do outdoor plants need saucers

This week's gardening tips: Unless it's absolutely necessary, avoid placing saucers underneath outdoor container plants. Saucers full of water will keep the soil in the pots too wet, an unhealthy condition for most plants. In addition, saucers full of water provide breeding sites for mosquitoes.

1. Are plant saucers necessary?
2. What do you put under outdoor planters?
3. Do fabric pots need saucers?
4. Do Grow bags need saucers?
5. Can you leave plants in plastic pots?
6. Do you need holes in the bottom of planters?
7. What can I put in the bottom of a planter for drainage?
8. What can I put under my planter to catch water?
9. What do you put in the bottom of a planter without drainage holes?
10. Will roots grow through fabric pots?
11. Can you overwater in fabric pots?
12. Can you over water fabric pots?
13. Are grow bags better than plastic pots?
14. What do you put under grow bags?
15. Should you put drainage holes in grow bags?
16. Do plants grow better in pots or in the ground?
17. How long can a potted plant live?
18. Should you drill holes in flower pots?
19. Can you put Styrofoam in the bottom of a planter?
20. Do you put rocks in the bottom of a self watering planter?
21. Do you put rocks in the bottom of a planter for succulents?

Are plant saucers necessary?

Whilst they aren't necessary, plant pots use saucers to collect the water that drains from your pot. Without this, it can easily spill onto your carpets, floors and furniture. So after each watering, your saucer will capture the excess water, preventing any spillage in your home.

What do you put under outdoor planters?

Use something called pot feet Aliases of pot risers & deck protectors…. These are usually stone, concrete, or pottery and they simply sit under the pot holding it up about an inch from the ground so that drainage holes remain clear and air flow is allowed under the pot.

Do fabric pots need saucers?

The Most Common commercial fabric pot

Smart Pots don't have a saucer, and they seep water through the sides. So when using Smart Pots indoors, unless you are using a tray, you will require extra large saucers or holders to fully capture runoff water.

Do Grow bags need saucers?

Since grow bags are so porous and drain fast, they do need more frequent watering than a plastic container. If you use them indoors be sure to put them on a large saucer to contain any leakage. Taller plants (such as tomatoes) need support.

Can you leave plants in plastic pots?

Don't be too quick to move them

The solution: Keep your houseplants in their plastic nursery pots for at least the first year. You can still use your pretty pot, Lawrence and Gutierrez say. ... Never put the plant in the bottom of the pot and cover it with soil because that can suffocate the plant.

Do you need holes in the bottom of planters?

A hole at the bottom of the container is critical. It allows water in the soil to drain freely so adequate air is available for the roots. While various kinds of plants have differing drainage needs, few can tolerate sitting in stagnate water.

What can I put in the bottom of a planter for drainage?

Create a drainage layer

A drainage layer is created by adding a medium such as pebbles, stones or pumace to the bottom of a pot before adding soil. Soil particles are very small and tightly packed together, which means that water moves through them quite slowly.

What can I put under my planter to catch water?

Cork pads: I use these under the saucer of any plant that I have potted in soil and intend to water in its pot. The pad keeps the planter from scratching the surface I've put it on, and its plastic backing keeps any “sweating” the saucer may produce from damaging wood surfaces.

What do you put in the bottom of a planter without drainage holes?

Some experts suggest using a layer of pebbles as a sort of drainage layer in those pots without drainage holes. This technique allows excess water to flow into the space with the pebbles, away from the the soil and therefore the roots of your plant.

Will roots grow through fabric pots?

Hello, Air Pruning.

When placed in fabric containers, plants send out roots that grow toward the edge of the pot. In a plastic container, roots will begin to circle when they reach the edge. ... This is because fabric materials allow air to flow in and out of the pot.

Can you overwater in fabric pots?

Pots without drain holes (and those sitting in drip trays) are even worse off. That's because overwatering is the single biggest killer of houseplants. Overwatering causes root rot, in part by starving roots of the oxygen they need to survive.

Can you over water fabric pots?

WATERING FABRIC POTS

Too much water and it pools making the plants develop mould or fungus. Too little water and they dry out. Grow bags will tend to dry out a little faster than pots so be aware of that.

Are grow bags better than plastic pots?

In pots, the roots of the plants tend to grow in circles entangling themselves. ... Grow bags help to alleviate this issue because as the roots come in contact with the edges of the fabric pot they sense the drier soil that is exposed to the air. At this point they know they have reached their growth limit.

What do you put under grow bags?

We also mulch our grow bags with wood chips just like the garden. It helps to keep the soil moist on top, and we find that plants just grow better with mulch even in containers. You can reuse this soil mixture year after year.

Should you put drainage holes in grow bags?

Growing vegetables or flowers in growing bags isn't all that different from growing them in other types of containers but you do need to bear in mind the lack of drainage holes, so if you are too heavy handed with the watering you will end up with a marshy mess.

Do plants grow better in pots or in the ground?

In comparison to the ground, containers hold substantially less growing media. ... This means their surface-area-to-volume ratio is far greater, which causes them to heat up and cool down far quicker than the ground.

How long can a potted plant live?

On average, indoor house plants last 2-5 years. After that, plants stop thriving and it's best to invest in another plant.

Should you drill holes in flower pots?

Potted plants need holes in their containers to allow drainage, which supports plant growth. ... Most plant pots include bottom drainage holes. If, however, you find one without bottom holes or you want to turn another kind of container into a plant pot, you can add drainage holes to it. A drill makes the job simple.

Can you put Styrofoam in the bottom of a planter?

How Foam Helps. When using big containers, you need a large amount of soil to fill them from top to bottom. That gets expensive quickly, and you end up paying for soil you don't need. ... Adding a few inches of foam peanuts or chunks in the bottom of the container reduces the amount of soil needed to fill the planter.

Do you put rocks in the bottom of a self watering planter?

You do need a nice substantial layer of rock ( or one of the above) if you don't have drainage holes at the bottom. (Yes you want drainage holes, but I know some of you are going to use cache pots without holes to plant in any way.) The substantial layer on the bottom gives a place for the excess water to go.

Do you put rocks in the bottom of a planter for succulents?

Succulents need good draining soil. ... The container you are planting in should have a drainage hole or you can put a layer of crushed rock on the bottom of your container before you put in your planting medium. Gravel or small pebbles spread on top of the soil can be very decorative.