Depending on the size of your plant and its pots, add a good layer of draining rocks to the bottom of the pot without drainage holes. Add enough rocks so that your plant's original pot can stick out of the decorative pot.
Layer rocks at the Bottom of Your Pot
Placing rocks or gravel at the bottom of your pot is a common practice to create some separation between your plant's soil and any excess water.
Some outlets (especially grocery stores) won't allow plants in pots with drainage holes into their stores because they don't want a mess in the store as their staff maintains the plants.
A hole at the bottom of the container is critical.
It allows water in the soil to drain freely so adequate air is available for the roots. While various kinds of plants have differing drainage needs, few can tolerate sitting in stagnate water. Healthy roots mean healthier plants.
Whether your potted plants are indoors or outdoors, proper drainage is an essential element to ensure they stay healthy. This process keeps water from pooling at the base of the pot, which can cause bacteria, fungus and root rot.
And really, adding drainage holes is ridiculously easy with the right tools! If you're working on an unglazed pot, soak overnight to prep. This will help the drill move more smoothly through it. Scratch a small 'starter' mark where you want the drainage hole with your nail to help the drill bit to stay in place.
When you use the plastic pot with holes in the bottom, the pot without drainage holes it's standing in catches any of the excess moisture. The outer pot will catch the moisture, but also keep it away from the soil in the inner pot.
If the pot has no drainage holes, then I do a layer of pebbles, lava rock, or clay pebbles with a layer of charcoal over that. Do succulents need deep or shallow pots? In general, succulent roots grow more horizontally than they do vertically.
Despite the pervasive advice to use gravel, pebbles, pottery shards, and rocks in plant containers to prevent soggy soil, studies have actually proven that this practice doesn't improve drainage1 at all.
Coffee filters hold moisture: Since coffee filters are absorbent, they will retain some moisture from each watering. While it's not enough moisture to cause root rot, it may give you a bit of extra time between waterings or tide you over in case you (gasp) miss a watering session.
Save your soil and fill the base with Styrofoam first. The foam will reduce the overall weight of your planter, enabling you to move it around for best sun exposure. It also acts as good drainage for water.
How to Use Pots with No Drainage Holes. Some experts suggest using a layer of pebbles as a sort of drainage layer in those pots without drainage holes.
4) Plastic bottles at the bottom of the planter promote air circulation and will help to keep the roots of your plant cool. 5) This is a great way to reuse the bottles which may otherwise end up in the trash.
But if you're careful and don't get into a situation where you're not adding too much water at any one time, then the holes aren't necessary. The best way to water a plant in a pot without drainage is to water it just enough to get the soil moist. The amount of water poured into the soil can't be excessive.
Start by adding coarse rocks to the bottom of the container. This will hide the bottom layer of soil but also prevents any excess water from sitting around the roots. Place a layer of soil in the center of the rocks, topping with your chosen succulent.
Watering when the soil is dry (rather than on a set schedule) is especially important for non-draining pots because the water doesn't dry out as quickly as it does in a pot with a drainage hole. This means your succulent has access to water longer and will likely survive with more time between watering.
The solution: Keep your houseplants in their plastic nursery pots for at least the first year. You can still use your pretty pot, Lawrence and Gutierrez say. Just slip the new plant, plastic pot and all, into the decorative pot and cover the top with Spanish moss or rocks to cover any gaps.