Overwatering and poor drainage are one of the many ways people can love their houseplants to death. With extra vigilance to soil moisture and less watering, a plant can survive in a container without a hole, but we find that the holes make plant parenthood substantially easier.
So what happens when we get pots without holes in the bottom? DRILL DAY! It's pretty simple, and with the right tools and some elbow grease, you too can give your planters drainage holes. Here's how we do it.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
- Drill
- Drill Bit - IMPORTANT - all bits are not equal. To avoid cracking the planter, use a bit specifically for ceramics/glass/tile or a diamond-tipped hole saw bit.
- Hose or a glass of water
Flip your pot upside-down on a flat surface. If you're doing this on a counter or table top, adding a towel underneath helps to keep the pot from moving around too much.
STEP 2:
Using your hose or a glass of water, add some water to the bottom of your pot. This helps avoid overheating.
STEP 3:
Decide where you want the hole and start drilling. Begin with a slow speed to get the hole started. Sometimes, with glossier pots, the drill bit will slip around during this first part. If you're struggling with this, we suggest adding a little piece of masking tape where you want your hole. It helps to give the bit something to grip to.
STEP 4:
Increase speed and pressure. Continue pushing down until you finally poke through. You've done it!
Plant that baby! We like to leave 1/2" to 1" space from the top of the planter when putting the soil in, so we can give the plant a refined look by adding tiny pebbles.
