Drainage hole, anyone?

Let's be honest, nothing about a drainage hole sounds glamorous. But oh boy, it really helps keep any new plant parent on track.

A drainage hole is exactly as it sounds, it’s the hole at the bottom of the pot. Pots can come with just a hole and no saucer, a hole and a separate saucer or a hole with an attached saucer. Each of these have their benefits but we tend to think that a pot with a hole and attached saucer are the easiest starter pot. These help you manage the water levels by not storing it too long and they have fewer moving parts for quick watering sessions. Grabbing a pot from a shelf with an unattached saucer sounds simple, but it can be risky if you aren’t paying close attention to that unattached saucer when pulling it down.

The main appeal of a drainage hole is maintaining healthy roots. Over-watering is a very easy mistake to make, and we’ve all been there. Your plant’s soil looks a little dry so you give it a quick drink of water. Same thing happens in a few days. And before you know it, you have a droopy plant who is not looking happy about all that H2O love. You might also start noticing little gnats on the top layer of soil. These are Fungus Gnats, we’ll get to that another time, and they are a really good indicator that you might have soggy soil. The quickest solution is to avoid all of this by using a pot with a drainage hole.

Drainage holes help avoid root rot, and if you tend to water more frequently, they will really help ensure those roots stay healthy. When a good portion of the water runs through the pot before you return it to it’s home, it helps ensure that the plant will be completely dry for it’s next watering. The goal is to water your plants just when they become fully dry. This avoids sitting water at the base of the pot to help the plant remain healthy from the bottom up!

What type of pots do you prefer? Leave a comment below with your thoughts on drainage holes.