Leveling Big Heavy Pots

[ahosey01]

I have a couple big (50+ gallon) pots that are very heavy that I would like to place permanently in my garden to grow some succulents that would otherwise not like my extremely heavy (and usually wet) clay soil.

What are your techniques for leveling big monster pots like this?

[Butch]

I would think, that if you are placing it directly on the soil, that you could compact and level that soil enough to keep your pot stable.. After all, that is what they do for building foundations...

https://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Duty-Tamper-Inches-Landscaping-Leveling/dp/B0BX5DB14R/ref=asc_df_B0BX5DB14R?mcid=cc3b75d2c65a35beb4c0c35375d1d378&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693713553298&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7854877085352670569&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031059&hvtargid=pla-2244170579267&th=1

Or rent something a little heavier duty...

https://www.homedepot.com/c/compaction_equipment_rental?mtc=SEM-BF-RNT-GGL-D78-Multi-NA-NA-NA-ETA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-G_NB_THDR_Tool_PACIFIC_CENTRAL_E&cm_mmc=SEM-BF-RNT-GGL-D78-Multi-NA-NA-NA-ETA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-G_NB_THDR_Tool_PACIFIC_CENTRAL_E-1743598247-67769894589-465625979885&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAmMC6BhA6EiwAdN5iLVZrdEwuS9xrsWpnOXJikOloSj_eslb6iCuzFPsxGLpxOv648UnmRhoC_F8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Butch

[SeanK]

I suggest two inch cement blocks a top the soil. This way you can be sure of drainage and keep them clean. You might want to move them later.

[Looking Glass]

Combine the helpful ideas above….  Make a base similar to how they’d lay a paver area out.  

Get a couple bags of paver’s sand and pea gravel, +/- that hand tamper, and the biggest retaining wall stones (11.5”x7.5x3.5) from Lowe’s/HD.  

Tamp your base soil down, +/- a weed fabric, then tamp the gravel, then do a layer of just sand to make a base.  Level the surface/big bricks on top of that.  Would hold a big pot nicely above the soil line.  Big bricks will hold well.