Hello Sara and welcome..
Yes, planting plants in drain-less pots is a NO-NO, but it depends on YOU. By you I'm speaking of everyone, not you personally..(S)
If one is an obsessive waterer, then I'd say, nope, don't do it..
I have more or less 400 plants, many of which are in ceramic pots w/o drainage, this includes Cactus and Succulents. Some have shards of broken clay, or pebbles on the bottom of the pot, and some just planted w/o anything.
I don't blame you for not wanting to drill holes in antiques. Uh uh.
You have different options. 1.plant directly in the pot. 2. keep plant in its plastic pot, set sheets of styrofoam or pebbles on the bottom then set growing pot on top. 3 is the drilling but I wouldn't do it in case it cracked your pot.
If you keep an eye on the plant, make sure not to overwater, let soil dry completely before watering again, your plant should do fine. Toni

Toni, thank you for your feed back. I am really quite good about not watering if it isn't needed. I live in Montana and we are very dry, arid here. There really is not a lot of humididty in our mountain air, so I really do not have a problem with plants not drying throughly, and I just wait until they are dry to water. Sometimes I do leave the plants in their plastic pots just like you said, (like with large crocks) but other times I don't feel like going out and fitting the right size smaller pot.....I think that I was thinking about no air getting to the roots more than rot from over watering. What do you think of that? Do you have an opinion about roots needing air eventually?
Thanks for your response.
Sara

Hi Sara..yes, I believe roots need to breath, so if and when you put a plant in a planter w/o drainage, make sure the plastic pot has at least an inch of open space on either side..in other words, the pot should fit tight.
As for planting directly in a pot, well, this may not work for everyone, but so far these plants are doing fine. And they've been in these pots for yrs. When soil goes down, I add more..
W/my succulents, I let soil get really dry, sometime so much so it cracks..lol..
If I could take pics of some of these planters I'd show u what I mean, but you can check out my site and click on succulents..There's plenty of pics w/planters w/o drainage..Toni

I've got a plant in a pot w/out a hole and it's doing fine. I'm just VERY careful about watering.

I have an assortment of plants in pots without drainage holes. I add a layer of pebbles to the bottom of the pot and water carefully. The pebble layer gives any extra water a place to go so the plant doesn't drown. As long as the soil isn't totally saturated there should be enough air in there for the roots to breathe.

There are also plants that don't need drainage holes. Pitcher Plants and Papyrus are two that come to mind. Since you can water these plants until there is water on the surface, it is impossible to overwater. The Papyrus grows fine in standing water. The plants for you, Toni?

Pete, do you mean the Papyrus? Oh don't get me started..LOL. I had one yrs ago..in summer I left it outside in a fish aquarium..it did great..but it was hard growing in winter. It grew in a 5 gallon aquarium, and would go dormant in winter, which I don't think is supposed to happen..I like the really think, fuzzy-looking Papyrus..Only had one Pitcher plant and that died after 2 yrs. Same w/a venus fly trap. Pete, do you grow any of the three? If so, how do you care for them? Toni

Toni, your plants are beautiful. I do see that there are those with out drainage. I didn't think about the plants getting oxygen through the soil, but that certainly makes sense. My plants have been in ceramic pots for many years also, but sometimes the doubts creep in, even though I can see that things are fine. I also think that some of the older pots are not glazed the same as new ceramics and have a bit of the same effect as clay pots and absorb some of the excess moisture in the soil - therefore no rotting.
Thank you all for your input. Very reassuring.
Sara

Sara, congrats on de-lurking and welcome to the house plants forum! I have done my fair share of drilling holes in crocks. I have never had one crack or break, but I can fully understand not wanting to do this to antiques or really nice pottery. At this time I have a plant in an antique iron kettle. Needless to say I havent drilled holes in it.lol To be sure I don't damage the kettle I put the plant in a plastic pot and remove it when it is watering time. My only concern with putting plants in pots without dranige holes is that you can't flush the soil or soak the plant when you accidentaly severly under water it. Otherwise if your plants are doing fine without drainage then keep doing what you have been doing. The plant police are not going to raid your house for not having drainage holes:)
Feel free to check out my photo album...you may even find some plants in there without drain holes:)

Foxy.

Sara, as has been said...you can indeed grow plants successfully in drainless pots....but...for novice gardeners, it is definitely not the most reliable way to grow houseplants.
You must know your plants, their requirements in watering and the soil the plant is in.

It is necessary to realize just where the roots are...about two thirds the way down....and if one were to just see to the surface being dry, that does not speak well of whether the roots need water.

The roots must have a way of deflecting the water build-up...so something must be put under the roots...under the soil...so that water given can drain away and not sit in contact with the roots.
That said, you can get away with the roots sitting in water for only so much time....sooner or later, it'll catch up to your plant....and then ...goodbye plant.

There are steps to avoid the rotting of roots. Spreading charcoal directly over the drainage layer is one way.
Charcoal keeps the soil "sweet" by absorbing any noxiious by-products created in decaying matter in the soil or potting mix. Rotting material is an invite for fungus gnats.

As far as putting a hole into a ceramic pot...that's easy...and does not require a special drill bit....any sharp, small sized drill bit can do the job...if you use care. The small size bit is followed by a slight larger size.....and if necessary...still a larger one.
I've done two or three this past spring...very successfully.

But, where you have a very decorative pot, you certainly don't want to spoil it by making holes.....so you should then think "sleeve"....put the plant into a pot, that you put it into the decorative one. Still though, the sleeve must have room for the plant to sit above so that it can receive the draining water...and not be in contact with the roots above. The excess water is then dumped from out of it.

There are on the market some very good looking metal pots.....brass, copper, silver or silverplate, pewter, polished steel, iron or aluminum.
There is certain limitations to using these pots. Best used as sleeves...since many of the metals, once given water, will tarnish...or worse...corrode and give to the plant such by-products that come about from such corrosive action. Often they will need cleaning or polishing.

I have several plants in ceramic planters and wall pockets w/o holes, including hoyas, african violets, heart-leaf philodendren and a variegated ivy. I water sparingly but often as I'm in an apartment that's always too warm and the plants dry out quickly. All seem happy, but if any were to start looking bad, I would probably repot them. I too have always felt guilty about this practice. It feels good to let it out:)

I had this idea but have never carried it out: When potting up in a container without drainage, put in a plastic straw or two on one side, trimmed to just above the surface.

Then, when you water, you can pour off the excess water, and, hopefully, prevent or slowdown a buildup of salts. In any case, one should consider potting in such a container to be a temporary situation. Repot these plants more often than houseplants in proper containers. How often?, you are thinking.... I don't know--it depends on your water quality and the plant.

I grow plants in terrariums without drainage. In these wide containers I water and then remove the excess by making hole down to the bottom with my finger and then draining all the standing water with a turkey baster. That leaves the media fully saturated but still well aereated. I usually use long fiber moss in terrariums, but a soiless mix without compost works well too, as long as the ingredients are fairly chunky.

Jon

I have a few plants in pots like this. One thing I try to do is stick my finger WAY into the soil when watering to make sure it needs it. I know I can't reach all the way down, but it gives me some idea.
Another thing is to make sure to repot often. I do this about once a year. I don't mean putting a plant into a larger container, I mean removing most of the soil from the roots and putting it back into the same pot with fresh potting soil. Good soil will be lighter, less compact and able to bring air to the roots as well as keep moisture pretty evenly distributed throughout.

Green971...all of these plants are living happily in planters without drainholes. They range in age up to over 8 years. They are not typical "houseplants." They stay indoors 24/7, 365 days a year.

Greenscaper

I spoke with Armstrong nursery, and they suggested I use charcoal, organic, like you use in a green egg, this will keep your plant getting air and from smelling bad if it does gets to much water.

Hi & welcome, Jennie!

Why would one want to use heirloom pieces to contain a plant? The mineral deposits are likely to ruin them, whether the plant does well or not.

It's not surprising, but still disappointing, that the nursery suggested a product on which they can profit, rather than giving better advice about keeping plants healthy. If your plants never die, they can't sell another one to you.

my mother grew loads of plants like this. she just watered in the usual way, and every month put a stick in it to make holes, than turned the pot on it's side to drain out. she grew plants for years like this. so long as the root balls get a trim regular then all fine

Hi Sara, I too use vintage planters. Mine were all designed to be planters but have no holes (go figure). Although I've done with without holes in the past, I'm not having a lot of luck with this size of container. Because they are a collection I love, I'm planning on giving it my all to find solutions before giving up. I wondered, is your soil loamy? I'm thinking I would do better with soil from my garden as in the past. The "houseplant" soil I purchased retains too much water. Also, do you imagine the straw idea could be modified to a wick of some sort.....something to draw water to the top. I can never invert without a mess........lol. I remember as a kid putting strips of kleenex with a rather large black dot of marker in a glass of water. The water would move up the kleenex until it reached the black dot (out of the water) pass this marker and continue on. The many colours that are stored in the black ink would leach out and travel to the very top extending over the edge of the glass in their effort to escape (water can be crazy like that). Thank you for posting. I had no luck finding a kindred spirit with this problem on Reddit.

"Mine were all designed to be planters but have no holes (go figure)"

If they were intended to be planters, they would definitely have drainage holes. That's is pretty much a required fact of life for any containerized plant - the ability for fast drainage and proper aeration. Decorative or antique pots without drainage holes are cache pots or decorative receptacles for a less attractive but more functional, properly draining container. They were not intended to be planted into directly.

While it is entirely possible to keep a plant alive in a container without proper drainage, it can be difficult and is certainly NOT to the plant's advantage and you will not get the best performance from any plant that is so restricted.

One of the primary basic tenets of container gardening - and house plants of any kind fit under that classification - is for fast drainage and proper aeration. That's why so much focus is given to a fast draining, textural medium. With out a proper growing medium AND proper drainage holes, you run a serious risk of developing a perched water table and resulting root damage/rot arising from excess moisture being retained by the medium (no drainage = nowhere to go) and lack of oxygen. And adding a layer of rocks, gravel, charcoal or whatever at the base of the container doesn't help at all - in fact, it just raises the perched water table and aggravates the situation. The Myth of Drainage Material for Container Plantings.

Bottom line: If you value your houseplants and want to keep them healthy and happy, do NOT plant directly into decorative pots without proper drainage holes.

FWIW, I have a collection of blue and white Chinese porcelain, some antique and very valuable and many inexpensive modern reproductions, that all my houseplants reside in. None of the antiques have drainage holes and most of the modern repros do not as well. All of my houseplants are planted into nondescript but very functional, properly draining containers that are then slipped into decorative pots for display. This protects any wooden surfaces from moisture or water oozing from the base yet allows the plants to be removed easily to drain the excess water from the cache pot. Or taken to the kitchen sink to be watered thoroughly and directly.

I don't have drain holes in any of my plants. Most of them are hanging plants, and I don't want them to drain on my head. I have had spider plants, boston ferns, jade plants, and some other tree-like ones i don't know the exact names of all do fine. i have killed a couple baby cactuses and aloe veras. I just bought a bunch of fancy vintage crocks that I really want to put all my plants in, but I am kind of hoping to find something to use as plastic liners with no holes so i don't ruin the crocks. i have no idea where i will find such a thing though...

I haven't used this for indoor plants but this would work indoors. For outdoors I bought some varied size ceramic pots knowing that none had drainage holes. I took old plastic pots that fitted inside and planted in them. Then I took small rocks and put them in the bottom of each pot without holes. Adding a little charcoal is a good thing too. Next I used whatever pots I could find to put upside down in the bottom of each ceramic pot for use as stands for the planted pots. The main thing is to have something your planted pot can sit on, raised up in the fancy pot. After a heavy rain I have to make sure the water doesn't collect in the bottom. The planted pot will not get soggy but sitting water will become a breeding area for mosquitoes in a short time. It's better if the planted pot is not a snug fit against the lip of the container pot because you have to have room to pull it out. Also, I've found it creates a hiding place and environment for a type of frog we have that can cling to the inside with suction feet.

Question, why not just drill holes in them or buy pots with a drain hole? Especially since they're outdoors.

My neighbor gave me an amaryllis in a pot with no drainage hole, and it has bloomed for 3 years in a row. I don't get it. I just water when it gets dry, but I don't let it out in rain to get soaked. I keep it under a covered porch or carport in summer. And bring it in for winter.

I had several plants survive for about a year after my mom died, sent in a nice hole-less pot but I repotted them after a couple years---pothos, coffee, dracaena, prayer plant. I wish I could use all those pots without getting out a drill, but they are too shallow.

But I do tend to root plants in water and they seem happy for a year or so at least. So maybe those--anything but succulents--won't mind these kinds of pots? I have all kinds of plants rooting and growing in water.

I have many times.

I have a couple with no drainage, actually they have the little riser thing in the bottom but no drainage to the outside. They don't do near as well as plants that have drainage and well draining soils/substrate.

They live on though! Tough plants too, a zz plant and the other 2 are pothos. They would be gorgeous if I cared for them properly.

I'll never willingly plant anything in a drain-less pot again lol.

I have some beautiful, modern stainless steel cube planter boxes, with no holes. Rather than plant them, it was always my intention to set an already potted plant, or small tree in each one with gravel in the bottom and good drainage. But it snows here in the winter and rains a lot in spring and I end up getting several inches of water which grows mosquitoes and attracts wasps. They are SO heavy I can no longer empty them out, much less lift out a heavy potted plant. So what I'd like is some kind of product you could put in the cube to seal it up around the inside of the pot plant. Maybe no such thing exists and I should just give up and use the planters inside. Drilling holes is out of the question. Anybody?

Stainless steel is eminently drillable, Ruth - it's not easy-peasy, but it's easy if the right equipment (a good drill and a hardened bit), very much available, is used. You can do this!

I have many thriving plants in pots without drainage holes. I will put an inch or two of pebbles in the bottom. i repot with fresh soil every 12 months or so. not all plants will drown, some plants like to be rootbound…some like crappy dry soil…..some croak when you do everything ”right”….you get to know them after years and years of experimenting.

^^^ Not advice I'd recommend following :-( One may be able to get plants to survive under these conditions if quite experienced, but for the average houseplant grower, it is a recipe for disaster and contravenes all suggestions for successful container growing.

Just double pot them, the one WITH drainage holes placed within one without. Done!

I have several plants in pots w/o holes. Some of them have been going for about 5 yrs, and a few are group pots that were just assembled recently to bring more plants inside for a few months. My first houseplant in my bedroom didn't have drain holes and I still have one of the plants that was in there (plain green Chinese evergreen, Aglaonema modestum) but the pot got broken decades ago.