material to fight compaction and aid aeration?

KCMO_Don · March 2, 2006

What material should I use to fight compaction and aid aeration in my 25 gallon pots?
They are bottomless, with about 10 gallons of soil removed below them as well!

Do you think I should still use some sort of "wick" as well?
Thanks a ton.

MsCowpea · March 2, 2006

Don, What are you planning on filling them with?
farkee(MCP)

KCMO_Don · March 2, 2006

I thought of that after I posted....Mostly compost, soil, and in the lower levels (partialy finished compost)

Thanks

sliphorn · March 3, 2006

I use perlite with good success.

jdwhitaker · March 4, 2006

If the soil below your bottomless container is fairly well drained then you might not need to add anything to improve drainage, and a wick would be unnecessary since the container soil is in direct contact with the ground. A bottomless container in direct contact with the soil is really more like a raised bed than a container. You could use pine bark, peat and perlite to create a coarser, more well drained soil--which is what I would do.

March 2, 2006	#1
KCMO_Don Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: KANSAS Posts: 223	material to fight compaction and aid aeration? What material should I use to fight compaction and aid aeration in my 25 gallon pots? They are bottomless, with about 10 gallons of soil removed below them as well! Do you think I should still use some sort of "wick" as well? Thanks a ton. __________________ GIGGITY - GIGGITY

March 2, 2006	#2
MsCowpea Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: S. FLorida / Zone 10 Posts: 369	Don, What are you planning on filling them with? farkee(MCP) __________________ "When we kill off the natural enemies of a pest we inherit their work." Carl Huffaker

March 2, 2006	#3
KCMO_Don Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: KANSAS Posts: 223	I thought of that after I posted....Mostly compost, soil, and in the lower levels (partialy finished compost) Thanks __________________ GIGGITY - GIGGITY

March 3, 2006	#4
sliphorn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Chicago Posts: 91	I use perlite with good success.

March 4, 2006	#5
jdwhitaker Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Andrews, Texas Posts: 104	If the soil below your bottomless container is fairly well drained then you might not need to add anything to improve drainage, and a wick would be unnecessary since the container soil is in direct contact with the ground. A bottomless container in direct contact with the soil is really more like a raised bed than a container. You could use pine bark, peat and perlite to create a coarser, more well drained soil--which is what I would do.