Drainage holes, saucers and what actually happens without them

A drainage hole is not a detail. It decides whether the water you pour in can leave.

What happens without one

Water collects at the bottom of the pot in a layer you cannot see. Roots sitting in it stop taking up oxygen and begin to rot, usually from the base up. By the time the leaves yellow, the damage is several weeks old.

Two ways to use a pot with no hole

• Use it as a cover pot. Keep the plant in a plastic nursery pot that does have holes, and drop that inside. Lift it out to water, let it drain, put it back.
• Drill it. A ceramic bit and slow speed will make a hole in most glazed pots. Go slowly, keep the bit wet, and accept that some pots crack.

What the saucer is for

The saucer catches what drains through, so the shelf survives. It is not a reservoir — tip it out after ten minutes or so. A pot standing permanently in its own runoff has the same problem as a pot with no hole.

What our listings tell you

Every listing on this site states whether the pot has a drainage hole, and whether a saucer, mesh pad or rubber stopper is included. Where a pot is sold as a cover pot, we say so rather than calling it a planter.