Rocks,shards ,gravel in bottom of container don't improve/enhance drainage ,canimpede it

[peridito]

Is this true? I have a deep ,large wooden trough ( c.6ft x2ft x18'" ) that will be used in a school playground for runner beans,cucumbers,radishes etc .

Was thinking of putting something to partly fill it as I don't think a huge depth of soil will be needed .

So
a) is advice in thread title correct ?
b) should I partly fill trough ,if so what with and to what depth ?

Look at Friday's Gardeners' World, fairly early in the programme. Monty put drainage (grit) in the bottom of a trough, covered it with an old tea-towel and then put in the soil. The purpose of the tea-towel was to stop the soil trickling through to the drainage layer.

If you are going for a lot of rocks/gravel then that will be a lot of weight. Can the trough take it? Will it be a H&S concern (toppling over)? You could use something like polystyrene or styrofoam instead.

That's interesting about the tea towel, will remember that.

I've recently planted quite a deep planter with some annuals, and packed the bottom with a load of empty drinks cans as didn't need all the soil.
My mum uses old polystyrene plant packs.

I also use polystyrene to fill the bottom of planters. If I need to empty and replant, I wash the polystyrene and refuse it.

Right I've been in the recycling and have cut up squash bottles and those trays they pack meat in ,transparent ones .Clean of course .

Do ppl think that will be ok ?

This could be a great use for eco bricks - keep your squash bottles (or other plastic bottles), and collect all the non-recyclable flexible plastics, films, bags etc and stuff them with it. You can get masses in a standard plastic bottle. Stops plastic going to landfill and makes a useful thing.

I wondered this and did some googling. I got as many answers as sites. So I dont know but it's worked for me.