Container gardening (growing plants in pots) is an attractive alternative to traditional gardening that is rapidly gaining popularity. A common mistake often made in container gardening is trying to grow container plants without drainage holes.
Can plants be grown in pots without holes? It is possible, but it results in too much water in the soil, creating unfavorable growing conditions. You need to provide enough moisture to the plants without watering down the root system. Using pots without holes will retain excess water and prevent it from running off the ground, which is detrimental to the plant.
Not letting excess water run off the ground is equally important if you don’t make a lake and then put the plants under water. Read on to find out why.
Why is too much water dangerous?
Water. It actually seems so simple. Also, plants need it to grow, right? So how much water can be dangerous for plants?
It’s true, plants need water for basic biological processes that take place at the cellular level. These processes cause plants to grow, the desired outcome of gardening. In this case, however, too much water is not good.
To better understand why good drainage is so important when working in pots, it helps to first explain soil structure and pore space. Knowing these concepts helps to better understand the dangers of too much water in the soil.
Understanding soil structure and pore space
Soil structure is the way solid particles, such as sand, silt, and clay, are spatially organized in natural soils; In potting soil, structure is the spatial arrangement created between the ingredients that are combined in the mixture. In both situations, structure is the way solid particles clump together, stick together, and aggregate, causing the movement of air and water through the soil.
When soil particles are arranged together, voids are created between them in proportion to the size of the particles and their alignment. Porous space is the amount of voids, or empty space between soil particles, that are produced due to the structure of the soil. This empty space fills with air and water, as well as plant roots and beneficial microorganisms in the soil.
Too much water in the soil pushes air out of porous spaces, saturating the soil and saturating plant roots. When the pores are completely filled with water instead of oxygen, problematic conditions arise.
Problems with waterlogged soils
Filling the available pore space completely with water creates conditions in the root zone where oxygen is not available to the roots. This is unhealthy for plants and severely retards growth or even kills plants altogether.
Soggy soil chokes the roots.
Plants need oxygen for many different cellular functions and processes. For the processes taking place in the roots, they obtain the necessary oxygen from the air in the pore space of the soil; the oxygen needed by the leaves is distributed through small air holes in the leaf tissue called stomata.
A disadvantage for plants is that, unlike the human body, oxygen does not flow through plant tissues. The oxygen needed by the roots must come directly from the soil. in the cells. It cannot be removed from the sheets.
When soils are saturated with water, the lack of free oxygen in the pores creates what is called an anaerobic environment. Roots that do not have access to oxygen cannot complete the processes necessary for growth.; respiration is the most important and nutrient absorption follows closely.
essentially if there is too much water in the soil, the roots of the plant will drown and/or being hungry, an easy situation to create in pots without holes.
Soggy soil causes root rot
Root rot occurs when roots die due to lack of oxygen or excessive fungal growth in the soil. Waterlogged soils promote the growth and multiplication of Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia or Fusarium fungi which spread to the rootsinfect plants. Healthy roots begin to turn brown and mushy as they decay, unable to absorb the nutrients needed for growth.
The challenge with root rot is that it often goes unnoticed. because it occurs below the surface of the ground and out of sight. Once symptoms appear on the foliage, visible as wilted or yellowed leaves, the problem may have passed the healing point and put the entire plant at risk.
In extreme cases, when the conditions are perfect, i.e. in pots without drainage holes, root rot can kill the whole plant in about ten days.
Pots without holes cause salt to build up in the soil.
Synthetic fertilizers are composed of mineral salts; some tap water also contains soluble salts such as calcium, magnesium and sodium. Over time, as water evaporates from the soil or is absorbed by plants, irrigation and fertilization salts remain in the soil and gradually increase. in quantities
When these salts build up over time, problems arise in two different ways.
At high concentrations, some salts such as sodium and chloride are toxic to plants. Sodium is easily taken up by the plant and once inside the cells it shuts down metabolic functions and growth. Once inside the plant, the chloride is transported to the leaf tissues where it causes leaf edge burns. When sodium or chloride concentrations are high enough, the plant begins to die.
High soil salinity also prevents water and nutrients from reaching the roots or even drawing water from the plant through a process called osmosis.
Salt is hydrophilic, attracting water and holding it tightly, making it difficult for plants to “pull” water out of the soil and into the roots. When the concentration of salts in the soil is higher than in the roots, since the cell walls are semi-permeable, osmosis moves water from inside the plant to the soil in an attempt to balance the concentrations.
Under conditions where water is allowed to flow through the soil, these excess salts leak out of the container. Or you can “flush” the floor with clean water to flush them out. The pots without holes in the bottom ensure that the salts cannot come out of the ground.
How to avoid excess water
In any type of gardening, regardless of the methods used, overwatering is one of the most common problems that affect planning.
Learning how to water properly depends on many factors, including the individual plant and the surrounding environmental conditions. Following the tips below can help prevent overwatering and keep plants healthy.
Water When the ground is dry
It seems strange to mention something so simple, but it’s the best advice available.
Many people water plants without checking soil moisture levels; they water them on a schedule (or when they remember) instead of watering them when they really need moisture. This not only wastes water, but also endangers the plants.
Before watering the plants, poke your finger into the soil to see how much soil is still moist. Let the top 1 to 2 inches of soil dry out completely before watering the plant again.
Provide adequate lighting and ventilation conditions for the plant TYes
Optimal light conditions stimulate photosynthesis and encourage plants to draw water from the soil to fuel the process. Sufficient air movement, combined with good lighting, draws moisture from the leaves through evaporation and from the soil through evaporation. This natural water loss cycle reduces the risk of the soil becoming waterlogged.
Schicken Create a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot
For a long time this has been a highly recommended practice, taught to new gardeners. However, this practice has proven to be more harmful than helpful.
As the water moves down the soil profile by gravity, it stops when it encounters this drainage layer created by rocks or small stones. Before water seeps into the layer, the entire potting mix must be filled with water, making the layer more difficult than helpful.
Make a planter if you want to grow potted plants without holes
Sometimes, for some reason, it is necessary to grow plants in pots without holes. In this case, place the plant in a well-drained container that is slightly smaller in diameter than the airtight container. Then place the smaller container inside the larger one and place it on something that creates a small space between the two bottoms, allowing the smaller container to drain into the larger one.
Can we add drainage holes to pots that don’t have them?
- Depending on the type of pot, drainage holes can be drilled in the bottom of the pots with a cordless drill. Plastic and metal containers are best suited for adding drainage holes; terra cotta or clay pots can crack unless a special masonry bit is used.
If the plants are getting too much water, is it possible to solve the problem?
- The best way to correct excess water is to transplant the plant into a different pot if possible. When transplanting, carefully remove some of the soggy soil from the root ball and fill it with fresh new soil.