Hey all…

I have a plant in a pot just inside my front door. This pot will go in a larger pot, but I am thinking of putting cotton wool in the bottom of it before putting the smaller pot in, so I don’t end up with dirt on the floor.

So, does cotton wool go mouldy? It could probably end up moist, but not much air getting to it.

JTQ said:

Hey all…

I have a plant in a pot just inside my front door. This pot will go in a larger pot, but I am thinking of putting cotton wool in the bottom of it before putting the smaller pot in, so I don’t end up with dirt on the floor.

So, does cotton wool go mouldy? It could probably end up moist, but not much air getting to it.

You could try a synthetic fibre. Cotton wool is treated but it will compress and be soggy whereas the synthetic fibre will retain its springiness and allow better drainage.

Tough most people would put a dish of gravel under the pot.

Ok thanks Rb, will try that

Try some crumbled styrofoam. It’s good for drainage. It may eventually get a little bit of algae on it, but it won’t go mouldy.

JTQ said:

Ok thanks Rb, will try that

Remember though that pot plants don’t like being inside. They do require constant moving out to fresh air.

PM 2Ring said:

Try some crumbled styrofoam. It’s good for drainage. It may eventually get a little bit of algae on it, but it won’t go mouldy.

From my observations, thiis is a messy solution to solve a mess. The bits of the fine spider web thickness wiry fairy floss type synthetic stuff I find lying where the wind has blown it from dog knows where.. Holds yet drains water, never attracts algae, is difficult to compress and possibly has other suitable features than leaving it to blow in the wind..

roughbarked said:

PM 2Ring said:

Try some crumbled styrofoam. It’s good for drainage. It may eventually get a little bit of algae on it, but it won’t go mouldy.

From my observations, thiis is a messy solution to solve a mess. The bits of the fine spider web thickness wiry fairy floss type synthetic stuff I find lying where the wind has blown it from dog knows where.. Holds yet drains water, never attracts algae, is difficult to compress and possibly has other suitable features than leaving it to blow in the wind..

I don’t use the fine powder, just smallish chunks. I guess it does break up a bit after several years, but I don’t see that as being a huge problem for JTQ’s application.

PM 2Ring said:

roughbarked said:

PM 2Ring said:

Try some crumbled styrofoam. It’s good for drainage. It may eventually get a little bit of algae on it, but it won’t go mouldy.

From my observations, thiis is a messy solution to solve a mess. The bits of the fine spider web thickness wiry fairy floss type synthetic stuff I find lying where the wind has blown it from dog knows where.. Holds yet drains water, never attracts algae, is difficult to compress and possibly has other suitable features than leaving it to blow in the wind..

I don’t use the fine powder, just smallish chunks. I guess it does break up a bit after several years, but I don’t see that as being a huge problem for JTQ’s application.

Yes it is a cheap and easy solution. There is a lot of it blowing around in the wind as well. It does break up though and does form a good place for algal growth.

Your local nursery or hardware store will have a range of saucers for pots so there is no risk of soil or water getting on the floor (unless you over-water the plant of course).

I have some nice glazed pots with saucers for inside the house but the plants are actually in smaller plastic pots inside the glazed ones. The plants get moved outside for a spell and I swap them for the B-team plants. I put a bit of coir around the top of the plastic pot so they look “at home” in the glazed pots :)

podzol said:

Your local nursery or hardware store will have a range of saucers for pots so there is no risk of soil or water getting on the floor (unless you over-water the plant of course).

I have some nice glazed pots with saucers for inside the house but the plants are actually in smaller plastic pots inside the glazed ones. The plants get moved outside for a spell and I swap them for the B-team plants. I put a bit of coir around the top of the plastic pot so they look “at home” in the glazed pots :)

:) hi podzol.

yes.. a saucer though should still have some gravelly mix to keep the pot drained.. sort of kitty litter for pot plants.

Yes, of course RB is the go-to person for all things planty. :)

Use gravel in your saucer!

podzol said:

Yes, of course RB is the go-to person for all things planty. :)

Use gravel in your saucer!

Wouldn’t say I was the world’s exspurt but ‘tis true, been there and done a lot of it.