Why do houseplants need drainage? We know that in nature, when irrigated or precipitated, water is absorbed into the soil, where the roots of plants begin to absorb it. However, in top layer the soil retains only a small part of the water, the rest, the surplus, goes into the depths. It is good if the lower layers of the soil are permeable, and if there is clay below, or very close to the surface there is groundwater, then drainage is needed. Drainage- natural or artificial abstraction of groundwater, or water from the soil surface.

In a single flower pot everything happens in the same way as in nature. When watering, the water, almost without lingering on the surface of the soil, quickly soaks the substrate in the flower pot and accumulates at the bottom of the pot. The roots of the plant rush down for water, and can suffocate in stagnant water if not foreseen drain holes at the bottom of the flower pot. For succulents such as sedum Morgan, cacti, additional drainage holes should be provided. In damp soil, taking advantage of the limited space, various pathogenic bacteria and fungal infections settle on weakened roots, and the roots of the plant simply begin to rot. The plant has practically no chance of survival, it dies, no matter how sorry we may be for it.

To avoid such situations, in addition to the drainage hole in the pot, when planting the plant, you need to pour drainage on the bottom of the pot - a small layer of permeable material for quick drainage of excess water when watering indoor plants... Expanded clay, ceramic or clay shards, coarse sand, vermiculite, pebbles, broken red brick and even foam plastic can be used as drainage. Shredded pine bark also does not retain water, but it is only used for orchids or plants that require an acidic soil pH response.

Drainage layer for small, short indoor plants, it should be at least 3-5 cm. Drainage prevents the formation of a plug from the roots of the plant, which can close the hole in the pot. Excess water, easily flowing through large particles of drainage, comes out through the drainage hole of the pot, thereby causing no harm to the roots.

For tall or large plants such as monstera, ficus, zamiokulkas, clerodendrum, citrus, balcony and terrace plants that stand on the floor, the drainage layer should be at least a quarter of the pot height. Drainage in this case will not only drain off excess water, but also noticeably make the lower part of the flower pot heavier, make the pot stable, thereby preventing the plant from tipping over. For such large plants, the presence of expanded clay or other inert material is needed not only as drainage. It must be added to the earthen mixture itself, since the volume of the pot is large, and the soil can quickly sour.

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When planting indoor plants, special drainage is used, which removes all excess moisture. It is this material that prevents decay of the root system by opening free access for oxygen. High-quality drainage for flowers is necessary for most indoor plants, the only exceptions are moisture-loving specimens.

Brief description and need

It is quite simple to explain why and why this component is so important in the field of flower growing. The thing is that, without drainage, the soil gradually compresses and dries out unevenly from moisture. In addition, areas with excessive moisture appear, which can sour and cause rotting of the root system. Experts say that the spread of dangerous diseases and pests, lack of air permeability and soil decay, disruption of normal outflow excess moisture, as well as an anaerobic environment - these are not all factors that a small drainage layer at the bottom of the tank can successfully cope with.

Experts note that such a material is a universal soil drainage system that helps maintain the most favorable substrate moisture for each type of indoor plant. Simply put, it is a specific layer of coarse or coarse-grained materials at the bottom of the flowerpot, which guarantees good air permeability to the soil, as well as optimal drainage of excess moisture.

Aspiring florists often forget that it is good breathability that plays a important role in the process of growing healthy plant... After all, only in this case root system flower will be able to breathe and develop normally.

The principle of the drainage layer is to provide favorable conditions for a flower.

The functional purpose of the holes in the pot

Universal drainage with expanded clay

Like other drainage materials, charcoal perfectly absorbs excess moisture, and also retains beneficial trace elements until the soil dries up and does not need moisture. It is worth noting that for soil drainage, this material is laid out on the bottom of the flowerpot with a layer of 3 cm. The fractions should be large so that they do not spill out through the drainage holes.

Studying information about planting plants at home in a pot, we meet a part - mandatory or desirable - about the presence of a drainage layer. Why you need drainage in a flower pot, what are the drainage options for flowers and how the presence / absence of drainage affects the development of a flower, you will find out by reading today's article.

Drainage in a flower pot refers to the presence of holes in the bottom of the pot. Through the drainage holes in the pot, excess water that remains in the soil after watering flows into the pan. It must be drained immediately to prevent mold from forming.

Drainage in a flowerpot is the presence of solid ingredients that provide loosening. Drainage includes:

• Pebbles;
• Sand (coarse and fine grained);
• Brick chips;
• Expanded clay;
• Perlite;
• Vermiculite;
• Wood ash;
• Styrofoam;

Function drainage components in a soil mixture in a flower pot - remove excess moisture, loosen the ground, improving aeration. The water fills the holes in the potting soil, preventing the root system from breathing. A drainage layer in the potting mix improves breathability and quickly removes excess water. In addition, drainage in the flowerpot prevents bacteria from growing since the roots are not blocked from accessing air.

Drainage at the bottom of the flower pot performs the same functions as the components in the soil, but is more aimed at removing excess moisture. Unlike the drainage components in the potting soil mixture, the drainage at the bottom always consists of solid particles or sand so as not to mix with other components.

What if not add drainage to the flower pot?

In all likelihood, the flower will not receive the required volume of air, and the root system will stop breathing. The soil will dry out unevenly. From excessive watering, bacteria will begin to develop, settling on the roots, contributing to the onset of rotting. The top of the potted flower will become lethargic and wither or stunted.

How to use drainage in a flower pot?

The choice of component to create a drainage or drainage layer in a pot, the thickness and volumes in the soil mixture will vary depending on the type of plant and its preference for moisture. The lifespan of the drain depends on the type of material selected.

How to use the drainage in a flower pot:

• Fill the drainage layer on the bottom. Usually it does not exceed 2-5 cm for medium plants.
• Choose a pot with drainage holes. From 1 to 3 cm, depending on the size of the root system and the volume of the pot.
• The drainage can be used for up to 5 years.
• Charcoal, hydrogel, sphagnum moss are considered useful drainage, releasing and absorbing moisture. Organic ingredients also disinfect the soil in the flower pot.
• Life hack: use broken clay pots to create drainage. The shards can be split into several pieces and placed on the bottom or added to the ground. suitable for plants with a strong root system.

↓ Write in the comments about your options for drainage in a flower pot. How and what ingredients do you use to loosen the potting mix?

This article describes how to use drainage for indoor flowers. For a high-quality transplant, you need to know what kind of drainage is, how to lay it out on the bottom of the pot, and when the plants need it. The article provides tips and tricks to help transplant flowers at home using drainage.

Absorption of air is very necessary, even more than a regular regimen. Drainage for indoor flowers should be with the property of air exchange, this makes it possible for the roots and the whole plant to consume required amount air.

Drainage acts as a whole system, ensures the flow of air and is permeable to water. It is very important to use drainage, it can be made from different materials, in the form of large grains or fractions that do not enter into chemical reactions when moistened, they will not collapse upon interaction with moisture and will not rot.

Materials for making

As a standard, drainage is made from natural or similar materials:

• Pebbles;
• Crushed stone;
• Brick.

A specially designed drain made from the following materials can be purchased from the flower shop:

• Expanded clay;
• Vermiculite;
• Agroperlite.

They pass liquid well, protect, cleanse the earth from various harmful salts and toxins. To choose suitable material, you must take into account your imagination. For many vegetation, the container is less than half full, such as:

• Saintpaulia;
• Streptocarpus;
• Anthurium.

Drainage for indoor flowers should be laid at a height of 3 cm. The listed types of drainage can be replaced with polystyrene foam. It will qualitatively protect the soil from hypothermia.

Drainage from expanded clay

Drainage for indoor flowers made of expanded clay material, for flowers grown at home - popular among amateurs. It easily absorbs excess liquid, after the soil dries out, it can give off excess moisture, quickly leaves the container, flows down round pebbles.

Expanded clay is very light and does not make the flowerpot heavier and will serve as drainage for 5 years, when the flower is transplanted, the drainage is changed.

Expanded clay is used for mulching the soil surface, it will prevent the soil from drying out and crusting. Expanded clay can ensure the flow of liquid to the roots, prevent the formation of mold.

How to properly lay it out on the bottom of the pot

A small layer of drainage can lead to oxygen starvation, root rot. Given what material will be used, the effectiveness of the drainage is determined. You also need to consider the size and shape of the container for planting flowers.

For any flowers grown at home, it is advised to purchase flowerpots with drainage holes, but for different types of soil and for any plant, this is all individual. For example, for cacti, a quick drainage method is optimal. A porous mixture is poured into a small planting container with a large number of holes.

If there are no holes in the pots, drainage will reduce its effectiveness, excess moisture leaves through the holes and air enters the root system, drainage should always be at the bottom of the container, it is extremely important for domestic plants, along with lighting, watering and feeding.

Moderate drainage

For plants that require frequent, moderate drainage should be applied. The soil mixture is poured into the pot, the holding liquid, moreover, the holes should be small.

When determining the drainage layer, you first need to lay the largest fraction, and then the middle one, the smallest on top, but not vice versa. It is important that all the voids between the particles are filled in the flowerpot, this can be done by shaking the pot.

Moisturizing soil for indoor flowers

To moisten the soil of domestic vegetation, in each case, specific actions must be taken. Closed holes render Negative influence on different type plants, even those for which drainage may not be arranged.

In order to create an outflow of liquid from the holes, a layer of stones should be covered. The roots of the flowers and the dense soil layer can close the holes, this can be checked after good watering. If the liquid does not flow out, respectively, the holes are closed, if the process does not normalize with the next watering, then the flower must be planted in another flowerpot with a new one.

When plants need it

The use of a substrate is very necessary for flowers, since without it the earth becomes compacted, dries poorly, air does not come in well, and the soil can become too moist and start to rot. As a result, this will lead to a disease of the root system, the appearance of pests in plants. These Negative consequences must be eliminated using a drain placed on the bottom of the container.

Making drainage at home

You can make drainage for indoor flowers yourself. Brick or ceramic utensils are similar in their properties to expanded clay, they are made from fired clay. it good material, which is broken into small pieces before use. Drainage made by:

• From gravel;
• From rubble.

They are quite durable and moisture permeable.

Minus - overall weight and the risk of soil freezing. Stones do not keep warm and because of this, it is advisable to keep plants on the windowsill from the south or west.

Also to available materials can be attributed to polystyrene, it can remain after purchasing something in the store, it has chemically neutral properties, it will not rot or mold.

Styrofoam drainage

Finely broken foam does not absorb liquid, it easily passes to the drainage holes, and the foam also protects the vegetation that is grown at home from freezing. It is very soft and often young roots can grow into it, the next time they are transplanted, they can be easily removed. To plant flowers you will need:

• At the bottom of the flowerpot, pour 3 cm of polystyrene;
• Fill up with sand and;
• Start planting.

Drainage for home vegetation should be applied at initial planting and for subsequent replanting. This will prevent waterlogging of the plants and provide good oxygen access to the root system.

The drainage is created from coarse-grained materials, they are poured into the bottom of the tank, thereby ensuring a good outflow of moisture and air absorption by the soil. For a quality fit, it is recommended:

The drainage layer should be changed periodically or created with every planting and transplanting of plants, including emergency procedures.

Each time it is necessary to ensure that no dirty materials are fully applied to the new layer. If expanded clay or stone chips are used, dirt should be carefully removed from them, disinfected and dried, and also used for other crops. The drainage can last 6 years. In each case, the drainage must be filled up again.

When choosing the size of the drainage layer, all requirements for flower care should be taken into account. If the instructions for use do not describe which type is needed, you should use low type, or average, if the instructions describe the required values, you must adhere to them.

• The surface of an ordinary substrate is a projectile from 1-3 cm;
• Middle layer from 4 - 5 cm;
• High layer less than 5 cm.

Backfill with a layer of used drainage, checking the height for even distribution. The pot must be tapped on the sides and shaken a little. If you use drainage for indoor flowers, adhering to the advice, it will fence flowers from diseases and appearance.

Drainage amount

The amount of drainage should be corrected. After the planting container and drainage holes have been inspected, if there is 1 in the flowerpot enough big hole for drainage, the smaller drainage amount can be increased to 3 cm.

In the case of small holes, the drainage is filled up from 5 centimeters, if there are many holes and they are large enough the required size is 1 cm.

When using fine-grained drainage, a small layer of drainage should be poured. Before filling up a large drainage, you need to fill up not earth, but coarse sand.

The drainage layer should be completely covered, the soil should be leveled.

Preparing for transplanting indoor flowers

Before proceeding with a flower transplant and filling up the drainage, you need to make sure that the materials used are clean. The drain must be filled up before planting, it must not be wet and if it has been used before, it must be thoroughly washed and disinfected.

The containers for planting should be pre-cleaned and dried, the recommendations for the store substrate should be checked: many types of materials should be moistened. In this case, the drainage should be placed in treated purified water.

By watching the video, you will learn about drainage.

Drainage is a system that maintains the required moisture content of the substrate for the vegetation grown at home. Using drainage is a very important process for planting and replanting plants.

Care is very important for each houseplant, then they will delight with their splendor for a very long time. In addition to choosing a place, watering the flower, it is necessary to ensure good drainage of the soil to house plants.

For the life of any organism, the presence of oxygen is mandatory and indoor flowers are no exception. During watering, if the soil is dense, water eventually displaces oxygen particles and this contributes to oxygen starvation of the flower.

Materials must be solid. This will prevent the possibility of rotting, accumulation of toxins and changes in the acidity of the soil. The main condition for any drainage is its naturalness and inability to cause pathogenic bacteria.

To make good drainage, several factors must be taken into account. important aspects, which will allow the indoor plant to grow comfortably, are such as:

• take into account the size of the pot;
• what kind of plant;
• how often it needs to be replanted;
• what soil moisture he prefers.

All these small aspects affect the choice of components for drainage. Today, in any flower shop, you can buy a ready-made product and apply it during transplantation. There are many types of this material and you can choose the one you need. But it is also possible to do everything on your own using, for example, materials at hand.

What can replace the drainage for home flowers?

It happens that it is necessary to transplant indoor flower, but there was no special device at hand, then you can replace it with improvised products, for example, broken shards, bricks, brick chips, rubble. But it is worth knowing that you need to apply them carefully, since they can have sharp sides. Therefore, before you take them, you need to clean them and only then use them.

Crushed stone Perlite Ceramic shards Expanded clay Vermiculite Gravel Styrofoam Charcoal

The main materials for the manufacture of drainage:

• One of the most common materials is crushed stone or gravel. They retain moisture very well, and when the soil dries up, they easily return it back to the soil, but they have a rather significant drawback. These pots are heavy, so they are best used for larger flowers.
• Pebbles, river stones for the base, but before using it, you must wash off all the sand. Since these small grains of sand can clog the holes in the pot, thereby reducing the possibility of excess water flowing out.
• Another frequently used material for transplantation is polystyrene. It is very lightweight, porous, does not retain moisture, and can also serve as a heater for the roots of flowers from hypothermia.
• In addition, today, quite often, flower growers have begun to use special sphagnum moss. Besides the fact that it retains moisture well, it also has a very good disinfecting property. But for the most part it is used to grow orchids.
• In addition to the basic materials for drainage, vermiculite can be used. It absorbs water very well and liquid fertilizers and thanks to this it can serve for several months as a top dressing.
• You can also use Construction Materials, such as: broken brick, large pieces of broken pottery or tiles. But be sure to wipe sharp corners so that the roots of the plant cannot be damaged.

Styrofoam is very soft material and therefore very often the roots of plants grow into it and in the subsequent transplant they will have to be removed.

How to make drainage with your own hands from available tools?

To do drainage with your own hands, you need to pick up a flower pot, check the special holes for the outflow of water. If there are none, you can do it with a drill and drill. But it is worth remembering that they should not be very large so that the material cannot seep and clog the holes.

Then, on the bottom of the pot, it is necessary to lay out a large pre-selected material, for example, expanded clay, crushed stone, pebbles about 1.5 centimeters. You can use pieces of broken brick, fragments of an earthen pot, but be sure to trim all the sharp edges. The next layer can be used with foam, and then a large river sand also about 1.5-2 centimeters and then you can spread the nutrient soil and plant the plant.

Depending on the presence of holes, the drainage layer can be about 5 centimeters. Accordingly, if the holes are small or completely absent, then it should be higher. Average height such a layer is about 3 centimeters.

The drainage device must be made in such a sequence as coarse material (expanded clay, crushed stone, broken ceramic bricks), then foam, sand and soil only this way and not otherwise.

The main requirement for a good outflow of water should be:

• the presence of a properly laid drainage;
• matching holes;
• the presence of an air space between the flowerpot and the pallet into which excess water will drain.

This will allow oxygen to flow to the root system of the flower and allow them to breathe and, accordingly, the flower will grow well. The absence of any of the conditions can lead to illness and subsequent death.

The main mistakes in the manufacture of drainage

Quite often, mistakes are made in the manufacture of drainage, for example, fine sand is used, which over time can clog the holes. And also apply to pain large materials for drainage, which simply does not retain moisture, and it flows into the flower trays.

Or are used natural materials, which have the property of rotting, for example, tree bark, sawdust, thereby can cause different kinds diseases of indoor plants. It is highly undesirable to use marble chips, because when interacting with water, it can significantly change the acidity of the soil.

In no case should you use materials with sharp edges as drainage, as this can damage the root system of the plant.

Depending on the use of the material, drainage can last quite a long time, with the exception of foam. It will need to be removed and the flower transplanted due to the fact that the roots can grow into it. In such cases, the plant must be replanted after 1-2 years. As for expanded clay, pebbles can be used for 5 years, and then they must be replaced.

Proper plant care is the key to the comfortable growth of any plant. Therefore, given the small tips for organizing it, it makes it possible for the plant to please its bright colors very long time.