Here's an interesting tip that I picked up a while back: To keep soil from slowly leaking out of your planters, place coffee filters over the drain holes. This allows the water through but stops the dirt.
I gave it a try last week with a tomato container. Basically I just cut a few filters in half, taped them over the holes, and filled with potting mix. So far it is working as planned. I can only see two potential problems: 1) filters may rot quickly and fall apart, 2) filters might become clogged and stop water from draining properly. Either way, it's not a big deal. If they rot and fall apart then it's just like they were never there, and if they become clogged and impede drainage I can just poke a stick or something through them. So, if it works that's cool and if not, nothing is lost. It's already made for a pretty cool picture.
I gave it a try last week with a tomato container. Basically I just cut a few filters in half, taped them over the holes, and filled with potting mix. So far it is working as planned. I can only see two potential problems: 1) filters may rot quickly and fall apart, 2) filters might become clogged and stop water from draining properly. Either way, it's not a big deal. If they rot and fall apart then it's just like they were never there, and if they become clogged and impede drainage I can just poke a stick or something through them. So, if it works that's cool and if not, nothing is lost. It's already made for a pretty cool picture.
