Comments on: Using Pots Without Drainage Holes

By: Fern

Fern — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:31:31 +0000

John–I think you’re overstating the issue just a teeny tiny bit. Millions of people have self watering pots or other hole-less pots and I have never heard of anyone contracting a deadly disease from it.

By: John Stephen Selby

John Stephen Selby — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:17:07 +0000

There are two main reasons why plant pots need drainage holes. I’ll start with the most critical which is the threat of pseudomonas microbes which live in damp, undrained areas. These eat you plant but could, if you were to get them somewhere like your ear and have a low immune system, slowly burrow into you, through your inner ear, across through the skull and into your brain. They are super bugs and do not easily respond to antibiotics.

By: samantha wootton

samantha wootton — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:53:28 +0000

I’m not green fingered AT ALL, but I’ve just planted one double impatiens in a pot within a pot, and one in a pot with gravel at the bottom because i couldn’t find a big enough inner pot. my mum always swore by the pot in a pot. I read that these plants like well drained soil, so I may have to re think the one on gravel…

By: loulou

loulou — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:40:05 +0000

thank you! i was hoping someone would assure me in my decision to plant in a pot without drainage. i have a few hyacinth bulbs, and hopefully they will survive the situation at least until after they bloom. i think you can grow them in rocks, but they are in soil now so i will put a gravel layer below the soil and the roots can dangle down and take a drink if they want.

By: Fern

Fern — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 03:28:35 +0000

That’s a good tip, using pebbles in the bottom of the outer pot!

By: Julie

Julie — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:51:15 +0000

Well, on your idea of planting a plastic pot with holes into a larger container without holes…one thing I do is to add pebbles or something in the base of the outer pot, and it allows the inner pot to sit up higher so any water that comes through cannot be sucked back up through he soil. I actually love this idea of a pot inside a pot, and it keeps me very happy! I found larger mugs or higher sided soup bowls with pretty designs are perfect for the smaller plastic pots to sit in!

By: Fern

Fern — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:36:50 +0000

I think the whole point of the saucer is to give you false hope that you can have an indoor pot with a drainage hole. It’s a ceramic industry conspiracy I tell ya!

By: louise

louise — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:48:12 +0000

“…I over-watered and now the pot and the saucer are overflowing…” this happens to me all the time and it drives me crazy. It just defeats the purpose of having a saucer.