How to Make Holes in Flower Pots for Water to Run Out
Plants grow best when planted in pots with drainage holes in the bottom. A lack of drainage causes water to collect in the soil. The collected water suffocates the roots and eventually leads to root rot or plant death. Creating drainage holes in plastic, resin and wood flower pots takes only a few minutes, but the benefits to the plants last the entire growing season and beyond. Avoid clay pots that don't have drainage, as these are difficult to modify. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Turn the pot upside down. Mark the center of the pot with a permanent marker. Make three more marks around the sides of the pot, next to the bottom edge. Space the three marks equally apart.
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Fit a power drill with a ½-inch bit. Wear safety goggles when operating the drill.
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Drill a hole at each of the three marks around the side of the pot. Drill through the mark in the center of the pot bottom.
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Line the bottom of the pot with a coffee filter. The filter prevents the soil from washing out of the drainage holes.
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Fill the pot with soil and sow your plants inside. Set the pot on top of a drip saucer to catch the excess water as it drains from the pot at each watering.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a clay pot without drainage holes as a decorative cover for a plastic pot. Set the plastic pot inside the clay pot. Empty the clay pot after watering so moisture doesn't accumulate inside.
If the pot only has a bottom drainage hole, consider adding side drainage holes. Alternatively, fill the drip saucer with pebbles and set the pot on top -- so the water can still drain freely from the bottom-only drainage hole.
Wear eye protection and use caution when operating power tools.
References
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