Do you really need a drainage hole in your pots?

Yes, having a drainage hole in your pots is essential for the health of your plants. Without proper drainage, excess water can accumulate in the soil and cause root rot, which can ultimately kill your plants. When there is a drainage hole, water can flow out of the pot, preventing the soil from becoming waterlogged.

Without a drainage hole, the soil can become compacted and the roots can become suffocated due to lack of oxygen. This can also lead to nutrient deficiencies as the roots are unable to absorb the necessary nutrients from the soil.

However, if you have a pot that does not have a drainage hole here are a few things to do.

1.     Add rocks to the bottom of the pot before adding soil or the plant.  This will  allow the water to drain through the soil and down into the rocks.

You can also place gravel or pebbles in the bottom of the decorative pot and place the functional with drainage on top of the pebbles.

2.     Keep your plant in a plastic pot or a porous pot like terracotta, then place that pot within the larger decorative no drainage hole pot. This way when it comes time to water,  you can take it out of its decorative pot and take advantage of the drainage hole.

3.     Very carefully drill a hole in the bottom of the pot. You will need some specific tools for this. I will do a whole blog post on this next week!

Here’s to happy healthy plants!