STOP Putting Gravel At The Bottom Of Your Pots!
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Date: 2022-07-18
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Comments and reviews: 15
littlespinycactus
This misconception derives from the Victorian practice of 'crocking', where a convex potsherd or two was placed above the single large hole typically found in hand-thrown terracotta pots. The sole function of crocking was preventing soil wash-out, and the practice should have faded into oblivion in the 1960's, when it was made redundant by the advent of mass-produced pots and non-soil based growing media. Sadly, without understanding the original purpose, Joe Public felt the need to perpetuate the practice, hence the soggy, saturated zones- effectively the containerised equivalent of perched water tables- above layers of random rubbish that I still routinely encounter in my clients' pots. That such a demonstrably bad practice has survived to the present is beyond me: hopefully your instructive video will help consign it to the dustbin of history, where it belongs.
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This misconception derives from the Victorian practice of 'crocking', where a convex potsherd or two was placed above the single large hole typically found in hand-thrown terracotta pots. The sole function of crocking was preventing soil wash-out, and the practice should have faded into oblivion in the 1960's, when it was made redundant by the advent of mass-produced pots and non-soil based growing media. Sadly, without understanding the original purpose, Joe Public felt the need to perpetuate the practice, hence the soggy, saturated zones- effectively the containerised equivalent of perched water tables- above layers of random rubbish that I still routinely encounter in my clients' pots. That such a demonstrably bad practice has survived to the present is beyond me: hopefully your instructive video will help consign it to the dustbin of history, where it belongs.
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Hook
To each their own. I live in Ohio and I've been growing cacti in terracotta pots with gravel in the bottom of them for years and haven't observed any problems. The main thing to focus on here is to simply not over water your plants. During the spring/summer months when needed I will slowly water each pot until water drips out of the drainage hole, otherwise I let nature do the work. During fall when I bring them indoors I will water them twice a month at even intervals, but with only around 8 to 12 ounces of water, depending on pot size, but not enough to completely soak the soil. During winter I water them once with 8 to 12 ounces of water each month, if I water them at all. That being said in my opinion cacti seem to thrive when they're somewhat neglected. Even during our really humid, wet, rainy months here in ohio, the cacti seem to do great.
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To each their own. I live in Ohio and I've been growing cacti in terracotta pots with gravel in the bottom of them for years and haven't observed any problems. The main thing to focus on here is to simply not over water your plants. During the spring/summer months when needed I will slowly water each pot until water drips out of the drainage hole, otherwise I let nature do the work. During fall when I bring them indoors I will water them twice a month at even intervals, but with only around 8 to 12 ounces of water, depending on pot size, but not enough to completely soak the soil. During winter I water them once with 8 to 12 ounces of water each month, if I water them at all. That being said in my opinion cacti seem to thrive when they're somewhat neglected. Even during our really humid, wet, rainy months here in ohio, the cacti seem to do great.
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Kitty
He is so right about this but neglected the fact that it actually has a name: The Bathtub Effect. It's pure physics. Moisture will not move from one medium to the next until the first is fully saturated. This was proven back in the 1950s or 60s, at I think Clemson University. The situation plays out in outdoor planting, as in digging a hole in hard clay, filling it with beautiful soil in which you plant the tree. What do you get? Root rot (root circling, too) Water will stay in the hole and not move to the clay.
If I want to improve drainage in a pot I increase air spaces with small stick pieces, perlite, or even gravel. However, it should be mixed into the soil, not layered.
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He is so right about this but neglected the fact that it actually has a name: The Bathtub Effect. It's pure physics. Moisture will not move from one medium to the next until the first is fully saturated. This was proven back in the 1950s or 60s, at I think Clemson University. The situation plays out in outdoor planting, as in digging a hole in hard clay, filling it with beautiful soil in which you plant the tree. What do you get? Root rot (root circling, too) Water will stay in the hole and not move to the clay.
If I want to improve drainage in a pot I increase air spaces with small stick pieces, perlite, or even gravel. However, it should be mixed into the soil, not layered.
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Sheep
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.
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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.
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handmade
Dude I actually had fungus knats living under my plants because of the open air space from putting lava stones at the bottoms of my houseplants.
I spent months trying to eradicate the knats to no avail until one day when I tried to re-pot a plant and I noticed them practically swarming out of the drainage holes it was so bad that when I removed the root ball I could see hundreds of larvae at the base and I was barely watering it. I then re-potted everything and didn't have a big issue with them again.
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Dude I actually had fungus knats living under my plants because of the open air space from putting lava stones at the bottoms of my houseplants.
I spent months trying to eradicate the knats to no avail until one day when I tried to re-pot a plant and I noticed them practically swarming out of the drainage holes it was so bad that when I removed the root ball I could see hundreds of larvae at the base and I was barely watering it. I then re-potted everything and didn't have a big issue with them again.
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critical
i have have come up with a simple cheat code in witch i turn all indoor pots into self watering pots, by elevating the pot above the water line in the saucer and have a wick in the pot going into the saucer, my dracaena is thriving on it and my orchids are responding well to it too, i just water a little on top, than fill the whole saucer till the top, and after the saucer is empty i give it like a week to completely dry out and repeat, i water less and it also gives the plants a lovely humid enviroment
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i have have come up with a simple cheat code in witch i turn all indoor pots into self watering pots, by elevating the pot above the water line in the saucer and have a wick in the pot going into the saucer, my dracaena is thriving on it and my orchids are responding well to it too, i just water a little on top, than fill the whole saucer till the top, and after the saucer is empty i give it like a week to completely dry out and repeat, i water less and it also gives the plants a lovely humid enviroment
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MmmmmmmTacos
Honestly I wish he could update this video. It's honestly more important to have inorganic media in your soil for better drainage and water retention. Perlite, lava rock, turface, or pumice are great options. This and proper watering and knowing when to water is just so much more useful than don't do this.
I would also like to point out that most traditional bonsai specialists still use a drainage layer with larger madia before using bonsai soil because of how expensive bonsai soil is.
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Honestly I wish he could update this video. It's honestly more important to have inorganic media in your soil for better drainage and water retention. Perlite, lava rock, turface, or pumice are great options. This and proper watering and knowing when to water is just so much more useful than don't do this.
I would also like to point out that most traditional bonsai specialists still use a drainage layer with larger madia before using bonsai soil because of how expensive bonsai soil is.
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MrJudeRaw
When you are learning horticulture you learn this. you also learn that this is actually a misunderstood myth and that if done properly it is very effective. You mix about 70/20/10 perlite mulch sand or dirt on the bottom 10% of your container. this way the dirt still has moisture paths. its not about creating a drain its about forcing spaces in the dirt with high density material so water has lower retention at the bottom be cause the majority of root rot happens in the lower 25%
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When you are learning horticulture you learn this. you also learn that this is actually a misunderstood myth and that if done properly it is very effective. You mix about 70/20/10 perlite mulch sand or dirt on the bottom 10% of your container. this way the dirt still has moisture paths. its not about creating a drain its about forcing spaces in the dirt with high density material so water has lower retention at the bottom be cause the majority of root rot happens in the lower 25%
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oldgloryhillfarm
Apparently Ive 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 didnt cause any issues, so. So I do it too. Her plants were amazing.
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Apparently Ive 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 didnt cause any issues, so. So I do it too. Her plants were amazing.
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Michal
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.
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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.
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Karen
I get so excited for Epic Gardening. You know your stuff, man. Plus I like the sponsors.
A lot of soil gets wasted in the middle of the pot due to how roots grow kinda like a wind-blown hourglass. Im really interested in how sharp edged pots compare to round pots for a plants root system. Id love to see a comparison of square vs round root systems for potted plants. I think itd be cool. Have u done this before? Has anyone? Id like to see it.
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I get so excited for Epic Gardening. You know your stuff, man. Plus I like the sponsors.
A lot of soil gets wasted in the middle of the pot due to how roots grow kinda like a wind-blown hourglass. Im really interested in how sharp edged pots compare to round pots for a plants root system. Id love to see a comparison of square vs round root systems for potted plants. I think itd be cool. Have u done this before? Has anyone? Id like to see it.
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Spaceman
The reason TO use gravel (pea gravel) in an inside houseplant container is to hold MORE water in a container that does NOT have a drainage hole. So doing it for the very reason you said. Thus you dont have to water as much AND if the planter is glass, you can see the water in the base where the gravel is. Works great! Outside I put a small rock or pottery shard over the drainage hole to keep from loosing any soil out the bottom.
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The reason TO use gravel (pea gravel) in an inside houseplant container is to hold MORE water in a container that does NOT have a drainage hole. So doing it for the very reason you said. Thus you dont have to water as much AND if the planter is glass, you can see the water in the base where the gravel is. Works great! Outside I put a small rock or pottery shard over the drainage hole to keep from loosing any soil out the bottom.
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beckj18
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.
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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.
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Pamela
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.
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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.
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Thomas
I think his initial premise that the gravel is to improve drainage is incorrect or at least partially because the reasons ALSO include preventing soil leaking out, the soil sticking together and forming a solid mass, discouraging ants from occupying the bottom of the pot and providing the roots something to cling to like in the natural garden situation!
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I think his initial premise that the gravel is to improve drainage is incorrect or at least partially because the reasons ALSO include preventing soil leaking out, the soil sticking together and forming a solid mass, discouraging ants from occupying the bottom of the pot and providing the roots something to cling to like in the natural garden situation!
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