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nannybooboo

Registered: 04/23/11
Posts: 325
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Re-using broken clay pots
#18920765 - 10/02/13 12:09 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Hey fellow growers,
I was just wondering what some of you folks do with your broken pots. My dog broke a few of mine and now they lie around unused. I was planning on making my own soil today for some newly arrived pachanoi cuttings, and wondered if pulverized clay pots could be used to aid in drainage, even when mixed with plenty of sand, limestone, and perlite (?)
Just a random thought.
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intelligentlife
Noaidi



Registered: 10/18/10
Posts: 2,627
Loc: EU
Last seen: 7 years, 4 months
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Re: Re-using broken clay pots [Re: nannybooboo]
#18920924 - 10/02/13 12:46 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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I sometimes smash clay pots in plastic bag to get pieces what I can use to make bottom layer to pot and also I like to use small pieces ~1-2cm or size of finger tip or so, I mix them to soil.. They are good to make helping drainage, also bigger size pieces are good to use to make bottom layer to help water drainage.
Smash the pots moar!
Collect the pieces! Use small pieces mixed to soil, bigger parts is good to use as bottom layer to top.
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nannybooboo

Registered: 04/23/11
Posts: 325
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Thanks for the heads up, intelligentlife. Yea the bigger pieces will be used for the plastic pots with more holes.
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nannybooboo

Registered: 04/23/11
Posts: 325
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Re: Re-using broken clay pots [Re: nannybooboo]
#18921283 - 10/02/13 01:19 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Just found a bunch of limestone/marble tiles in the garage. I'm assuming these can also be crushed to mix with the soil (?)
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420milehigh
shaman


Registered: 08/19/12
Posts: 1,229
Loc: third eye
Last seen: 9 years, 6 months
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Re: Re-using broken clay pots [Re: nannybooboo]
#18921833 - 10/02/13 03:13 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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yeah as long as they are real limestone and marble
-------------------- All posts are entirely, 100%, conclusively false or complete works of fiction... but I can levitate lol "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Benjamin Franklin if I owe you seeds from a previous trade send me a PM, I will rectify my shortcomings and compensate you for your patience
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Horticulture
Mycocurious



Registered: 04/30/09
Posts: 1,102
Loc: Midwest
Last seen: 9 years, 1 month
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Re: Re-using broken clay pots [Re: nannybooboo]
#18923125 - 10/02/13 07:55 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Smashed pottery is great aquaponic medium.
I'd avoid sing limestone for any potting mediums. It can cause a problematic rise in pH. Marble is for all practical purposes inert, and would likewise be suitable.
-------------------- The Plant Mage Guild
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intelligentlife
Noaidi



Registered: 10/18/10
Posts: 2,627
Loc: EU
Last seen: 7 years, 4 months
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It can be used but no tap water with limestone!
However, clay pots pieces, I use them everywhere cause it's good. Usually I put big chips above the drainage holes but that way it doesn't block the drainage hole.
also 2-3cm flat drainage layer is nice to do to pot. And small pieces just mixed with pumicide, perlite and rocks so you got nice drainage soil.
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gopener
lil_dude



Registered: 06/16/13
Posts: 512
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For trichos you dont need the limestones! Limestones are good for giving calcium bat they raise the ph, so its good method to put limestones on plants they want lot of calcium and can handle acidic soil, for those they dont, its better to use other rocks for drainage, as pumice.
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nannybooboo

Registered: 04/23/11
Posts: 325
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Re: Re-using broken clay pots [Re: gopener]
#18926156 - 10/03/13 02:34 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Yea I'm ditching the marble/limestone idea. Just gonna go with sand, clay pots, and perlite mixed with some soil. Good info here, thanks all
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psi
TOAST N' JAM


Registered: 09/05/99
Posts: 31,467
Loc: 613
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Quote:
Horticulture said: Smashed pottery is great aquaponic medium.
I've used diatomite gravel for cacti before, great combination of fast drainage, moderate moisture retention, and light weight (but not so light that it floats like perlite.) Pretty much identical to broken terra cotta in all practical respects, but it was expensive. If I had access to a lot of broken clay pots then I would definitely try crushing them up and using them for that.
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intelligentlife
Noaidi



Registered: 10/18/10
Posts: 2,627
Loc: EU
Last seen: 7 years, 4 months
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Re: Re-using broken clay pots [Re: psi]
#18929643 - 10/04/13 04:18 AM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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In my country, sometimes there can be after summer and especially at winter some small stores sell clay pots at price of -50% price and so on.. More away from summer, more cheaper pots. Pure italian clay pots are from 30cnt-1euro price and few of these pots put to small bag and smashing with hammer I can produce good drainage for lots of pots..
I use only about like 5-10% of total soil content these clay pot pieces but mostly I use them to prevent any round shape rocks blocking drainage holes.. They are not perfectly flay so they can be add very nicely to bottom of pot and no rocks blocking the drainage holes.. Also small pieces are perfect mixed to soil.
Sometimes I can find already broken pots what have cracks and I can get them for free from local stores. It's good to look pots, see if there are cracks in pot and then say when paying that can you get it free cause it's already broken.
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DoSedLiving

Registered: 03/01/09
Posts: 632
Last seen: 5 years, 2 months
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Yeah I break em up into half inch or so pieceas and put a layer on the bottom to assist in drainage, I usually make sure to pup a bigger curved piece over the hole to make sure it doesn't get blocked, then lay the rest over the top.
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