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Old 23-12-2006, 03:00 AM posted to rec.gardens.edible
Omelet Omelet is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Nov 2006
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Default Iron tub for planter

In article ,
"George.com" wrote:

"Omelet" wrote in message
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In article . com,
wrote:

I want to plant herbs in my old cast iron bathtub in the backyard. The
tub is too deep, so I need to fill the bottom with something to elevate
the plants. (This will also keep the plants from drowning when heavy
rain fills the tub.) Filling the whole thing with soil would require
too much soil. Anyone have ideas on what else I could use? I want to
avoid scratching or staining the inside of the white tub in case I want
to use it for something else in the future.

Thanks.


A popular and well draining filler for deep pot bottoms is packing
peanuts.


packing peanuts? Are these polystyrene balls used in bean bags and the like?


Yes! Just don't accidently get the biodegradable ones. They dissolve
when water hits them. We made that mistake once. G


A good thick compressed layer of twigs would do the trick though likely rots
down after a couple of years. Depends how long you want the herbs in the
tub.

rob


I used that trick in some of my raised planter beds, but I've had to add
topsoil to fill in as it "sank" over a period of time.

Foam peanuts are light in weight and don't ever rot...
That's what makes styrofoam so bad in landfills. :-(
--
Peace, Om

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