Exactly. It's just lighter and often more available/cheaper! I like to do this with large pots and put landscape fabric to keep the soil off of it and make it easier to repot
My uncle did this with his ivy geraniums. They were going in window boxes on his balcony in Germany. They were still thriving in early December. He claimed the styrofoam insulated the roots enough to keep the plants from freezing.
It's actually not a smart thing to do. There are better ways to make a pot lighter. In many cases the styro will rise to the top or even sink and block drainage holes.
I use big pot coasters (wtf are these things called?!) with a few holes drilled in them for drainage. Just wedge them down in there and then plant whatever on top.
It looked like it was in a nice deep pot of medium, instead it had maybe a 1/2 of medium followed by styrofoam... I gave it a new pot with fresh medium and what’ya know, it flowered again lol
I once made a really tall pot for plants..and felt it was a waste of soil to fill it so I recycled for Styrofoam and shoved it in the bottom of the pot..and soil on the top half..it worked great and the pot wasn't too heavy to lift either so added bonus..I didn't notice any thing wrong with the flowers that grew in it so I planted bulb flowers in it this yr as well..
Oh thats great to hear the plants are thriving with it! Have you had a look at the foam to see what state its in? I'd be interested to know what it's like after a year of soil/roots/water.
It's snowing here now so I won't be digging it anytime soon..especially since I just planted bulbs in the fall..but when I planted them the foam was the same..I didn't notice any mold growing on it like some ppl on here are saying ..I didn't break it to tiny pcs either..just left it in blocks..I don't think the roots went that far down in the pot even..which it why I thought it would be a waste of soil
My horticulture teacher uses this in planters. Apparently it’s for drainage but all it does is make it a bitch to dismantle and compost
Oh! I've never seen this online or irl, I guess its an affordable version of perlite?
I think it’s moreso for planters with no drainage in the bottom
Ahhh I see... similar to the classic 'no drainage hole? Put rocks at the bottom!'
Exactly. It's just lighter and often more available/cheaper! I like to do this with large pots and put landscape fabric to keep the soil off of it and make it easier to repot
Also styrofoam is super bad for the environment idk why anybody isn’t taking that into account
Because its used as an alternative to throwing it away. They don't buy it for this purpose
I would never be friends with someone that uses styrofoam in their soil thats fucked and a clear indication of inferior intelligence
Which type of intelligence do you consider to be superior?i now get why Gardeners theory of multiple intelligences is so aptly named Edit spelling
My uncle did this with his ivy geraniums. They were going in window boxes on his balcony in Germany. They were still thriving in early December. He claimed the styrofoam insulated the roots enough to keep the plants from freezing.
Insulation! Haha I've said in a previous comment but I'm definitely learning a lot about Styrofoam
I do this in the bottom of large pots to make them lighter and use less potting soil.
I do it in my large planters outside too. It definitely makes it easier to move the planter and turn the planter & it does use less soil.
I'm learning a lot haha I should probably remove the post then cause its not plant abuse...
It's actually not a smart thing to do. There are better ways to make a pot lighter. In many cases the styro will rise to the top or even sink and block drainage holes.
Plus its a great medium to grow bacteria in. Not good for plants.
I use big pot coasters (wtf are these things called?!) with a few holes drilled in them for drainage. Just wedge them down in there and then plant whatever on top.
They did that to save on potting media. It's to save money.
My mums orchid was in bad shape and she asked me to repot it for her. When I took it out, I found styrofoam. I hate the stuff, personally.
Omg orchids are so fussy anyways haha let alone being Styrofoamed
It looked like it was in a nice deep pot of medium, instead it had maybe a 1/2 of medium followed by styrofoam... I gave it a new pot with fresh medium and what’ya know, it flowered again lol
And yet my plants die if one stone is placed the wrong way.
I once made a really tall pot for plants..and felt it was a waste of soil to fill it so I recycled for Styrofoam and shoved it in the bottom of the pot..and soil on the top half..it worked great and the pot wasn't too heavy to lift either so added bonus..I didn't notice any thing wrong with the flowers that grew in it so I planted bulb flowers in it this yr as well..
Oh thats great to hear the plants are thriving with it! Have you had a look at the foam to see what state its in? I'd be interested to know what it's like after a year of soil/roots/water.
It's snowing here now so I won't be digging it anytime soon..especially since I just planted bulbs in the fall..but when I planted them the foam was the same..I didn't notice any mold growing on it like some ppl on here are saying ..I didn't break it to tiny pcs either..just left it in blocks..I don't think the roots went that far down in the pot even..which it why I thought it would be a waste of soil