Cat litter

Posts

• Dovefromabove Posts: 88,147

  9 February edited 9 February

  I would imagine that it clumps and then the rootlets wouldn’t get much air around them. Isn’t it usually made of a type of clay? Don’t think I’d try it. 

  
  Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
  
  
  
  
  
  

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• BenCotto Posts: 4,718

  9 February edited 9 February

  Be sure to use non clumping cat litter otherwise you’ll be trying to grow in cement! The problem is cat litter has risen sharply in price over the past 18 months. For a 10 litre bag expect to pay £5 - £8 compared to £8 - £10 for a 10 litre bag of perlite. A bag of horticultural grit is probably the cheapest of the three.

  Rutland, England

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• Beastie29 Posts: 55

  9 February

  Very good for storing dahlia tubers in, over winter, though.  Absorbent, helps draw out excess moisture.  Cheap own-brand stuff will do the trick.  About £2.15 a sack.

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• Joyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933

  9 February

  I would be concerned that cat litter is treated with deodorant and some kind of sterilizer. I am not sure plants would appreciate that.
  You could try crumbling polystyrene packaging, I tried breaking up blocks of packaging to use as drainage in the bottom of large pots but found after a couple of years it compressed and ended up blocking the drainage hole.

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• amancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736

  9 February

  On top of all that the clay based one is horrible for the environment and we should all move away from it instead of leaning into it for unconventional uses. I've exclusively used wood pulp and corn derived litter for years for my cat...they have all gone up in price significantly over the last two years. 

  To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow

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• bédé Posts: 3,095

  9 February

  Certainly don't use 2nd hand cat litter.

   location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
  "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

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• bédé Posts: 3,095

  9 February

  Joyce Goldenlily said:

  
  You could try crumbling polystyrene packaging, I tried breaking up blocks of packaging to use as drainage in the bottom of large pots but found after a couple of years it compressed and ended up blocking the drainage hole.

  I have successfully used broken up garden centre foam PS 6-packs.  They have lasted entire for years.
  

   location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
  "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

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• coccinella Posts: 1,428

  9 February

  I too use chunks of polystyrene at the bottom of pots. Thank you for your comments, I won't go for it I don't think. Grit is not easy to find here and it is heavy to heave from the trolley to the car. Perlite is light but I thought that cat litter was a lot cheaper! I will have a look at the supermarket tomorrow.

  
  Luxembourg

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