You could put packing peanuts (the non-degradeable type) in the bottom of the pot rather than broken pottery. I also use plastic pots more often now.

Fireraven9
April is the cruelest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain.
- T. S. Eliot, The Waste Land, 1922

I've used my husband's dolly to move heavy potted plants around, with great success. If you've ever had heavy appliances or furniture delivered, they probably used a dolly. It's a long handled contraption with 2 wheels, and a lip at the bottom to hold the heavy item.

I live in a small town, and the hardware store will let me borrow theirs, or perhaps you know someone with one that you could borrow. It's so handy, I've often thought about buying one for myself, I'm usually in need of it when my husband is away with his in the back of his van.

I often put something in the bottom of large planters to take up some of the space instead of soil. Like an old tupperware container, a metal box, or whatever I can find that will fit and not break down during the season. I have also used non-biodegradable packing peanuts and styrofoam packing blocks. I use individual pot dollies with little wheels under really hard-to-move pots on hard surfaces. I also try to move pots when they are dry, but that's not always possible, of course.

I use the styrofoam peanut pellets in the bottom fourth of the pot also and I always use a soiless potting mix which is much lighter than garden soil. Last year I bought several wooden platforms with wheels and put my larger containers on those so I could easily move them about if need be, worked great.

Another option is to use empty soda cans for the bottom layer. Deb

Thanks for all the great suggestions :-) We DO have some styrofoam sheets stored in a cupboard. They'd be perfect and they wouldn't be too hard to remove from the containers at the end of the season either!! Now, why didn't I think of that ;-)

Happy gardening :-)

I have containers of different sizes stored in my beds for weeding. I fill each container from 1/2 to 3/4 with yard waste; leaves, weeds, vines, disgarded plants, and etc.
Once the yard waste is all back down, I fill the container with potting soil. This makes the pot much lighter even the 10" container. Also, I use less potting soil. It works for me to plant flowers with shallow root system such as petunias and impatiens.

This is the first year I used packing peanuts in all my large planters. Thought it was great at first, but now have to water every day, seems to dry out twice as fast. Maybe I used too many peanuts, about 1/3 of the way up. Next year I will only do 1/4 of the container.

Still worth it for the lighter weight.

Mpls. Dee

The "peanuts" are a nice idea. Great thinking :-)!!! Also the lighter mixes seem to help ALOT!

Presently I am using a mix of Hyponex potting soil and Miracle Grow Moisture Control Potting Mix. This stuff is light and has reduced the weight of the pots I have put this in this year by 25 to almost 50%. It looks good, feels great and hopefully works. This is an experiment. Wish me luck! hehe

I'm sure there are other well suited light weight mixes out there and I'd appreciate knowing about them.

Hope this comment helps :-)

I used empty soda cans last year and it has worked great, The containers are light weight. I bend the cans double and drop them in bottom (about a quater of the pot) of container and fill with dirt.