Tips to improve the drainage of the pots

Bonsai

Drainage for plants is essential; however, irrigation is one of the most complicated tasks, so flooding is not uncommon. But this has easy fix How am I going to tell you now?

You only need a few materials so that the roots can do their job wonderfully well. Write down these tips to improve the drainage of your pots.

Ceramic flowerpot

Ceramic pots, as well as porcelain ones, are a real wonder. In them, any plant looks good, and not only that, but it also decorates the room. But they have a problem: either they have only one hole for the water to come out, or they have none. If you want to plant aquatic plants this is appreciated, but if you choose to grow other types of plant life in them … drainage needs to be improved.

Pots without holes for drainage

This type of pots are ideal for those plants that need to have a permanently flooded substrate. In the event that you want to put other plants, the ideal would be to make a hole in them, but of course, since they are made with a fragile material, not a highly recommended option. So, what to do?

Put a thick layer – about 5 or 10 cm – of any of these substrates: perlite, volcanic clay, river sand. Later, you just have to fill the pot with a porous substratecomposed for example with 60% perlite and 40% peat.

Pots with only one hole (or with too many and large)

These are the most common. Whether made of plastic or ceramic, a pot that has only one hole or that has several large ones… it doesn’t help much to allow the water to drain well. In these cases I recommend you put a piece of plastic mesh or wire mesh (with very small holes) inside the pot. This way, the substrate will last longer and you won’t have to transplant as often.

To further improve drainage, it is also advisable to use a porous substrate, but adding more peat. A good mix would be 70% black peat, 20% perlite, and 10% worm castings.

Cup

With these tips, your plants will grow wonderfully . Do you know other methods to improve drainage?

Tips to improve the drainage of the pots

Leave a Reply

Scroll to top

Discover more from DIY Gardens

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading