With their variety of shapes and sizes, they enable a wide application, i.e., realizing all possible conceptual solutions about the ideal appearance of your yard. Large outdoor planters are sure to be included in your landscaping plans.
When you decide what kind of planter you need – what material, shape, color, and size, you should deal with the inside of the container. Large flower pots are an elementary part of exterior decoration.
Given the size of large outdoor planters, the question arises of adequately filling the space within them.
In this article, we provide you with practical tips on how to quickly and cheaply fill large outdoor planters, and at the same time, provide the plant with a long and healthy life.
Basic Tips
First of all, the solution is certainly not to fill the planter with planting soil.
The land is expensive, and you need large quantities to fill the space.
It is mandatory to provide a planter with a drilled bottom, to perform the drainage process properly.
Plan in advance whether the planter will be mobile or will stand permanently in one place. Depending on that, fill the bottom with heavier or lighter materials.
Get to know the plant to know which type of filler or material is suitable for it.
Provide materials whose composition is inert, so there is no negative reaction with the soil in the form of bacteria that destroy the plant.
More Advanced Tips
Disc/wheel
First, place the stones on the bottom of the bowl. It is an old and reliable way to maintain the proper moisture and general circulation in the plant.
The disc, or wheel, is a simple plastic device in the shape of a disc that corresponds to the circumference of the first third of the vessel, viewed from below.
The disc has holes on it, so it creates air circulation between the ground and the bottom of the container. This means that the space between the stones at the bottom and the first third of the vessel is empty.
It is produced in various sizes and is ideal for oval planters.
Clay Balls
Suppose you grow an ornamental plant that also requires more careful care. In that case, clay balls are a great choice because they provide excellent ventilation and protect the root from rotting, creating excess acidity.
Also, clay balls are entirely organic material, and in combination with planting, soil gives excellent results.
Packing Peanuts
This is the perfect way to get rid of that unnecessary sponge in pieces.
Simply fill a certain part of the planter with this material and then sprinkle the ground over it.
Of course, there is a variant to mix packing peanuts and planting soil in the planter.
The sponge keeps the soil moist and thus helps nourish the roots of the plant.
Fillers for Lighter / More Mobile Planters
In this case, the best solution is to use daily garbage from your home, or waste that you do not know what to do with.
Non-biodegradable trash such as:
plastic, glass, aluminum, copper, etc.
They can serve as fillers for a large but portable container.
Fillers for Heavier / Static Planters
Heavier materials are commonly used for deep and wide planters used for plants with large roots.
Heavier materials are strong enough to guarantee the compactness and durability of the soil in which the plant lives.
And they are certainly abundant in your environment.
- Wood
- Brick
- Big stones
- Ceramics, etc
Combined Technique
You can also use several tricks of filling a large planter at once.
When you have a planter with a hole in the bottom and place stones on the inside of the bottom, then place a small plastic container facing it.
Over that and on the edges of the planter, you can use some landscape fabric. So you have created an adequate base for the plant.
While all of this in the planter may seem massive to you at the moment, there’s no reason to worry. The weight of the soil and the plants will nicely suppress and regulate all that over time.
This way, you can also mix flowers in one large outdoor planter.
Conclusion
The possibilities and means for growing flowers or other plants in a large outdoor planter are enormous.
You need to figure out how to make it easier to grow and go much cheaper using alternative fillers.
You will give the plant a long life, for which it will thank you with its beautiful flowers and thus decorate your exterior.