Choose high-quality potting soil that is well draining. And if your plants need even more drainage, instead of putting gravel in the bottom of your pot, try mixing in perlite, PermaTill, or organic matter into your potting soil to increase drainage throughout the pot.
Secondly, what is best to use for drainage in pots?
For plastic or metal containers, use a hammer and pointy tools, such as an awl, screwdriver, or large nail to make drainage holes in the bottom of the container. You could also use a drill to bore a few good-sized holes.
Regarding this, can you put Styrofoam in the bottom of a planter?
Bottom Line on Foam
Foam doesn’t break down easily in the environment, which means it’s unlikely to degrade in a vegetable gardening container so it’s safe to use as filler.
Should you put gravel at the bottom of pots?
A: For years, experts told gardeners to put a layer of gravel, pebbles, sand or broken pieces of pot in the bottom of the pot before potting up houseplants or outdoor plants. The idea was to improve drainage. But research shows that this advice is wrong. Water doesn’t travel well from one medium to another.