Using polystyrene for drainage

loulou41

I have read you can use the above from your bedding plants polystyrene as drainage if you do not have broken crocks? Anybody using them? Also I have got a large window box which I am using to grow my seeds on the windowsill and I have not pierced the bottom for drainage on purpose as I do not water dripping all over the window. Will my seeds grow this way, I just spray the soil when it is dry or I should really make a hole at the bottom of the box? Thanks.

kimmee

I don't know if it will harm them by not having drainage holes but I always put my seeds in a tray/tub/whatever that has either got holes or I punch holes and then I put the seed container on a tray to prevent leaks.

Sometimes the soil can get really dry and just by spraying them you wouldn't necessarily get water down to the roots. I'm no expert by any means so maybe someone with greater experience will tell you different but hope that helps

amcluesent

> Anybody using them?<

Yep, very handy to use in the base of pots without adding any real weight.

Savannah02K

Yep, I've been doing this for years. single girlie with back problems, hard enough moving containers round as it is without added weight of crocks. I put in couple of big pieces of polystrene, per biggish pot, when you re-pot, just tip the pot up and pull off the poly, you'll find some root wrap around it but it doesn't seem to harm the plants. Been growing flowers and veggies with this. other tip someone gave me last year which I thought was great idea is to use empty yoghurt pots, open side down to 'fill up' bottom of biggish pot if you're only growing shallow rooted veggies, eg lettuce, radishes, that way you don't use as much potting compost. Worked for me last year and will do again this year.

tanith

loulou41 wrote: »

I have read you can use the above from your bedding plants polystyrene as drainage if you do not have broken crocks? Anybody using them? Also I have got a large window box which I am using to grow my seeds on the windowsill and I have not pierced the bottom for drainage on purpose as I do not water dripping all over the window. Will my seeds grow this way, I just spray the soil when it is dry or I should really make a hole at the bottom of the box? Thanks.

One problem if there are no drainage holes is that the pots will get waterlogged if we have a downpour or lots of rain..

conradmum

Yes, I've used polystyrere for drainage space in the past, no problem.

For your windowboxes I'd advise putting holes in the bottom. You risk your plants getting waterlogged or too dry otherwise. Is there maybe some sort of tray you could put underneath to stop the water damaging the windowsill? Either that or carry them to the bath, water them, let them drain, then carry them back to the windowsill.

Megansmum

I use gravel trays under my pots with holes. They cost about 75p from wilkos and aren't too wide.

I also use polystyrene, much better than finding crocks!

foxgloves

For some reason I always seem to have a good supply of crocks. I've used polystyrene successfully, but if I've got neither, I just chuck a layer of small plastic plant pots into the bottom of large containers. They seem to work as well as anything.

peachespeaches

I use it and also crocks. We are always breaking cups/plates etc and I always save them in a bucket near the shed until I need them. Another thing I do is when I am weeding I collect stones in a bucket, and I use them at the bottom of large containers too.