Effect of drainage layers on water retention of potting media in containers.

ABSTRACT: Excess water retention in the potting medium can be a significant problem for plants grown in containers due to the volume of saturated medium which forms above the drainage hole. Adding a layer of coarse material like gravel or sand at the bottom is a common practise among gardeners with the aim of improving drainage, but some researchers have argued that such layers will raise the saturated area and in fact increase water retention. Two different depths and four different materials of drainage layer were tested with three different potting media to determine the water retention in the container after saturating and draining freely. For loamless organic media, almost all types of drainage layer reduced overall water retention in the container compared to controls. For loam-based media, mo

SUBMITTER: Rowe A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11856292 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature