The Bottom Line
Pros
- Great for drainage
- Easy to use
- Lighter container gardens
- Allows you to use less potting soil
- Reusable and made from 100% recycled plastic
Cons
- More expensive than rocks
Description
- Lightweight plastic mesh
- Cut to customize fit
- Comes in 16" X 96" roll or packages of two, 8, 10 or 12 inch squares
Guide Review - Better Than Rocks Review
Better Than Rocks, is well, better than rocks for container gardening. In fact it's much better. I found there were many advantages to putting this lightweight plastic mesh in the bottom of container gardens over using rocks, pot shards, packing peanuts or other traditional drainage facilitators.
Drainage is one of the primary keys to healthy container gardens and Better Than Rocks can really help with this. Because of its composition, the mesh will keep soil in while letting excess water drain out of the bottom of your container - keeping your plants from drowning.
Tired of dragging around heavy pots? When you use Better Than Rocks, which weighs almost nothing, you can seriously reduce the weight of your containers. The more you use, the less potting soil you need. You can fill your container gardens with Better Than Rocks up to one third full - saving potting soil and reducing weight. Your plants can still take advantage of the full size of your container because the roots can go right through the mesh.
Better Than Rocks is very easy to use. You can either buy it by the roll, which is the most economical and cut it with scissors or shears, to fit your containers. It also comes in packages of two, pre-cut in 8, 10 or 12 inch squares.
At the end of the growing season you can simply hose the mesh off, let it dry and then use it again and again. When I spoke to the owners of the company, they said they were still using the same pieces after ten years.
The biggest advantage to Better Than Rocks is that it is good for plants. It ensures good drainage and air circulation around roots creating an optimum growing environment for container garden plants.
My one reservation about Better Than Rocks is that it is expensive, especially compared to rocks and packing peanuts, which, though not nearly as good, are free.
