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

DKLS

As I have always used crocks but i am tempted I to try my own little experiment, I have half a dozen plant pots that need filing up.
Assuming using the same compost I will try:
1. With terracotta crocks
2. With an old woollen sock/bit of jumper
3. Bits of the free local newspaper
4. No crocks or anything else for drainage
5. Expanded polystyrene chunks
6. Leaf litter

If I give them the same amount of water and feed, could be interested to see what effect if any the added drainage helps or not.

I can feel a trip to the local nursery coming up

Linda32

I add them if I happen to remember and if I have any about. I can see the reason behind them but I really can't say I have ever noticed the difference to be honest.

I've only ever washed pots once as well, ruddy horrible job

DaftyDuck

I'm a clumsy-thumbs. At least the "add some crocks..." gave me some excuse for my heap of bits. I'll keep adding them to mine, if only to cover my embarrassment.

Having just repotted a couple of dozen mints today, those with good crocks were better plants, and the soil was looser around the hole. I vote for crocks.

sparrer

I use broken up bits of the polystyrene trays new plants come in for all sizes of container, otherwise some of the compost tends to wash away during watering and rain showers, and I have to keep refilling it. It works just as well as crocks and doesn't disintigrate so is reusable.

ERICS_MUM

MOONGAZER wrote: »

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.

me too. Also to add ballast to a top-heavy pot. I agree that summer annuals don't necessarily need deep root runs for their short lives and I use all sorts of pot, the polystyrene plug-plant containers etc broken up in the bottom of the container to economise on the amount of compost I use.

Does anyone mix ordinary garden soil with potting compost for their annual bedding plants in tubs ?

Davesnave

ERICS_MUM wrote: »

Does anyone mix ordinary garden soil with potting compost for their annual bedding plants in tubs ?

Yes, mine's good enough to go into potting mixes, but I do that for plants like large perennials and shrubs.

Farway

Davesnave wrote: »

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!

Oh no, you will have to join me, and Biggles, on the "Naughty Step" for not washing plastic pots

stumpycat

I would just add a quick warning before anybody uses polystyrene - check that it IS polystyrene and not the biodegradeable starch stuff that can look very similar! You're likely to end up with a puddle of gloop at the bottom of your pot if it's starch. :-)

Davesnave

Farway wrote: »

Oh no, you will have to join me, and Biggles, on the "Naughty Step" for not washing plastic pots

I've been a very naughty gardener most of my life, so I probably qualify for a 'naughty armchair' by now! :rotfl:

If I'm sowing something relatively expensive and minute, like some peltoboykinia tellimoides seed I bought recently, then I would take the greatest care, but most things don't need that level of fuss.

Those came up in a couple of months, but sometimes there's no way of knowing if you'll be hanging-on, waiting more than a year for germination of tiny things. In that case, starting with sterilized pots and high quality media is probably a sensible move.

sobie

Using any sort of 'crock' (gravel, proken up pots etc) is an absolute must in any terracotta pot.

In winter, if the drainage holes become blocked (clogged up with wet soil) and the soil becomes waterlogged terracotta pots being ''breatheable' will soak up that water. Then if the water freezes and expands - your pot cracks. (even the most frost resistant pot will crack in this circumstance.) You can also help prevent this by the use of Pot Feet.

Bedding plants rarely come in polystryene packs anymore. They should be sold in either re-cyclable plastic (if your council recycles plastic, ours only recycles bottle shaped plastic :mad: ) or bi-degradable pots.