Pots Without Drainage Holes Are Killing Your Plants — Here’s How to Make Them Work

Plant lovers know the scenario well: You’re out shopping when suddenly you spot a gorgeous planter for sale that would be just perfect for re-potting a houseplant like, say, the gorgeous bird of paradise in your bedroom. The colors are just right, and the price is a winner. There’s just one problem: That “perfect planter” is a planter without a drainage hole.

You might be tempted to buy it anyway, asking yourself, is it really so bad if my planter doesn’t have a drainage hole? The short answer, which you might not want to hear, is yes, pots without drainage holes can damage plants. However, there are a few things you can do to ensure the health of your plants. Here’s what to do if you have a pot without a drainage hole.

Drainage holes in planters serve three main purposes:

• Allowing water to drain from the soil
• Enabling good airflow
• Flushing salts from the soil

Even water-tolerant houseplants that like a good soaking and perpetually damp soil don’t like to live in standing water — something pros call “wet feet.” 

When roots sit in water for too long and when air isn’t allowed to flow freely (as in the case of saturated soil), the plant can develop root rot. This is exactly what it sounds like: Roots that are consistently kept too wet, with no drying out, can begin to decay.

“The soil will stay saturated and soggy, which reduces airflow to the plant’s roots, and this is a ticket to root rot,” says Lisa Price, the owner of Root Houseplants.

Rotted roots prevent the plant from pulling moisture through its vital water networking system, so standing water can actually cause plants to wither away from dehydration. Root rot is almost always an irreversible condition for plants. In other words, plants soaking in water is one way to ensure their early demise.

Tip: Before you throw out a plant with root rot, you can try treating roots with hydrogen peroxide. This doesn’t always work, but the fix can save some plants. If the plant is headed for the garbage anyway, it’s worth a shot!

Overly damp, poorly draining soil can be a problem for any plant, but especially for plants that enjoy moisture. That’s because while you might be giving them a healthy amount of water, that water has nowhere to go and ends up sitting around the roots, causing root rot. (Plants watered less frequently have fewer opportunities for their pots to gather standing water.)

But there’s another, less straightforward possibility for plants to suffer in planters without drainage holes: Knowing that you don’t want your plant sitting in water and knowing that there’s no outlet for drainage, you may be overly cautious about watering. In fact, experts recommend it. 

“If you do not have a drainage hole, be mindful of watering plants less so standing water doesn’t begin to pool in the bottom,” says Adam Golen, a seller on Palmstreet who offers plants and accessories. However, if you’re too conscious about watering, you may not give the plant as much water as it wants.

For plants that prefer dry soil, under-watering on purpose doesn’t seem to be much of an issue. Even so, those plants will still need a drainage hole for moisture to escape and airflow to circulate through the pot.

Another important function of drainage holes is to allow water to flush the soil of excess salts from any fertilizers that you apply. Without a drainage hole, those salts can get trapped in the soil and affect the health of your plant.

Your safest bet for using pretty pots without drainage holes is to create your own. You can do this one of two ways.

Use a power drill to create a hole in the bottom of your planter. If your planter is wood or plastic, a regular drill bit will work just fine. If your planter is ceramic, use a carbide drill bit.

Turn your planter upside down, and place painter’s tape or masking tape on the bottom where you intend to drill the hole.

Select the drill bit you’ll need for the job. For a wood or plastic planter, use a regular drill bit. For ceramic pots, use a carbide drill bit. Select one no wider than 1/4 inch in diameter.

To keep ceramic pots from cracking, add water to the area where you’re drilling before beginning.

Move slowly, starting first at a slight angle before moving your drill, so it’s perpendicular to the bottom of the pot. If you’re wondering where to start, Price reveals that most planters have a natural dimple in the bottom, which is the perfect spot to plan a drainage hole.

Remove the tape and brush off any debris. Your planter is ready to use!

Don’t plant directly into your pretty pot. Instead, add your plant to a porous pot with a good drainage hole, like the classic terracotta pot. Then, place that pot within the larger decorative pot.

When it comes time to water, remove the plant (and the inner pot) from the decorative planter. Once you’re done and the water has drained, you can add it back in.

Golen says you can make this even simpler. “If your planter doesn’t have holes, you can keep the plant in its grow or nursery pot and place it inside the planter you would like to use,” he says.

You can also place gravel or pebbles in the bottom of the decorative pot and place the functional pot with drainage on top of that layer. The gravel helps create some separation between the two pots, promotes airflow, and ensures the plant’s roots are never sitting in water. This setup allows for ambient humidity, which is a boon to many plants.

Note: Pots without drainage holes should never be used outdoors. Since your plant will be exposed to rain, you’ll have no way of regulating the amount of water your plant receives.

Of course, you always have the option to repurpose beautiful planters as home decor.

Some experts suggest using a layer of pebbles as a sort of drainage layer in those pots without drainage holes, saying that the technique allows excess water to flow out of the soil and into the space full of pebbles. Others, however, caution against this method, going so far as to call it a myth.

“Rocks allow space for water to gather. However, you will find that the moisture still needs to escape somehow, likely back up into the roots, which isn’t good for a plant’s root system,” says Golen. Instead of a layer of rocks, he recommends adding perlite to the soil instead to help roots breathe.

According to Price, the first sign of rotting is continuously moist soil. “If your plant has root rot, you would notice that the soil isn’t drying out,” she says. “There are no roots to take the water up.”

Price also notes that there are other signs of root rot, including yellowing leaves, mushy stems, leaf loss, and droopy leaves.

In short, yes, as both Price and Golen recommend removing your plant first. Not only is it best for the plant and its root system, but if your pot breaks, you’ll have a mess on your hands if it’s full of soil.