How to Drill a Hole in a Flower Pot
Not all flower pots are manufactured with a drainage hole for excess water. The hole is essential to preventing overfilling of the pot. Plants immersed in water because their pots don't drain will usually die by drowning. Quite often it is impossible to tell by looking at it that the pot is overfilled, and waiting for water to drain by evaporation can take days. The drilling procedure is not difficult, but it requires ample work space. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Flower pot(s)
- Electric drill
- 3/8-inch drill bit
- Masking tape or duct tape
- Old towel
- Pencil
- Safety goggles
- Water
- Soaking dish
Instructions
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1
Soak the pot in water: Fill a dish wider than the flower pot with about 1 inch of water. Set the pot in the water and pour about 1 inch of water into it. Let the pot soak for about 1 hour.
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2
Dry the pot briefly. Empty the pot and dry it with the towel. It isn't necessary for the pot to be bone dry, but it should be dry enough for masking tape to stick to it. Let the pot sit and air dry until the tape will stick.
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3
Find and mark the location of the hole: Mark the spot to be drilled with a pencil. Most pots are drilled in the center of the bottom, but some people prefer to drill into the bottom of the side so that water can spill directly out onto a plate or saucer. If drilling into the side, make sure to mark at least ½ inch above the bottom rim so there is no chance of damaging the pot.
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Prepare the pot for drilling. Cover the pencil mark with masking or duct tape, then apply tape also on the other side where the drill will go through. Press the tape down securely but not overly hard. Put on safety goggles, lock in the drill bit and plug in the drill.
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Drill the hole. Squeeze the trigger on the drill and smoothly press it into the spot intended for the hole. After the drill punches through the wall of the pot, keep it running until you have withdrawn it. Set the pot down and unplug the drill. Move the drill away from where you are working.
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6
Clean off the drill hole. Remove the tape carefully, brush away any debris around the hole and rinse the pot in water to remove any dust. Clay pots may have minor chipping around the hole, so be careful in removing debris not to cause more clay to flake off.
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Tips & Warnings
Keeping the drill pointed absolutely straight will minimize flaking or chipping around the hole.
Don't soak pots overnight. Clay pots may disintegrate and glazed pots may be damaged.
