On Fri, 25 Apr 2014 20:49:06 +0100, Jeff Layman
wrote:

On 25/04/2014 13:11, Indigo wrote:
I've got several quite old terracotta pots that were given me by an
elderly gent who'd once been a market gardener. They all have single
good drainage holes and I normally put a flattish stone or a bit of
broken pot or polystyrene packing in the bottom, mainly to stop compost
falling straight out or washing through, rather than for extra drainage.

Saw this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-maga...nitor-27126160
and wondered if I should really try something else - bit of old cotton
cloth or something? Used tea-bag?

This article from last year by biologist Ken Thompson is on the same theme:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening...otty-idea.html

So do you crock or not?

Use a small piece of weed-proof membrane to cover the hole. This allows
water through, but not soil. It has the added benefit of stopping ants
entering the pot through the base and excavating it.

A few layers of old torn fleece works to stop soil washing through.
Can't comment on stopping ants, as that has not been a problem for me.

----

Gardening on Wilts/Somerset border
on slightly alkaline clay underlying soil worked for many decades.