It's time to start thinking about planting, and I typically put out a few large pots of annuals for color.  This year, I needed new pots and found exactly what I was looking for, but really don't want to make them super heavy by filling them with soil.  I'm looking for something cheap and lightweight to put in the bottom of the pots and then I will put soil in the top 1/2.  Any ideas?  Thanks!!!

I worked for a florist for awhile, and they put styrofoam in the bottom of all of their hanging plants for just that reason.

Happy planting!

I read (somewhere, but I can't remember where) that you can put the styrofoam packing "peanuts" in the bottom of the pots to help with the weight.  Check around at some businesses and see if they will give you some.   

Shellia

I use empty soda cans in the bottom of large pots.

empty soda cans! Not with a Michigan 10 cent deposit I hope!

There is an extremely light, fluffy mulch available at nurseries that is good at the bottom of pots, it sheds water well for drainage. I can't remeber the name of it.

Cinnamonhuskies:

empty soda cans! Not with a Michigan 10 cent deposit I hope!

LOL   Nope, with Indiana cans - no deposit in IN.  Michigan cans go back.  : )

Tin cans or plastic bottles would work too.

 I am a horticulture student and I've learned a few 'professional tricks' since starting this degree. One of the best tricks addresses your question. To fill in the bottom of a large planter, simply invert a smaller plastic pot and place it in the bottom. You can use a cracked plastic pot, or stack a few broken pots...just upside down. Works great, you don't need to use as much potting soil mix, and the planter is lighter and easier to move!

• my favorites are upside-down pots or coffee cans, or mesh bags of packing peanuts.  don't put them in loose, you'll have a mess when you dump the pots in fall!  i once had access to a huge pile of shredded wood packing excelsior, and used wads of that.  it went to the compost pile at the end of the season.

cherylm:

• my favorites are upside-down pots or coffee cans, or mesh bags of packing peanuts.  don't put them in loose, you'll have a mess when you dump the pots in fall!  i once had access to a huge pile of shredded wood packing excelsior, and used wads of that.  it went to the compost pile at the end of the season.

I recently had the same idea with upside-down pots, although I used soft butter containers.  Also found large fast food drink cups in my husband's work van and cut them down so they could be used upside-down in the bottom of my smaller flower pots.