double coffee filters, or triple it.  works great.

How about round stones? Broken terracotta pots sounds like a good idea too.

Elin,

Second the use of any kind of material that will not impede drainage.  Or, blockage of holes!   Better yet, as Pete suggests, just let soil run out, leaving room for roots.    All above mentioned window screen or larger mesh ideas work great too.  I've also had good results using pieces of plastic mesh bags one finds larger quantities of potatoes or oranges packed in. 

Filling pot bottoms with pine nuggets, while up potting last August, caused me nothing but grief this winter.  Using them to block holes helped in creating a soggy/rotting mess in pot bottom.  Didn't help that my mix was a little rich in organics and short on perlite either!  I ended up having to re-pot everything while trees were still dormant last month.   Learned my newbie lesson the hard way.... fast drainage and a light airy mix are my number one priority for the smaller pots with young trees from here on. 

Bosco and all thanks will probably leave the pots without anything in the bottom , regarding the ants i will try to see if i find some organic material cause somtimes i reuse the soil that comes out from the pots for new plants.
I also noticed that once the root mass is established after a year the soil runing out is less.

problem is like everything tidy... :)

I use lava rocks.

Hi,
I use stones or bits of bricks or a bit of a broken plastic pot... Or if the holes are small enough, I let them open to see the roots coming out of the pot .

I used to use spaghnum moss stuffed in the holes then I tried Rafed's suggestion (post #4).  It's a freakin' great idea, the adhesive holds the piece of drywall tape in place while you fill the pot.  This IS the best idea since sliced bread. : )

I am bumping this thread in need of some help with Drainage!

for pot growers u know that there are two kinds of pots...  the ones with holes in the bottom and the nursery/specialized ones with drainage on the sides.

I am growing on ceramic stone and bottom holes would make me clean it every watering.
also i feel that having holes on the sides more water is left instead of running directly to the bottom especially when using  1 dripper per pot.

 Is there importance in having drainage in the bottom of the pot vs drainage in the sides of the pot?

When i irrigate the pots with the holes in the sides of the pot there is some water left  in the bottom on every watering - is that bad ?

BTW untill now i didnt experience any problem with both methods but in terms o fruit production and splittings i am still wondering.

I use coffee filters. Ridiculously cheap, ridiculously effective. They decompose quickly enough, but by that time there is generally enough of a root network that soil stays inside the pot. :)

I use ordinary holes in the bottom type lots, Elin. Many plants are fussy about having wet feet, so it is good to know you can get full drainage when you need it.

What about a layer of the fabric the stops weeds from growing it's like a black cloth. I dont know if anyone recommend yet but just wanted to get it out there.

I diverted from the main topic- what is the importance of bottom drainage vs the side holes we see in nursery pots.
any relation to fruit quality or production?

We all know mature trees dont rot...

I fine side holes and bottom holes both help drainage but both have pro and some cons.

Bottom hole helps normal drainage by gravity as well as wick-ing effect to ground but when pots are partially buried in soil, the roots going into ground are hard to cut when moving the pot
side holes provide gravity drainage but when buried the roots going out from the sidee into soil are easy to cut when moving the pot.

For stopping soil mixture going out through the holes I use leaf mold tocover the athe holes. Yes, it slows down drainage but does not stop it.

Pieces from a old terra cotta pot. It holds water too, if you forget to water your plants ;)

Maybe Gardeners weed guard?

http://m.homedepot.com/p/Easy-Gardener-WeedBlock-3-ft-x-50-ft-Polypropylene-Landscape-Fabric-1042R/202043542

I have read in many places that gravel can hinder drainage.

http://www.todayshomeowner.com/garden-myth-putting-gravel-in-pots-and-containers/

What do members here feel is best. How many of you are using pebbles? Bark? Without?

Anyone have noticed less dropping fig with pebbles than without?

Eli, I've never used gravel so I can't say anything good or bad about it. When I pot up my figs I always line the bottom with medium size pine bark nuggets. You can't go wrong with it as its natural and won't harm your trees. Once the soil settles in all the gaps it stays in place until I have to repot in a couple of years. It also allows for drainage. I don't get too elaborate and just keep things simple. Pine bark on the bottom, add soil, then a layer of pine bark on top to keep pots from drying out too fast when it gets too hot.
If you're still having trouble with ants you can put some Borax or ant traps near the opening to kill them.

I use screen door material from Lowes/HD.  A roll will last forever and if you move up to 5 gallon buckets or larger (which have larger holes most likely) you'll still be set.

Andrew

Screening material is my choice for 1-gal pots because I don't like any soil falling out every time I pick-up the pot.
Screening also keeps gnats and other insects out. Once cut to size it can be used over and over again.
The light-weight pot lets me know when it's time to water. When I used to put stones in some, I was never sure
and over watering hurt the drought-loving plants.

Like some others I use aluminum or fiber window screen mesh. I cut a 4 inch piece or so and poke it through the hole from inside out untill it stays in place then fill the pot with soil.