It’s common to forget that your hanging plants require water, especially if they are out of reach or are positioned in an awkward spot. When the weather is warm, many hanging planters need to be watered frequently, but this is not an issue if they are hung in a location where water can flow easily through the bottom without harming the surface below. For people who are unable to receive free watering where they are, offering proper drainage and a saucer to collect the overflow is a practical method to satisfy their requirements without compromising yours.
Indoor hanging pots with drainage should be watered until water is flowing through the pots’ drainage trays. Put a second plant underneath your hanging plant holders so that it may absorb the water that the first one loses. If your hanging planters don’t have a drainage tray, make one yourself by setting a bucket underneath to catch the water that leaks out as you water. Reaching the hanging plant holders is one of the trickiest tasks, therefore Gardening Know How suggests using a long-necked watering can and keeping a step stool close by.
Should hanging plants in interior spaces have drainage?
It can be challenging to maintain healthy, flourishing, and attractive indoor hanging plants. It can be simple to forget your indoor plants’ demands or fall into the “over-watering” or “under-watering” trap when you have a busy family and job.
It’s crucial to give your indoor plants the ideal environment for growth and success. You may be wondering whether hanging plants require drainage to remain healthy.
We’ll cover everything you need to know about caring for indoor hanging plants in our informative article so they can keep making your home or workplace feel like a tranquil haven.
The majority of indoor hanging plants require good drainage. For them to survive and develop, this is crucial. A pot’s base should not collect water because this might lead to the growth of bacteria, fungi, and root rot.
Now that we’ve covered that quick takeaway, let’s move on to learning why indoor hanging plants require drainage.
Hanging baskets’ drainage system
For the majority of baskets, three to four 1/4-inch holes at the bottom are sufficient to provide proper drainage. Make use of a drill with a 1/4″ bit. Drill the holes so they are evenly spaced all the way around the bottom of the empty basket by turning it upside down on your work table. When operating a drill, wear eye protection. When you fill the basket, if any soil leaks through the drainage holes, line the basket with a fine metal mesh or pieces of a permanent coffee filter. This will keep the soil in place while allowing moisture to drain.
Do hanging pots have holes for drainage?
There are several ways that hanging baskets can go wrong, but water drainage is probably the most frequent issue. The coconut fiber liners are useless for use indoors since water seeps right through them, notwithstanding how well they perform outside. The following are the top two indoor basket options:
- With this adaptable and simple setup, you can quickly change out your hanging plants. No drainage holes at all exist in the beautiful outer basket, which is totally sealed, and it has chains or rope attached directly to it for hanging. You can create a hanging garden by placing your potted plants within. The main drawback in this situation is that because it is heavier, it could be challenging to reach over the lip of the outside pot while watering.
- The attached tray: This is how garden centers often sell hanging baskets. An connected drip trap is included with a plastic basket. The basket itself is connected by the wires or ropes. Although this is lighter and more cost-effective, the drip tray’s size is typically the issue. Very little space for error exists in very small trays. If you use even a small amount too much water, murky water will leak over your floors.
Do plants have a need for drainage holes?
I select plants that will add value to specific areas of the house and dress them up in pots that complement both the plant and the area around it.
The attractive pots and containers I select for my plants and house frequently lack drainage holes. Even if these containers are occasionally intended for other uses, I still like to use them as planters. Sometimes they are baskets that, if I were to simply drop a plant inside, would leak water everywhere. Sometimes they are just pots without holes for drainage.
These are tricks, but I should really call them solutions because they are straightforward workarounds for those lovely, ideal pots lacking drainage holes.
One of the leading causes of damage and even death to house plants is poor drainage.
Poor drainage in our pots has effects that we have all encountered. Browning of the leaf tips is the most prevalent and obvious sign of inadequate drainage, followed by the formation of Soprophytic Fungus (a white and fluffy mould) on the surface soil.
Your plant will perish if you overwater it in a pot with inadequate or no drainage at all.
Drainage holes enable water to escape from the soil, improving airflow through the roots and clearing the soil of excess salts that have accumulated over time.
If water cannot drain freely, it will gradually become stuck inside the pot, starve the roots of oxygen, and eventually kill the plant by developing roots rot.
Therefore, I want you to keep in mind these two essential features of plant care before reading the options for planting in a pot without drainage holes;
- Learn about the light, water, and fertilization requirements for your plant. Not all drainage issues can be resolved in order to keep your plant healthy. Even with the best drainage system, you will still have problems with your plant if you don’t put it in the right spot and don’t water it properly.
- Make certain your plant has the right kind of soil! Different plants require different amounts of soil drainage. Orchids and tropical plants, as well as cactus and succulents, require particular soil. The right drainage will also be ensured if your plant is in the right soil. It nearly makes no sense to install the proper drainage system around soil that isn’t already water-draining well.
You may work on your plant’s drainage issues once you’ve identified its primary requirements. Let’s begin!
Does every plant require a drain hole?
There are planters without drainage holes, and that’s perfectly OK too! There are many alternatives to a pot that lacks a drainage hole. In fact, some of the most fashionable planters lack drainage holes since they rest on sleek wooden platforms (a drainage hole here would cause a major mess!). Our Mid-Century planters, for example, do not have drainage holes and are designed to sit directly on wooden stands or other surfaces.
We employ a technique called “staging” for our pots without a drainage hole, which we’ll go into more depth about below. Here are some additional techniques for providing drainage in a pot without a drainage hole:
Layer rocks at the Bottom of Your Pot
To create some separation between the soil of your plant and any extra water, it is usual practice to place rocks or gravel at the bottom of your pot. As your plant grows, its roots may extend into this bottom area and become exposed to the standing water, therefore this does not actually aid in drainage.
Drill a Drainage Hole
Some individuals like to use their favorite planter as a DIY project and drill a hole in it without any drainage. It is possible to do this, but be aware that you run the danger of completely ruining the pot.
Staging (the BEST way!)
When there is no drainage hole, staging your plant is the simplest and most straightforward approach to set it up with correct drainage. Simply put, staging implies that the plant actually resides in its plastic nursery container rather than the decorative planter (i.e. the one it came in). Plastic nursery pots can easily be inserted inside the ceramic pot and frequently feature several little drainage holes at the bottom (much better!).
We advise slightly elevating your plant inside the pot if you have a habit of overwatering it, either with a wood plank, styrofoam block, or any other object that won’t mind the odd drenching. This guarantees that your plant will never “sit in standing water for long periods of time, regardless of how much water you provide.
Beyond only drainage, staging your plants has a number of advantages:
Your plant may be easily removed from its attractive container so that you can give it a wash in the bathtub or sink (plants adore this method of watering!).
When your plant has to be replanted, you’ll be able to tell because the roots will start to protrude from the plastic nursery pot (just lift the nursery pot to check!).
So go ahead and begin arranging your plants! If you’re still looking for the ideal ceramic, keep in mind that our ceramics are 100% water-sealed and proportioned to fit most nursery pots, so they’ll never harm your floors or surfaces. The classic style was handcrafted with high-fired stoneware to endure the test of time! Choose the ideal size for your plants, or even better, get a set of Lon & George’s fully-potted plants and let us handle the work!
Are hanging basket liners necessary?
Mix the compost thoroughly with the recommended quantity of slow-release fertilizer and water-retention crystals. If the compost is dry, put in some water as well. The plants should be watered in advance and given time to drain.
- A thick layer of moss or another loose liner should be placed halfway up the basket in a large pot to balance it. Just enough compost should be added to cover the basket’s base.
- Push three to four trailing plants through the wire to “place” them in the basket’s sides. To prevent the compost from leaking out until the plants are established, make sure the lining material is well fitted around the base of the plant.
- More compost should be added, and it should be carefully pushed down over the plant roots.
- Continue to add compost, liner, and plant layers. Usually, two layers of plants, evenly spaced out along the basket’s sides, are sufficient.
- To prevent the compost from escaping, make sure there is enough liner around the base of the plants and that there are no holes in it.
- Add extra liner and plant the top of the basket once the sides have been planted.
- Working them in between the root balls of the plants that are in the sides, gently push the plants into the top of the basket. By this point, the basket may be quite crowded, so add compost around the roots as needed.
- Make sure the compost’s surface is free of any visible roots.
- Before hanging the basket up, give it plenty of water and allow it to develop for a few days in a chilly greenhouse or other protected area.
- Plant the top after adding compost to the pot.
- When applied along the sides, trailing plants should be oriented toward the pot’s edge.
- After you’ve planted the pot, give it plenty of water and give it a few days to develop in a cool greenhouse or other protected area before hanging it up.
What do you put in the hanging baskets’ bottoms?
Line the basket with a material that will help the soil maintain moisture before adding dirt and the plants. Options consist of:
- Coco coir liners are thick, durable, and absorbent since they are made from natural coconut husks. In order to keep the soil moist, it will store water and gently release it. Additionally, they have a pH balance that helps to maintain healthy soil, and they are biodegradable, so they won’t harm the environment.
- Even though it’s not as environmentally friendly, a plastic bag can be used as a temporary hanging basket lining. To limit the amount of moisture that evaporates along the sides, put holes to the bottom and cut it up so that it fits easily and coverlessly in the bottom of the basket. If your plants prefer a dryer environment, only line the sides of the basket. As a result, water can readily drain to the bottom. Lining the interior of the entire hanging basket is a good idea for plants that want to stay damp.
Are saucers required for hanging plants?
Patios and decks are frequently constructed from either wood or concrete. Most people believe they can handle practically any situation. They may, however, be vulnerable to harm from plant drainage. As a result, you must place plant saucers beneath all of your outdoor plants. Potted plants without saucers may need costly deck or patio repairs in a few different ways.
Plant saucers can help shield the wood deck’s planks from excess moisture that could otherwise cause rot, water damage, and warping. Even though the wood is protected, the sealants do eventually wear off, especially if they are constantly exposed to water. Therefore, it’s crucial to have a device there to collect any additional water your plants may need. Additionally, when you water your plants, you’re not only giving them a drink; you’re also assisting in the soil’s removal of excess salts and irons. Although beneficial for your plants, this may leave stains on your outdoor sanctuary. For this reason, we also advise using hanging basket drip pans for outdoor hanging plants. In order to prevent deck stains from plants, they also function to collect surplus water, salt, and iron.
However, plant saucers are still necessary for protection even if your patio is made of concrete. Concrete is robust and resilient to many different forces. Salts and irons flushed from soils during irrigation, however, can still cause stains. Additionally, letting water linger on your concrete patio for an extended period of time can encourage the formation of mold and mildew, which no one likes to deal with. Instead, using our plant saucers, which have ample drainage and circulation, not only helps maintain the health of your plants, but also helps safeguard patios and decks.
Why do plants in homes leak water?
It is most likely just transpiration as water travels through the plant and evaporates from its leaves, stem, and flowers when houseplant leaves produce water droplets on their tips. Water falling from leaves and human perspiration are both natural occurrences.
On leaves, water droplets gather when it’s humid or dewy outside. Especially if windows are open, this typically happens in the summer. Plant leaves absorb, to a certain extent, both the daytime humidity and the morning dew-induced moisture in the air. This is typically a good thing. A plant, on the other hand, must release the extra moisture when it is already saturated, and it achieves this by transpiring via its leaves.
Just a few drops of water on the tips will be discharged; there won’t be a flood. This will either fall off or evaporate, and you won’t witness it occur once more until the circumstances are favorable once more.
Your plants are not harmed by this transpiration, but your flooring or furnishings could be damaged. Cutting back on plant watering is a simple approach to halt the dripping leaves.
Because they have absorbed all of the moisture they can hold, the leaves are pouring as a result. Most plants won’t require as much water during humid periods as they normally would. Use your plants as a guide and change how much water you are giving them accordingly. Reduce the frequency of watering from once a week to about once every two weeks. Keep an eye on the plants to check if they are still dripping or if you have gone too far in the other direction and they are already wilting in between waterings. Over the course of the year, different amounts of water will be required.