Drainage holes for planters

chicobonito

Hi everybody
I have beautiful black metal planters 80 x 25 x 25 they sit on a metal frame 59 cm high. I want them on my balcony, there is balcony over mine. My question is do I need to have drainage holes, I’m planing to put gravelite ( the brown clay balls) probably 10-12 cm then some interlining to stop soil going between the gravelite and then soil and plants. I read many articles with different opinions about drainage holes. Because planters are tall and I don’t have anything under to catch the water I don’t want the dirty water deep on the balcony, and besides if I drill holes metal will start rusting please help you can see the planters how they looks like.
All help welcome
Thx

listermint

If you dont have holes the planters could in theory fill up with water from rain quite easily drowning the contents.

I would purchase some undertrays for the entire thing to sit on, and drill 3 holes along the length of the underside of the planter to allow excess water to drain away onto the undertray. It can evaporate from there.

Any of our balcony plants with no drainage holes always drowned.

Harry Palmr

I'd sort of undermine the whole point of the planters by putting pots in with individual trays so you fill the trays watering from below. No need for drain holes.

GreeBo

Lidl have self watering planters at the moment for €5 that look, at first glance, that they would fit inside your current ones so they would take care of any drowning concerns.
You might need to prop them up a little to get the levels correct, but even that would help with the flooding.

listermint

Harry Palmr wrote: »

I'd sort of undermine the whole point of the planters by putting pots in with individual trays so you fill the trays watering from below. No need for drain holes.

Surely you would have to put some drainage half way up at least ?

GreeBo

One thing to watch for is that your plants arent getting scorched by being behind the glass walls....could get very sunny there depending onthe orientation.

Harry Palmr

listermint wrote: »

Surely you would have to put some drainage half way up at least ?

Pots in a deepish dish can be topped up every few days, I'd forget the whole notion of filling the planter with growing medium.

Actually a long narrow tray could be idea the right - something like this (out of stock but you get the idea) could be dropped in, pots put in it and water the tray.

https://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-Inch-TerraBox-Living-Green/dp/B07L76B9GG?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_2&th=1

_Brian

chicobonito wrote: »

Hi everybody
I have beautiful black metal planters 80 x 25 x 25 they sit on a metal frame 59 cm high. I want them on my balcony, there is balcony over mine. My question is do I need to have drainage holes, I’m planing to put gravelite ( the brown clay balls) probably 10-12 cm then some interlining to stop soil going between the gravelite and then soil and plants. I read many articles with different opinions about drainage holes. Because planters are tall and I don’t have anything under to catch the water I don’t want the dirty water deep on the balcony, and besides if I drill holes metal will start rusting please help you can see the planters how they looks like.
All help welcome
Thx

If they filed with water they could be a danger to the balcony.
Absolutely put drainage holes in them.