Are gardeners wrong to add in 'crocks' to plant pots?

DKLS

I have always added crocks when planting up new plant pots, my grandad showed me how and it seemed a great way of re-using frost damaged pots.

But it seems to be a bit of a myth according to the is BBC article.

C_Mababejive

No..i think it is a good idea to add some "crocks" to the bottom of your pots before planting. Also of course ensure the pot has drain holes. The reason why? Well most people use bagged up peat based composts as available from local diy store/garden centre.

It is important that this stuff has good drainage. If it gets continually wet,it gets heavily compacted. This encourages water retention. If it stays wet this encourages compost gnats who produce larvae. You will then find that your plants die because under the surface these larvae nibble away at the roots until there is nothing left.

I would suggest you dont use these type of products on their own.

I would suggest buying a bag of john innes soil based material and mixing this with your bag of diy store peat based compost.

Add your crocks,,dont over water even in summer..in fact err on the side of dryness unless plants are actually wilting in the heat

peter_the_piper

You can also recycle the expanded polystyrene the bedding plants come in as well.

DigForVictory

I gather Which thinks it's a load of whatever, but last I checked when I was happy my plants did better, so of the two myths, I'll let one cancel out the other.

Expanded polystyrene? Blimey! I love MSE - you learn so much!

Farway

I think the basic idea of crocks was in days of only clay pots, with large drainage holes, the crocks prevented the compost falling out of the holes. And it was only soil based back then. Peat was on the far horizon

I use crocks, or polystyrene, only in large pots these days, most modern compost is free draining any way

Davesnave

It's like the to wash or not to wash debate. (I'm talking pots here! )

99% of the time I don't wash my pots, and neither apparently does Matthew Biggs, but when he suggested not bothering, various members of the RHS were apoplectic. :eek:

There are circumstances where I'd wash or crock, but most of the time it's a case of 'que sera, sera'....... and I still have far too many plants!

bossymoo

They do stop the muck falling out of the big drainage hole at the bottom of terracotta pots

rach_k

I usually use gravel as we have loads I want to get rid of and few broken pots, but whether or not it really helps drainage I'm not sure. It does save money on compost though! I like nice tall pots (or at least a mix of short and tall) but most of the plants don't need as much compost as it would take to fill the whole pot, so gravel/crocks in the bottom works well for me.

MOONGAZER

I use all sorts of broken things - polysterene(great for big pots), broken pots, but mainly broken plates, teapots, cups, etc. All these things will provide drainage as water will sour if accumulated in the bottom of pots.

Biggles

Farway wrote: »

I think the basic idea of crocks was in days of only clay pots, with large drainage holes, the crocks prevented the compost falling out of the holes.

Yes, I have always assumed that was the whole point, I can't see how it would increase drainage.

wellused

If you don't use something to cover the holes either the compost gets washed out or worse still the hole gets blocked and stops drainage.