Gardening experts have been warned against a trick meant to improve drainage in potted plants.
Managing drainage is crucial for our plants, especially in the UK, where we are used to having plenty of rain, as evidenced by the weather warnings issued over the last few weeks.
However, with all the advice out there, gardeners have been urged to be more cautious about the drainage hacks they follow.
According to Ideal Home, one that has become increasingly popular is placing broken crockery, rocks, or gravel at the bottom of a planter. However, the broken pieces can actually create a blockage in your drainage system, causing significant damage.
Richard Barker, horticultural expert and commercial director of LBS Horticulture, said: “The gravel or crockery pieces can make the soil stay wetter for longer, due to the perched water table effect. Water moves well through soil, but a gravel layer below the soil can stop this.
“If the water cannot move, it will begin to collect and create a barrier, as the water will only move down into the gravel layer when the soil is fully saturated and cannot hold any more. This can mean that water remains near plant roots, potentially leading to root rot.”
As well as limiting drainage in your pots, adding all the extra broken bits can add weight, taking up space that could have been used for soil and compost.
Compost is necessary for plants to ensure they get the necessary nutrients needed to grow and keep them healthy. By adding all the extra bits of crockery or gravel, your limited what they need – making things worse, and potentially stunting their growth.
Lucie Bradley, gardening and greenhouse expert at Easy Garden Irrigation, further explained that the reduced depth in the pot restricts the space plants have to “produce the healthy root system they need to feed them with water, oxygen and nutrients”.
She added: “This means vigorous growers will become pot-bound sooner when the bottom section of the pot is filled with gravel, and rather than growing deep into the compost, they are forced into being shorter or spiralling around the inside of the pot.
“These shorter roots will result in stunted growth and will make the plants less stable. It can also mean you need to repot your plants sooner than normal.”
Gardeners are advised to add perlite or horticultural grit to potted plants to ensure it has a good drainage.
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