Proper Drainage on Pots – How to Know if It’s Good

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When starting your garden for the first time, you mainly concern yourself with adequate care regarding light, soil, fertilizing, and watering. Although essential, proper drainage is not something gardeners often talk about.

For an experienced gardener, proper drainage does not have to be discussed at length.

However, many plants have died due to the lack of drainage holes, and many beginner gardeners have become frustrated and given up the hobby altogether.

So, yes, proper drainage with the right pot for your plants is essential.

How Does Bad Pot Drainage Affect Your Plant?

Non-existing or bad pot draining causes water clogging, and this, in turn, can cause the plant to “drown.”

Some plants, like lucky bamboo or pothos, actually like sitting in water.

You can place them in glass containers filled only with water, and they will thrive. However, most would die.

Excess water and improper drainage cause root rot, eventually killing the plant.

You will know your plant has root rot if it is droopy or has become pale.

Other signs are the moldy, unpleasant smell coming from your pots.

When repotting, rotten roots will be brown and mushy.

If the process has just started, you can remove the diseased section of the roots to save the plant, yet this is rarely discovered in the early stages because the symptoms are the same as with lack of nutrients.

To avoid this, you will need pots with drainage holes.

Why Is Proper Pot Drainage Important?

Proper Pot Drainage

In a nutshell, aside from preventing root rot, proper pot drainage allows your plants to breathe.

If a plant sits in water for too long, the roots will not be able to take oxygen, and soil aeration will be prevented.

Stale water is also a convenient medium for developing harmful bacteria that can kill plants.

Pot Drainage Issues and Solutions

Here are some of the most common pot-draining issues and how to fix them to keep your indoor plants happy and healthy.

No Drainage Holes

Since it is a must in the gardening world, why does it happen that some pots do not have drainage holes?

This mostly happens with decorative pots that look very attractive in the store. Yet, they tend to kill your plant over time.

Pot Drainage Issues and Solutions

Another issue is the DIY upcycling and repurposing projects that are popular nowadays.

A teacup makes a charming little pot for your succulents or cacti. But without a draining hole, it will be the source of your gardening frustrations.

Temporary containers in the form of half of a plastic bottle or a plastic cup used as beds to multiply your baby plants before placing them in a permanent pot can also fall into this category.

Fix:

If your heart is set on a particular pot without drainage holes, there is something you can do.

An easy fix for all these issues is drilling holes in the bottom of the pots.

For ceramic or terracotta pots, you must use a drill and be careful not to break the pot.

With plastic pots, you can use a sharp knife as well, depending on how thick and stiff the material is.

The holes you drill drain the pot and prevent root rot and waterlogging.

Another thing you can do is called double potting.

You can place your plant in a thin, plastic pot with proper drainage holes and find an excellent decorative pot without the holes to put the plant in.

In this case, you will need to try on a few, and the inside pot will need to be smaller than the decorative one.

You should allow space between the pot bottoms for excess water to collect or put about an inch of gravel or pebbles to keep the pot bottoms away from each other.

Saucers

A pot without a draining hole has probably been created to avoid spilling excess water where water does not belong – i.e., tables, floors, and other surfaces you put your pots on.

Saucers are a solution to that, yet if your saucer is full of water all the time, your plant will live in the same conditions as in a pot with no draining holes.

Fix:

You can commit to emptying the saucers a few hours after you water the plant and the excess water has gathered in the saucer.

Another thing that can look very decorative is filling the saucer with pebbles or gravel and placing a pot on top.

This also helps retain moisture and improve humidity for plants that require it.

Be careful that the gravel or pebbles do not plug the drainage holes.

Drainage Materials and Inadequate Potting Soil

Even pots with drainage holes can be problematic.

Placing drainage materials like gravel, pebbles, or sand at the bottom of a pot seems like a good idea. Yet, in practice, it has proven quite the opposite.

Additional materials will prevent proper drainage – they could plug the holes or keep the water higher in the pot, causing a more extensive root section to sit in the water.

In addition, those materials limit the space for the roots to grow.

Another issue is inadequate soil – i.e., soil from your garden.

Outdoor gardens have natural drainage, and dense garden soil does not allow proper drainage and aeration.

plant potting

Fix:

The fix for both issues is choosing the proper soil.

The good indoor plant soil mix is not just dirt and ground; it contains peat moss, bard, or other plant fibers that allow for better drainage and aeration.

You may also amend the soil with coarse materials like perlite or pumice. Another option is choosing a more bottomless pot so more soil remains unsaturated around the roots.

Recycled Plastic Pots

Recycled plastics tend to be more porous, variable, and permeable than newly manufactured plastic, allowing increased airflow and drainage.

The recycling process creates plastic particles, compounds, and air spaces that increase the absorbency and permeability of the material.

Using recycled plastics repurposes discarded materials into helpful gardening tools that provide better drainage without requiring more virgin plastic production.

Use Terracotta Pots

Terra cotta is a porous clay material that allows evaporation through the sides and bottom of the pot.

The natural porosity creates air pockets, allowing excess moisture to seep out of the soil more readily than plastic or ceramic pots.

Using an unglazed terra cotta pot for plants prone to overwatering can help the soil dry out faster between waterings due to the breathability of the terra cotta.

Soil Amendment Materials for Improving Drainage in Pots

Soil amendments are added to soil to improve physical properties like drainage, aeration, and water retention. The goal is to create better conditions for plant roots to thrive. 

Traditional soil amendments like compost, peat moss, manure, and coco peat improve soil texture and provide nutrients plants need. These time-tested options not only aid drainage but also nourish roots.

However, the organic amendment is complicated to get hold of, especially for urban gardeners and plant enthusiasts, as they have to choose the most available ones. 

Perlite

Perlite is a porous, lightweight volcanic rock resembling little white balls. When mixed into potting soil, perlite improves aeration and drainage by creating air pockets.

Vermiculite

Vermiculite is a spongy mineral that expands when heated, creating many pockets that retain air and water. Adding vermiculite to potting mixes lightens the texture and increases drainage.

Coarse Sand

Sand particles are much larger than silt or clay, allowing more air gaps when mixed into the soil. A coarse builder’s sand can be blended into a potting mix to loosen the texture and facilitate drainage.

Clay balls

Clay granules, balls, or chips create space between soil particles for better drainage and air circulation. The clay balls’ porous surface also absorbs excess moisture from the soil.

Pumice

Pumice is a porous, lightweight volcanic rock that resembles volcanic gravel, aiding drainage and aeration in container soils. Pumice’s irregular shapes and texture create lots of air pockets and space.

Scoria

Scoria is a reddish volcanic rock that forms light, airy particles like pumice. Incorporating scoria into potting mixes lightens the medium and improves moisture drainage.

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