What Is Drainage Material For Plants

Drainage is the process in which water leaches downward from the upper soil layers to lower layers or how surface water is removed.

What is drainage material for plants.

It allows water in the soil to drain freely so adequate air is available for the roots. 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. A sheet of cheesecloth can perform the same benefit if coffee filters are unavailable.

While various kinds of plants have differing drainage needs few can tolerate sitting in stagnate water. A shallow container will affect the porosity of your soil or mix. For containers with drainage holes the bottom layer reduces the amount of soil that washes. 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.

There are various types of drainage material on the market new and old natural and man made. Healthy roots mean healthier plants. A coffee filter placed over the hole under the soil can allow water drainage while holding the soil inside the pot. 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. 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. In nature certain minerals such as sand provide rapid drainage while heavy minerals like clay can restrict drainage. The best way to ensure good drainage is to use a good quality potting soil.

So at most the gravel or clay shards simply prevent bits of soil from exiting through the holes. 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. Proper drainage is important because not all plants prefer moist conditions. 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.

When choosing a planter or container to host your indoor plants consider the following aspects. Drainage is crucial for potted plants. One challenge with planters that have drainage holes is soil washing out through the holes when watering the plant.