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Stop Adding Packing Materials To Your Planters And Do
This Instead
By TIFFANY SELVEY
Styrofoam is long lasting, but it doesn’t promote good drainage since it’s made of tiny beads and breaks apart whenever a heavier planting medium, like soil mix, is covering it.
A seal may then form in the bottom of your planter, preventing excess water from draining. When you later empty your container and reuse that soil, you are left with a mess.
Biodegradable packing peanuts don’t work well either because of how quickly the cornstarch breaks down. When the soil settles, the benefits of using extra filler will be gone.
Alternatively, recycled items like soda bottles with the lid on take up lots of space, and won’t be crushed, which means they won’t block the planter’s drainage holes.
You can also layer medium-sized rocks at the bottom of your planter, and place a sheet of landscaping fabric on top to prevent any potting soil from clogging the gaps.