The Drainage-Layer Controversy

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Blooming, Care and Culture, Growing Indoors, Growing Outdoors

For years, people have used pebble or pieces of broken clay pot (crockery) to line the bottom of containers.

The primary purpose of this practice is to add an extra measure of drainage to the containers, which is not necessary if you place pots atop a bed of dry or damp pebbles, which has the same effect. However if you are using self-watering plastic pots, where you cannot always tell if there is water sitting in the drainage tray, using a thin layer of crockery is a good idea. A drainage layer is also in order if you plan to set a container on a solid surface with no drainage tray below it. And some plants that require excellent drainage benefit from having a layer of pebbles in the bottoms of their containers. Even when a drainage layer is not needed to protect the roots from becoming waterlogged, it helps keep potting soil from leaking out through the bottom of the container. The choice is yours!