Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Drill a Drainage Hole in a Container
How to Drill a Drainage Hole in a Container. Growing plants in a pot without a drainage hole is tantamount to issuing a death order for your plants. Like all living things, plants need air, water, and nutrients to survive. Well-drained soil has pockets of air between the soil particles. When water can't drain though soil, it filters into the air...
Growing plants in a pot without a drainage hole is tantamount to issuing a death order for your plants. Like all living things, plants need air, water, and nutrients to survive. Well-drained soil has pockets of air between the soil particles. When water can't drain though soil, it filters into the air pockets, water logging the soil, and denying your plants' roots the oxygen they need to thrive. Of course, in a cruel twist of gardening fate, it seems that the prettiest pots never have drainage holes. Luckily, this problem is quickly and easily remedied with an electric drill and a steady hand.
Things You'll Need
Electric drill
Drill bits
A nail
Gloves
Safety glasses
Place a thick piece of cardboard on a hard level surface, such as a table or driveway. Turn your pot upside down and place it on the cardboard.
Using the nail, make a small nick where you want to drill the hole. This helps prevent the bit from slipping and cracking any decorative glazes or paint.
Choose your drill bit. Use a tile or ceramic drill bit for glazed ceramic containers and terracotta. A normal twist drill bit works great on wooden, zinc, galvanized metal, and composite containers.
To drill the hole, place the bit into the nick you made with the nail. Make sure that the drill bit is straight up and down. Press down firmly on the drill and then drill through the base of the container in a steady, single motion. For zinc and other metal containers, first drill a shallow "lead hole" with a very small drill bit, then drill all the way through the container with a bigger bit.
Remove any dust or metal particles. Then, flip the container over and place a coffee filter over the hole before filling the container with potting soil. The filter prevents soil from escaping out the hole and eventually biodegrades.
Tips & Warnings
Make the hole in the center of the pot's base if you plant on hand watering.
If you water your container with an automatic drip irrigation system, make the hole one inch above the base on the side of the container. This allows the irrigation tube to enter the container without being pinched.
Always wear safety glasses and gloves when operating a drill.
