Question
What can I do to make soil drain better? I use Miracle Gro potting soil. I add extra perlite and some vermiculite to the soil and sometimes I add some extra peat moss to lower the pH level. I have been having trouble finding really coarse sand and I don't like using any of the finer sands. I have heard that non clumping cat litter can be added to make soil drain better. Is this true? Will it harm the plants in anyway? I would have thought that the deodorants in the litter wouldn't be good for plants.

Answer
Hi Tracy,  Miracle Gro potting soil has a polymer added in to help it hold moisture, vermiculite will hold more moisture, peatmoss will hold more moisture, kitty litter will hold moisture.  Perlite should help your drainage, but I don't understand why drainage is a problem in containers.  Gravity pulls water toward the bottom of the container, everything we talked about above is added to slow that process down which is what we usually want in containers.  If you are growing plants that need better drainage, use a cactus soil or choose a potting soil without the polymer and blend it with coarse bark or 1/4" lava rock.
Jim