This product would be great if I had one pot to fill. It is basically a plastic bag filled with a lightweight plastic mesh. I am getting the same results with plastic shopping bags of packing peanuts, bubble wrap or styrofoam and I don't have any guilt over tossing the smelly remainders out after the season is over. This product works and does a good job, I just don't think I will buy it when I can reuse something else for free.
I like this, I was just about to fill a square planter to plant some veggies for my deck. I was going to have problems going out in my yard to find so much soil to fill it with, then I was wondering how to move it so it is in the sun for most of the day. This pillow is light as a feather it can be washed very easily to use for next year, the surface is smooth and I do not think too many roots will be able to penetrate the covering. It is a bit flexible so if you pot is a bit smaller it can accommodate that. It will easily filter the water so it does not carry the soil out with it. I did put a layer of newspaper on top of it so it wouldn't get too dirty and I will not have to clean it so much. Just in case.
This is a solid product, I wish it were cheaper but you really cannot go wrong with this price since it is reusable, how many times? only time will tell. I am a bit frugal but I really like this one and I would buy several so I could conserve on my soil. I like large pots but refrain from buying them since I have to fill with so much soil, oh I have plenty of dirt I have a big plot but who wants to lug it up to my deck. Since it is very thick it will really make a big difference in the weight.
It's a buy for me.
Buy 3M Garden Genius GG-P12 Durable Pot Filler Pillow, 12.5-Inch by 12.5-Inch by 2.25-Inch Now
This product is essentially a perforated plastic/nylon square pillow filled with pieces of fiber/foam material.The product instructions specifically say that the Garden Genius Pot Filler does not provide nutrients for your plants it is simply a filler device so that you can use less soil in your pot. The instructions also tell you to make sure that your pot still contains 2/3rds soil, so make sure that your pot is the correct size.
I stuffed the Garden Genius pillow into an 11" tall, 11.5" diameter pot & it fit nicely because the pillow is pliable. Since the pillow is "fluffy" it does take up a bit of space. I first thought a shorter pot (10") would work, but ended up moving the pillow to the taller pot. This size (11"H x 11.5"W) is probably the smallest size pot to use.
I normally use torn up styrofoam to fill in my pots (which does allow for dirt to get around the pieces). This pillow is the same concept except that the plastic/nylon cover makes it easier to pull out/reuse, and it doesn't allow for dirt to get around it if you stuff it into the bottom of the pot (yet the holes in the nylon/plastic allow for water to flow/trickle through).
All in all, a nice product that does exactly what it says it does. I did not rate price, since that is consumer/budget specific. I've been making jury-rigged versions of this for years by reusing styrofoam packing peanuts. That method has a lot to recommend it -it's earth-friendly and cheap. It also has numerous down sides. For example, dirt filters down among the peanuts and reduces their drainage. It's also a pain in the butt when you're potting. It requires a mesh to block the hole at the bottom of the pot, and then it's a pain in the butt yet again when you're repotting -peanuts get mixed in with the dirt and they have to be picked out by hand, and they blow across the yard, and everything takes much longer to do.
This item completely solves the whole "pain in the butt" issue, but nothing's free -you pay for the convenience. Frankly, since it's reusable more or less forever, I think it might be worth springing for it if you find yourself repotting lots of plants every year, as I do (my garden is full of potted perennials). It works great, and it's so easy. I've found that, in my climate (zone 7), lack of drainage is the #1 killer of outdoor potted plants, and if this can save one plant over its life span, it'll have paid for itself. Plus, time is money, and this saves plenty of time. I got this pillow and decided to make a study with another pot that didn't have it, without keeping track of which is which. I know it's supposed to keep the pot light so you don't need rocks for drainage, but I used a handful of pine needles at the bottom for the same purpose and planted some cockscombs in the pots and treated them identically. Seriously, I can't tell the difference in the flowers that came up.
The bag appears to be full of pieces of coconut husk fiber. I don't think it's worth the money to get this when you can just put a little mulch on the bottom of the planter and get the same results.
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