The Bottom Line
Pros
- Reusable.
- Doesn’t inhibit drainage.
Cons
- Only suitable for round, tapered containers.
- You can’t adjust how far up or down the container you’d like it to sit.
Description
- Plastic pot insert that raises the bottom of the container.
- Less soil is needed to fill large containers, so there is less weight.
- The air space at the bottom allows for good drainage and makes oxygen available for plant roots.
- Available in sizes from 10" to 18". Their web site will help you decide what size you need.
Guide Review - Ups-A-Daisy - Plant Container Insert
It takes a lot of soil to fill large containers and urns. Unless you are packing in some fast growing perennials, large scale planters can be a waste of soil, not to mention heavy. Gardeners have gotten very creative when it comes to padding the bottom of large containers. I tend to opt for an overturned plastic nursery pot and some packed in newspaper. Others use soda cans, Styrofoam peanuts and what the Ups-A-Daisy inventor calls “junk filler”.
Ups-A-Daisy solves the problem in a very simple, elegant way. At the end of the season there are no peanuts to clean up and no soggy half-decomposed newspapers to compost. As long as you’re using rounded, tapered pots, Ups-A-Daisy is a wonderfully efficient way to fill a container.
Unfortunately one size does not fit all and square or odd shaped containers will still be a challenge. You also don’t want to use Ups-A-Daisy or any filler if your pots aren’t more than a foot deep or if you have deep rooted plants. You’ll save soil, but your plants will suffer. On the other hand, if you have a tendency to over water, Ups-A-Daisy will keep your plants from sitting in standing water and help prevent root rot. In the right circumstances, Ups-A-Daisy is a very handy little gadget.
