So due to current circumstances I can’t repot my plants into pots with drainage holes or drill holes in their existing pots. Meanwhile how can I avoid giving them root rot? I’ve been trying to wait longer until watering them, pouring excess water out of their pots, but I don’t know if it’s been effective.
it all depends on the plant, for some, this is an impossibility
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in the meantime, aerate by creating air pockets with a skewer/straw. make sure those roots can breathe. good luck!
1 like Alright thanks 🫠
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I would also suggest getting a moisture meter to ensure the dirt is completely dry before watering.
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i really wouldn’t recommend a moisture meter, even the nicest ones are junky and unreliable. they don’t measure the moisture level of soil but rather it’s conductivity, and there are so many more factors that affect soil’s conductivity besides the amount of water in it, like metal content of the media, air pockets, etc. a bamboo skewer or your fingers are much more accurate
1 like I recommend a moisture meter because I've had a positive first-hand experience with one. For $12, it provides a little more information than, and the same visual as, a bamboo stick, and it's been helpful in my plant care.
0 likes This one specifically.
as long as you’re aware it does not always provide an accurate reading i don’t see an issue. though $12 seems like a lot of money for a mostly functionless tchotchke to me. you might have positive experience with them, but i caution people against these because i know several beginner houseplant enthusiasts who’ve killed plants relying on moisture meters. in one instance even the exact meter you have pictured
0 likes Agree to disagree. I hope you and your beginner houseplant enthusiasts have a bountiful harvest of wonderful houseplants.
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Some plants can’t survive wet feet, excess water pooling on the bottom of the pot. Plus, it’s difficult to estimate the precise amount of water to give the plant so no excess is on the bottom. It’s difficult to manage. Unfortunately, I can’t think of an easy solution. The only thing that comes to mind is some of my plants came in the mail without planter pots. They had plastic sleeves with drain holes. These were small plants. So, I kept them in plastic disposable cups with the sleeves until I got plastic planters. The sleeves made it easier to drain the cup of excess water without losing soil or disturbing the root ball too much. Good luck🍀🪴
3 likes I’ve used soft plastic liner pots to watch root growth. These fold flat and typically can’t hold a plant upright. It was meant to be temporary. I take it out to water and return when it’s drained well.
Only plant I have in a non hole or without drainage is my corn plant. It has been doing fine. The plant before that I had my philodendron marble queen in it. You just have to watch the watering. Because the water has no where to go. I give em light watering and then go from there. If top soil is still moist I don’t water.
1 likeDon’t water them as much
0 likes this might not be what you want to hear, but be prepared to kill a few plants. lack of drainage is a slow death sentence for pretty much every plant species
0 likes Alright…Hopefully I’ll be able to repot them soon. In the meantime I’m going to be sticking a skewer down into the soil and only watering when it isn’t wet, and dumping the excess water out of my plants pot after 15 mins :(
0 likes good luck! use the skewer to check the moisture level of the soil but also to aerate after you water, you can gently lift the soil to create air pockets which will help prevent rot. also, if you have them planted in an airy chunky mix they’re much more likely to survive the lack of drainage than in a dense soil.
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