Using Recyclables as Fillers in Large Planters

I set to work filling our new galvanized steel planters with soil to prepare for planting basil in a few weeks.  The planters are really large and I know the plant roots won’t penetrate even close to the bottom of the troughs.   It seemed like a waste of great soil to fill the whole thing with top soil, plus a huge barrel full of soil is heavy.

I’ve heard of people using gravel at the bottom of planters to promote drainage, and also using styrofoam peanuts for the same purpose.  I didn’t have either option, and didn’t want gravel (heavy) but certainly was not about to go buy styrofoam peanuts!  That is insane.

One of the gardening forums had several different ideas: empty gallon milk jogs, plastic soda bottles, or the plastic containers that plants come in from the nursery (overturned).  Since we start a lot of our plants from seed, we usually keep the little plastic nursery containers and have quite a stock of them.

I lined each barrel with the overturned plastic containers, then covered them with top soil and moved them into place.  A great solution!