What Is Drainage Material For Plants

There are various types of drainage material on the market new and old natural and man made.

What is drainage material for plants. So at most the gravel or clay shards simply prevent bits of soil from exiting through the holes. Without good drainage in pots with healthy plants roots can suffocate root rot see my fixes can become an issue and salt can accumulate to levels high enough to burn plants suffice to say it s essential that any potted plants either indoor plants or container plants in your garden must have sufficient drainage for best growth health and ultimately be able to live longer. Drainage is crucial for potted plants. In order to grow properly their roots cannot sit in water at the bottom of their pot.

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. Drainage is the process in which water leaches downward from the upper soil layers to lower layers or how surface water is removed. 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. While various kinds of plants have differing drainage needs few can tolerate sitting in stagnate water.

Drainage is critical to plant health. The material keeps the plant s roots higher in case excess water builds up at the bottom of the planter. Healthy roots mean healthier plants. It allows water in the soil to drain freely so adequate air is available for the roots.

A hole at the bottom of the container is critical. 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. One challenge with planters that have drainage holes is soil washing out through the holes when watering the plant. While a deep container with identical amount of mix will increase porosity thereby giving a boost to the pot drainage.

A shallow container will affect the porosity of your soil or mix. In nature certain minerals such as sand provide rapid drainage while heavy minerals like clay can restrict drainage. Proper drainage is important because not all plants prefer moist conditions. For containers with drainage holes the bottom layer reduces the amount of soil that washes.

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. 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.