What Is Drainage Material For Plants

For containers with drainage holes the bottom layer reduces the amount of soil that washes.

What is drainage material for plants.

Drainage is crucial for potted plants. In nature certain minerals such as sand provide rapid drainage while heavy minerals like clay can restrict drainage. That s because water naturally flows toward finer material not away from it so the large air spaces between the pieces of gravel don t pull the water into them. It allows water in the soil to drain freely so adequate air is available for the roots.

While various kinds of plants have differing drainage needs few can tolerate sitting in stagnate water. A coffee filter placed over the hole under the soil can allow water drainage while holding the soil inside the pot. Drainage holes quality potting soil and not putting drainage materials in the bottom of the pot should be more than enough to keep the plant healthy and root rot free. Proper drainage is important because not all plants prefer moist conditions.

The material keeps the plant s roots higher in case excess water builds up at the bottom of the planter. If a plant has been potted in a container that does not have drainage holes or quality soil the problem can be easily solved by repotting the plant or adding holes to the. A hole at the bottom of the container is critical. While a deep container with identical amount of mix will increase porosity thereby giving a boost to the pot drainage.

Healthy roots mean healthier plants. Drainage is critical to plant health. There are various types of drainage material on the market new and old natural and man made. Some types of plants require drainage materials be mixed in with their potting soil to keep even a small amount of excess water from remaining in the potting soil after watering.

In order to grow properly their roots cannot sit in water at the bottom of their pot. Drainage is the process in which water leaches downward from the upper soil layers to lower layers or how surface water is removed. A shallow container will affect the porosity of your soil or mix. Some of the less common drainage materials mineral wool for example soak up excess water when the compost is too wet and then gradually release it when the plant begins to dry out.

So at most the gravel or clay shards simply prevent bits of soil from exiting through the holes. The best way to ensure good drainage is to use a good quality potting soil. When choosing a planter or container to host your indoor plants consider the following aspects.