The best trick to fill a large planter is to have a truckload of potting soil delivered to your home. Then, decide where you want your planter for the rest of your life because it will be too heavy to move again. Using a large wheelbarrow, make multiple trips loading and unloading potting mix until all of your planters are filled. Most importantly, you will now be able to fill all of your large planters for the low cost of a couple of grand and a sore back!
Just kidding.
Who wants to spend all of their money on potting mix? Not me! It is extremely important to have plenty of good quality potting mix, don’t get me wrong, but I would rather put money into beautiful flowers.
This post will share my trick to fill a large planter with things you probably already have on hand, without sacrificing the health or beauty of your plants.
Before filling your outdoor planter with ANYTHING, PLEASE make sure it has drainage holes.
Some planter pots come with holes pre-drilled or plugged, and some do not. Depending on the material of the pot, create a drainage hole or two with a drill, knife, scissors, or whatever is appropriate. This is extremely important, and NOT FUN to figure out AFTER filling the pot (yes, I’ve learned the hard way)!
Okay, moving on!
Next, decide where you want your planter placed. While you can move it filled, it is very difficult. You will thank yourself if you have it in place before filling it. Even lightweight planters get heavy once filled up!
Once your planter has drainage holes and is in the location you want it, you are ready to fill it up. There are numerous options for this step. I will share what I have used, and give suggestions for other options. I encourage you to see what you already have on hand instead of buying anything else, as that is the beauty of this trick!
The first place I look is my recycle bin.
Milk jugs, plastic salad containers, empty pop bottles, pop cans, plastic ice cream containers, or anything similar to these will work great. For containers with lids or caps, I recommend keeping the lids ON to prevent the container from filling with water. Additionally, I try to put the containers facing down if they do not have lids.
After raiding the recycle bin, another place to check is your stash of plastic plant pots. Assuming I’m not the only one with a stash of these!?! Don’t use the nice decorative ones, but rather the grower pots you often remove after bringing home your new plants. Several grow pots UPSIDE DOWN in a large planter work great to take up some space and save money on potting mix. If you have storage space, this is a great way to recycle broken or cracked pots.
Another trick to fill a large planter is using natural materials from your yard.
This could be pinecones, leaves, rocks, pine needles, sticks, or mulch. The advantage of these materials is that most will break down and combine with your soil as compost. Alternatively, a disadvantage is that as they break down, the soil will settle and you may end up with an uneven surface.
Natural materials will need to be replenished more often than plastic, metal, or styrofoam. Consider what you have on hand when deciding which type of filler works best for you.
I bought my real oak wood barrels from Lowe’s a few years ago!
As with most gardening tips, there are varying opinions on what is considered “best practice”. The trick to fill a large planter is no different. To save you time, I compiled the information so you can decide what will work best for you and your garden.
3 Key Considerations:
- Using heavy (rocks, bricks) or light (plastic, pop cans) filler. If you are using a heavy ceramic or cement pot, you should not have to worry about it falling over. A light filler in the bottom will work great. If your pot is lightweight and/or tapered, I would suggest using a heavier filler material to prevent it from tipping or blowing over.
- Placing a barrier between the filler and potting mix. Some people suggest placing a layer of garden fabric or an old window screen between your filler and the potting mix. This keeps the layers separated and makes for easier disassembly. It also helps with potential issues caused by the soil settling into the filler material. I personally have not used a barrier and had good luck, but I want to try it this year and compare!
- Using natural vs. synthetic materials. This is really a personal preference. Some gardeners do not want to introduce anything synthetic into their planters. Others specifically CHOOSE synthetic materials because they will not break down. I have used mostly synthetic materials as fillers, simply because it is what I’ve had on hand.
Additionally, note that this tip is for LARGE planter pots. If you are using a small or squatty planter pot, I would not suggest using any filler. The roots will not have enough soil or space to grow, and you may end up with small or dying plants. No one wants that. It also does not take near as much potting mix to fill a small plant pot.
If you DO have a shallow planter pot, you can make a succulent planter! Just don’t put a bunch of filler in the bottom. A few rocks are okay, but I wouldn’t put more than an inch.
Above all, the goal is to save money on potting mix while reusing items from your home or yard.
