What to put at the bottom of large planters

[BigSkyLife]

Having been and spent a small fortune at the garden centre this week, we now have several large pots to fill. But having looked at the size of the drainage hole at the bottom, I don’t want all the potting compost to come spilling out.
What can I put at the bottom to still allow drainage, but to stop soil falling out?
From one very novice gardener!

Old smashed pots. But if they're going to get very heavy, I use polystyrene.

Not a proper gardener but we put pebbles

Chuckies?

Old broken pots here for me too or broken bits of slate or tile or anything I can find that will fit at the bottom of the garden!

Smashed old crocks ftw

@Nellie850 - now I’m really showing my inexperience in the garden... what’s a chuckie?

For large pots that are already heavy so don’t need the extra weight I use and old jumper or sweat shirt.

I save any polystyrene, from packaging. It’s light so makes pits easy to use. An added bonus is if you empty the plot, You can wash the polystyrene and reuse.

Pots easy to move*!

@BigSkyLife ha, sorry, maybe a Scottish term. Just stones that you’d put on a path.

We guessed cut up tennis balls (Chuck the balls! or old pairs of converse (chucks!)
We ended up raiding the recycling and using old drinks cans.

Greenhouse shading mesh, or some of that net that oranges come in, with a crock or two to hold it in place. That will stop the soil from washing out of the bottom, and also stop creepy-crawlies from going into the pot from underneath.

Broken up polystyrene packaging works well and means that you're not adding additional weight to heavy containers.

Broken slates, crocks(bits of old pot) , stones, polystyrene or bubblewrap from packaging. Just make sure the compost can drain,

@DonLewis

Old smashed pots. But if they're going to get very heavy, I use polystyrene.

This exactly. The polystyrene also reduces (slightly) the amount of compost needed.