What is the best way to fill your huge containers that isn't ALL soil?

Yes! Just make sure that the light weight filler that you use is non toxic.

: )

I fill the bottom with empty water bottles, or styrafoam packing peanuts, or the little plastic pots all the plants come in......then I use a cocoa liner to hold the dirt.

Yes you can. Lots of people use water bottles, packing peanuts, etc. When doing a tall skinny planter, put a heavy rock on the bottom first, then fill with water bottles or whatever filler you choose, then soil and then plants. You need the bottom to have at least a little weight so it does not become top heavy and blow over in the wind.

Hello Susan, In prior years when I planted in a pot that did not have drainage holes, I would always put rocks in the bottom of the pot and then I would cover the rocks with a layer of newspaper. After the paper I filled it with soil and then the plant. This was for drainage purpose only. This past Spring I began putting clean 2 liter pop bottles or clean water bottles in the bottom of my pots. It really helped me with the weight issue. I still put a layer of newspaper over the bottles and then the soil and plant. It has worked great for me. I hope this helps you too.

Hi Susan,

I redid all of my pots this year. I got a bag of Styrofoam 'peanuts' (make sure they are not the cornstarch ones that melt in water.) I put a layer of those in the pot then covered them with coffee filters (to keep the dirt up), then I added the dirt and planted the flowers. It worked like a charm. Even my largest pots were not too heavy this year. We had a LOT of rain this year but they drained well. My flowers are doing so-so but it's because of the heavy rain, cool temperatures and lack of sunshine, but some of my pots have taken off like crazy.

Good luck!

I use pine cones.

I get some of the large pieces of styrofoam that comes in delivery boxes or Tv cartons, whatever you have laying around. I put them in the large pot, then get a large thick black garbage bag and set down over the styrofoam and bring it over top of the pot and fold over, then fill your pot with a little gravel and then dirt and put your plant in it. Then trim the black plastic a little lower than the top of your pot. I have several tall pots that I could not move when filled with dirt, so this is the solution I came up with and it works great..

I do the same but only I use peanuts packing kind filling the bottom first

I've always used empty water bottles for mine each year since I hated mov

Your question is vague. Give a better description of your problem

I've used the empty annual pots from the nursery from when I buy my plants. That way you're using both things, the plant and the pot it came in.

Use empty gallon water bottles,soda bottles and lay landscape fabric on top of them to aid in holding the soil.

I have used empty soda cans, water bottles or packing peanuts all worked well :)

Peanut packing, empty plastic bottles, or pots are good. Also the comment about the landscape fabric is good. Just remember large pots with "false bottoms" need to be watered more because there is less soil to hold the moisture.