but when potting citrus plants, you must add expanded clay rocks in the bottom of your terracotta pot, they will absorb the excess water and let the rest drain through the hole, and give the water back to the plant gradually. Those who recommend gravel are nuts.
Thank you , you saved me a lot of money and sweat. Excellent little video.
Thanks Mona!
The water in the first cup with the stones clearly flowed out instantly when you added water. It went straight to the bottom. So to say it didn't flow through is incorrect. Watch the video again. Secondly, of course it won't flow out the second cup as readily as there was more soil to absorb the water. As for root movement, of course it stands to reason roots can't flow through stones as easily.
As I noted in the video, of course the initial flush of water will flow past the soil and filler to exit the container, just as water exits an over-saturated sponge. It's the remaining water held in place by the carrying capacity of the soil above the second substrate that is where the risk lies. Saturated soil that does not move past this top / first substrate because of the change in texture of the material below poses the risk that the roots that share that same space as the saturated soil have insufficient oxygen because the water has displaced it.
To your second point, wherever the change in substrate layer is, that's where the water will stop flowing after the initial flush. So yes, more soil is much better to allow water to flow past the roots. But if the roots aren't above the saturation point, they still have the risk of sitting in soil that is too wet.
GrowYour: Yup. And he doesn't let up, either. As with most people when they are full of shit about something, he just won't let up.