Can you use a pot without drainage holes?
A pot without drainage holes works as an outer pot, with a plastic pot that has holes sitting inside it: plant straight into it and the extra water sits at the bottom, where the roots run out of air. A layer of gravel at the bottom doesn’t fix it.
Updated 12 October 2026. How we write these pages
What works in a pot without drainage holes
Planting straight into the pot
No
Water that runs to the bottom has nowhere to go. It collects until there’s no air left in the soil, and the roots drown.
A layer of gravel at the bottom
No
Gravel doesn’t make the pot drain. The water stops in the soil just above it and stays there.
As an outer pot, with a pot with holes inside
Yes
The plant stays in its plastic pot with holes, standing inside. After watering, you tip out the water that has collected at the bottom.
Why water stays at the bottom of a pot without holes
When you water, the soil holds on to some of the water and the rest runs down. In a pot with holes, that water drains out. In a pot without them it stays at the bottom and fills the gaps between the grains of soil, the same gaps the roots get their air from.
People put gravel in the bottom to help the water drain, but water doesn’t move into the gravel until the soil above it is soaked. It stops just above the layer, until there’s no air left.
What to do with a pot without drainage holes
To keep it as it is
Use it as an outer pot.
Stand a slightly smaller plastic pot with holes inside it. If the outer pot is deep, a little gravel in its bottom keeps the inner pot above the water that drains out.
To plant straight into it
Make a hole in the bottom.
Use a drill with a bit suited to the material, and go slowly. Put a saucer underneath and empty it after each watering.
Questions about pots without drainage holes
Is a terracotta pot without a drainage hole all right for plants?
The same applies. Unglazed terracotta dries out faster than plastic, but without a hole the extra water still sits at the bottom. Use it as an outer pot, or make a hole in it.
Can you drill a drainage hole in a pot that doesn’t have one?
Yes, with a drill and a bit suited to the material. Go slowly, so the pot doesn’t crack.
How do you water a plant in an outer pot without holes?
Lift out the inner pot, water it in the sink until water runs out of the holes, and let it drip before you put it back. If it’s too heavy to lift, water it where it is, then tip out the water that has collected in the bottom of the outer pot.
Read next
Every plant has its own rhythm. LINFA keeps track for you.
It asks whether the pot has holes in the bottom, and takes that into account when it tells you to check the plant.
Coming soon to Android
