The sword of Damocles of waterlogging hovers over every balcony box planting. If rain or irrigation water cannot drain freely, the plants are doomed. By making holes in the ground you avoid this risk. These instructions explain how to do it in plastic and terracotta - without any cracks or breaks.
How to drill holes in plastic and terracotta flower boxes?
To make holes in plastic planter boxes, use a serrated knife to carefully cut off the bottom. For terracotta boxes, place the box on soft materials such as Styrofoam, use an 8 mm hammer drill for the first holes and then drill with a 10 mm hammer drill.
Make holes in a plastic box – this is how it works
Plastic flower boxes are inexpensive and can be used over and over again. The manufacturers have already punched several openings in the bottom of the box for water drainage. It would now be easy to pierce these predetermined breaking points with a screwdriver. However, it usually doesn't stop with the holes. Rather, long cracks form and make the entire balcony box unusable. How to do it better:
- Pick up a serrated knife
- Place in the upper area of the opened floor opening
- Cut a thin slice of the plastic
This procedure is particularly recommended if you have purchased a cheap balcony box made of thin plastic. In flower boxes made of high-quality, sturdy plastic, there is nothing wrong with making the holes with a screwdriver. Place the flower box on the lawn and pierce the pre-punched openings from the inside to the outside.
Drilling holes in a terracotta box – How to do it right
Drilling openings in the bottom of a terracotta flower box presents a special challenge for the gardener. Improper drilling will cause the expensive balcony box to burst into thousands of pieces. It is important to cushion the destructive vibrations and redirect the resulting tension. Here's how to make holes without breaking:
- Place the terracotta flower box with the base on thick Styrofoam plates
- Drill two to three holes with an 8 mm impact drill (€51.00 on Amazon)
- Re-drilling with a 10 mm impact drill
It is important to note that you should never drill into a cavity on flower boxes made of terracotta, ceramic or earthenware. As long as a soft base made of Styrofoam, old newspapers or similar cushioning material absorbs the shocks, your precious balcony box will remain intact.
Tip
By making holes in the balcony box, you have only completed part of the prevention of waterlogging. Before you fill the flower box with substrate, create drainage over the floor openings. To do this, spread a 3 to 5 cm high layer of pottery shards, clay granules or grit.
