Whether your potted plants are indoors or outdoors, proper drainage is an essential element to ensure they stay healthy. This process keeps water from pooling at the base of the pot, which can cause bacteria, fungus and root rot.
Keeping this in view, should I put rocks in the bottom of my planter?
A: For years, experts told gardeners to put a layer of gravel, pebbles, sand or broken pieces of pot in the bottom of the pot before potting up houseplants or outdoor plants. The idea was to improve drainage. But research shows that this advice is wrong. Water doesn’t travel well from one medium to another.
Likewise, are pots without drainage holes bad?
If water does not have a way to drain freely, it gets trapped inside the pot and eventually deprives the roots of oxygen, creating roots rot, which is fatal to plants.
What can I put in the bottom of my planter for drainage?
Heavy materials you can use to fill the bottom of your large planters include:
- Gravel.
- Pea pebbles.
- Landscape/river rock (big and small)
- Old ceramic tiles (intact or broken)
- Broken pieces of pottery.
- Bricks.
- Cinderblocks.
How do you ensure good drainage in pots?
How to Improve Drainage in Potted Plants [5 UPDATED Strategies for 2021]
- If you’re using the soil add plenty of compost. …
- Improve the texture of the soil. …
- Choose the right container or planter. …
- Instead of the soil, use potting mix. …
- Drill Drainage Holes in your Container.
Why do some pots have holes in the sides?
Why Do Plant Pots Need Holes and What Size is Ideal? Drainage holes are a way for water to go through the soil and essentially escape through the bottom. Drainage holes help your soil dry out faster. They will prevent root rot from happening which is really important for your plant’s health.
Can you drill holes in ceramic pots?
It’s possible to drill a hole in a ceramic pot with a regular drill bit. However, using a regular bit on unglazed ceramic is much easier. Glazed ceramic, which is what most store-bought pots are, will make it hard for the bit to “grab on” to the pot to start drilling the hole.
