Using pine cones and peanut shells as pot liners is wrong; use them to repel pests, and no matter how much you water, the roots won't rot

Using pine cones and peanut shells as pot liners is wrong! Use them, and they can repel pests, and no matter how much you water, the roots won't rot

Recently I've been reading articles, and there are still many authors saying to use pine cones, peanut shells and the like to line the bottom of flower pots as a drainage layer, claiming the effect on plants is great. Xiao Qi is going to sound off again: don't use these things. If you use them, you're making a huge mistake! Let me explain the reasons, and everyone will understand.

Things like pine cones and peanut shells, if not fermented and placed directly at the bottom of the pot, will get soaked every time we water. Prolonged moisture causes the pine cones and peanut shells to ferment. If you ferment peanut shells and the like separately, in a sealed environment they won't breed fungi, but at the bottom of the pot, over time they will grow mold and breed fungi. Plant roots have a tendency to grow downward, so before long the roots will grow down to the bottom of the pot. Fermentation and rotting also generate heat, which easily causes root rot; this is inevitable. Once the roots rot, if you don't notice in time, over time your plant will stop growing, leaves will rot, and so on. So I don't recommend using them.

Furthermore, the process of these things rotting is what insects love to eat most. Using them as a base layer creates large gaps, which is also the environment insects love most. For example, centipedes, woodlice and the like will crawl in through the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot and take up residence; this too is inevitable.

Just the two points above are enough reason not to recommend using them. The drainage holes at the bottom of a flower pot are meant to let water through and prevent waterlogged soil from causing root rot. We can simply cut a piece of mesh screen into small pieces and place them at the bottom of the pot to keep insects out, or buy special pot base mats, which can also repel insects. After placing mesh screen or insect-repellent mats, then make a drainage layer a few cm thick; you can use stones, broken bricks, or foam blocks, all of which work. Lining the bottom this way is the most correct method, and also the most eco-friendly and best choice for growing plants. With a drainage layer, no matter how much you water, root rot is unlikely; with mesh screen, it repels insects. Very simple.

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