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Filling troughs

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NeilH:
Just taken delivery of 2 new troughs as was wondering how to fill these as they are quite big.At 1m long x 40cm deep x 45cm wide they will take a bit of filling.Can a layer of stones or polystyrene packaging etc be use before topping?.Was planning to use a grit /john innes no.2 mix how deep does this need to extend.Any advice very much appreciated.

David Nicholson:
These are surely pretty weighty so a filling with about 20% of polystyrene might be good with the rest being some good JI2, sand and grit. They would probably look better with some rock-work too.

Maggi Young:
Better  to mix chunks of  polystyrene, or  polystyrene packing  "peanuts" (or  "s" shapes) through the  planting  mixture  in the  lower  part  of the  troughs - that way you  avoid the  problem of  a  'perched water table' which  would interfere  with the  proper  drainage  of the  trough and  still reduce the  weight  and  amount  of  mix required to fill the  area. Be  sure to pile the  filling  high - it  will surely  sink a  lot  and  spoil the  finished  effect - and, as  David  says, some  rock work will add to the  aesthetic effect too.

WSGR:
Don't know where you live. What is the aspect of the troughs please? The concrete ground and wall both absorb heat during the day and release it during night time, so they might get very hot during summer. Why not put some dead twigs or branches for them to rot if that spot gets too hot? Polystyrene is a good idea for winter, probably broken down into bits.

Might be a good idea to build a low level reservoir inside the trough, using a screening device.

Maggi Young:
Great video on filling and landscaping a trough from Paul Spriggs in Canada:

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