RE: Packing Pellets and Plants

Hi Carol,

Last year, we did a research project using packing pellets (the non melting
plastic kind) in half wine barrels.  Half the barrel was filled with pellets
and then with soil.  Shallow rooted ornamentals were planted and regularly
watered.  Two of the four barrels had pellets and two did not.  The barrels
with pellets quickly became swamps as water did not drain through the
pellets.  The pellets formed a impenetrable layer.  Based on that
experience, rocks , perhaps lighter weight lava rock, would be much
prefereable as a filler for your planter.

This year we cleaned out the barrels for reuse and could not recycle the
soil as the pellets and roots were all tangled together.  We could not put
them into the compost pile either  What a mess.  Plastic packing pellets
should be recycled through waste disposal rather than gardening.  I would
imagine the corn based pellets would 'melt' together too.

Bracey
San Jose
UCCE Master Gardener


At 02:46 PM 6/18/2004 -0700, you wrote:
>Slightly off-topic, but it is for a citrus tree...I have an oversized
"planter" (a tall wooden crate) that I want to use for a Mexican Lime. I
want to fill the bottom half with something much lighter than rocks, and to
that end have collected some packing pellets from work: some pink s shapes
and white pellets.  Does anyone know if these will harm my citrus?  The
whites dissolve in water, so won't be particularly useful, but how do I tell
if the pinks are poisonous? 
>
>Thanks
>
>Carol
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