Ditch The Plastic And Dirt: There's A Better Way To Fill Large Planters

Large and oversized planters undeniably look great, particularly outside, but they require a lot of soil to fill them which can often make them too heavy or expensive to feel truly worth it. In an effort to avoid this, people often reach for other filler items, anything from plastic bottles and gravel to a layer of sticks, but those fixes can negatively affect drainage. There is a much simpler way to handle a large planter — just place a plant stand inside the larger one with the plant sitting on top of that. Without having to fill it all with extra soil or pack the base layer with other materials, these items can lift the plant to the right height, sitting just below the rim, while leaving the space underneath completely empty. 

Between things like picking the right size, thinking about the porousness of the material, and weighing the practically of actually being able to move it around, buying the right planters often comes with enough to consider. And if you have ever spotted a big planter that you loved but knew it didn't have the right conditions to support your plants, then this idea solves that problem too by keeping your plant in its original home.

While packing the whole thing out with soil could quickly become expensive depending on how big your planter is, there's also the fact that container plants only require enough soil to support their root system and anything beyond that doesn't add much benefit. In fact it could even lead to problems known as "overpotting" which can cause slow growth and wilting. If you think you're bypassing this by adding items to the bottom of large planters such as stones and gravel, you could just be creating drainage issues instead which can lead to the often fatal root rot. By giving your plant a solid base in the form of a plant stand or smaller pot, it will stay stable, properly elevated, and able to drain water cleanly from the size-appropriate pot that it's in. And especially from a distance, it will look like a full and well-packed container.

Long-term, it's just plain easier to manage this way. Once you've cut down significantly on adding extra weight, your large planter will become a lot easier to move around despite it's impressive size (depending on how heavy it is itself). And when the plant needs repotting or you just feel like swapping it out, it'll be really easy to lift out and adjust.