Big Pots Don't Have To Be Heavy

By Phran Novelli

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Wow, that's a big planter. There lots of giant plant pots these days that are easier to get home from the store because many are made of resins, or foams, or material mixes that make them much lighter than ceramic, cement or cast iron. But, if you fill a gianormous pot with four or five bags of potting soil - it won't be so light anymore.

If you're not planting a tree or shrub in your pot, but just annuals like lots of us do, then you don't need soil that's two or three feet deep! Gardeners play with all kinds of ways to fill up that empty space in giant pots without adding weight - such as packing peanuts - but I just use something I always have handy - those left over plastic pots that shrubs come in. I put one - or more - upside-down inside a big planter - use more if your pot is extra wide or deep - to displace a lot of space, while still allowing for drainage because those pots have holes in them.

Then, I fill in with potting soil and then plant my annuals and herbs on top. There's plenty of soil to support short-rooted plants through the summer and fall - while keeping the pots at a manageable weight, so you can move them if you need to, and will still be able to cart them off to the basement or garage for winter.