Drainage in the plant pot is an absolute must. Clay pots usually have special holes through which the water can drain away. However, if you only fill the plant pot with soil, the substrate will thicken after a while and the liquid will not be able to drain away. What helps? A layer of Styrofoam! Read how it works here.
Why is Styrofoam good for plant pot drainage?
Styrofoam is suitable as a drainage material for plant pots because it allows water to drain away easily, is lighter than stones, stores heat and therefore protects against frost. It is easy to use, cost effective and suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
Advantages of Styrofoam drainage?
Styrofoam
- allows the water to drain better
- is much lighter than drainage made of stones
- also stores heat and protects the root ball from frost
- is available everywhere and costs hardly anything
What to pay attention to?
Distribute the Styrofoam as the bottom layer in the plant pot and only then add potting soil on top. How high you create the drainage layer depends on the size of your plant pot. The higher the pot, the higher the drainage layer must be. If your plants don't have particularly deep roots, you can make transporting the pot much easier by layering the Styrofoam layer as high as possible. Even when the material becomes saturated with water, it is still much lighter than a standard pebble drainage system.
Is Styrofoam also suitable for outdoor use?
Whether on the balcony, in the house or in the garden, Styrofoam is always a recommended alternative. As already mentioned in the advantages, it also has an insulating effect from the cold in winter. However, it cannot replace complete frost protection for sensitive plants. Nevertheless, Styrofoam also ensures more air circulation within the bucket because the individual crumbs do not clump together. Please continue to ensure that water is given appropriately to the species. Styrofoam is not a free pass to water the plant as you please.
