Asked by: Gopala Stempliewicz
home and garden landscaping

Do wine barrel planters need drainage holes?

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Wine barrel planters, also called half barrels or whiskey barrels, provide a rustic, durable container for your favorite plants. Often these barrels don't have drainage holes to allow excess water to drain freely from the soil. Poor drainage results in soggy soil, which can lead to root rot and other plant problems.


Also question is, how Big Should drainage holes be in planters?

In Purdue's bulletin on container gardening (http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-200.pdf ), they say: "To provide drainage, drill three or four small (1/4 inch) holes in the bottom of the container. Holes larger than 1/4 inch in diameter will allow too much soil to escape.

Also, do whiskey barrels make good planters? Using half of a whiskey barrel as a planter lets you set some plants apart while harkening back a frontier aesthetic. Step 1 Make sure that excess water can drain out of the barrel when you water your plants. If necessary, drill holes into the bottom of the barrel.

Similarly, what do you put in the bottom of an outdoor planter for drainage?

Poking sphagnum peat moss or cheesecloth loosely into the drainage holes of your planter won't plug them but will help keep soil particles from washing out. Commercially made discs of coconut fiber, polyester or plastic filled with hydroponic rock also are available to place over drainage holes.

Should you put rocks in the bottom of a planter?

Rocks aren't all bad. Rocks added to the bottom of large pots will reduce the volume of potting soil required to fill a container. So, while they won't increase drainage they will help to save a few bucks on soil.

Related Question Answers

Rayane Kettel

Professional

Should I drill holes in my planters?

Potted plants need holes in their containers to allow drainage, which supports plant growth. Without an escape route, excess water saturates the soil of plants, preventing their roots from receiving adequate air. With the correct drill bit for the container's material, you can create proper drainage holes easily.

Deepa Carapau

Professional

Do self watering planters cause root rot?

Self-watering pots are not suitable for all plants: Self-watering pots are not suitable for succulents, orchids, and other plants that need to have their potting soil dry out between waterings. The constant moisture will cause root rot in these types of plants.

Falilou Koseler

Explainer

What can I use to fill the bottom of a large planter?

Various household cans, bottles and bags also can be used to take up space in the bottom of a tall planter. Possibilities include crushed aluminum cans, plastic milk jugs, plastic water bottles, plastic soda pop bottles and crunched, empty potting soil and soil amendment bags.

Ikran Kajleber

Explainer

Can you use Styrofoam in planters?

Styrofoam is lightweight but does Styrofoam help with drainage? For decades, container gardeners have used Styrofoam for drainage. It is not recommended to use Styrofoam peanuts for potted plants now, because they may break down in water and soil, leaving you with sunken in containers.

Petronel Cords

Pundit

Why do some pots not have holes?

They need to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with the air, and excess water closes off the air pockets in soil. Plants in pots without drainage holes are prone to becoming overwatered. As plant roots take in water, they leave some of the salts behind, and salts concentrate in the soil over time.

Cristofher Chabarri

Pundit

How do you fill the bottom of a planter?

How to Fill a Tall Planter
  1. Check your planter for a drainage hole at the bottom.
  2. Fill the bottom half of the planter with space savers instead of potting soil.
  3. Separate the filler from the soil with a layer of newspaper, cheesecloth or landscaping fabric.
  4. Add potting soil to the planter, leaving a few inches at the top.
  5. Plant your plants.

Rauda Hebel

Pundit

What to fill fake plant pots with?

Potting. Fill your non-decorative planters pot 3/4 full with floral foam or plaster (found at most home improvement or craft stores). Use 20-minute plaster for trees that are taller, have larger trunks, or if you prefer a more stable base.

Wijdan Maksheev

Teacher

How do you make drainage for a planter?

Create a drainage layer
A drainage layer is created by adding a medium such as pebbles, stones or pumace to the bottom of a pot before adding soil. Soil particles are very small and tightly packed together, which means that water moves through them quite slowly.

Miracle Aguin

Teacher

How do I get good drainage in my pots?

How to Improve Drainage in Potted Plants
  1. If you're using the soil add plenty of compost. If you're experiencing excessive drainage, it means that you need frequent watering.
  2. Improve the texture of the soil.
  3. Choose the right container or planter.
  4. Instead of the soil, use potting mix.
  5. Drill Drainage Holes in your Container.

Abdenabi Freile

Teacher

How do you drain a planter without holes?

Some experts suggest using a layer of pebbles as a sort of drainage layer in those pots without drainage holes. This technique allows excess water to flow into the space with the pebbles, away from the the soil and therefore the roots of your plant.

Plamen Criville

Teacher

How do you cut a wine barrel in half for a planter?

How to Cut a Wine Barrel in Half
  1. Hold the wood blocks up to the end of the wine barrel.
  2. Cut the along the chalkline curve on the blocks with a sabre saw.
  3. Lift the wine barrel onto the blocks.
  4. Measure the length of the wine barrel from end to end.
  5. Spin the wine barrel and mark it repeatedly at the half-length measurement.

Guohua Leitis

Reviewer

How long do wine barrels last?

Oak Barrels Can Be Used for Upwards of 100 Years
It's perfectly okay if a winemaker is using oak barrels, after all, they last for up to 100 years.

Britni Monto

Reviewer

How many times can you reuse a wine barrel?

Generally speaking, after curing and filling the barrel three times, the impact of the oak will diminish over time. As a general rule, the barrels can be reused the following number of times for each specified spirit: Wine- 1 Time. Whiskey / Bourbon – 4 Times.

Jonai Lade

Reviewer

Are wine barrels good for plants?

Like other containers, wine barrels offer a place for plants when space is limited. They look great with a mixture of ornamental and/or edible plants, particularly those that can be trellised, like my sweet peas, and those that trail over the sides of the barrel, such as strawberries.

Alcora Schikotanz

Reviewer

How do you take care of a wine barrel?

Fill the barrel two-thirds with cool water, pour in the citric acid solution, top up with cool water, and let the barrel soak overnight. Then, empty the barrel and rinse it thoroughly. Drain the water completely and let the barrel dry.

Margarita Treine

Supporter

How much is a wine barrel?

Barrel Costs. An oak barrel can range in price from $900 all the way up to $2,000 depending on if it is made from American Oak or French Oak. An oak barrel will only continue to give your wine that oak flavor for, at most, 8 fills. Over the course of 30 years you can spend, at least, $4,500 replacing that barrel.

Dominico Jellinik

Beginner

How do you drill a hole in a wine barrel?

Drill the holes at the marked locations. Use a 1/2-inch regular drill bit, or a 1/2-inch spade bit, which is designed to make holes. Turn the barrel right side up, and set it on top of paving stones, bricks or a gravel bed. The bricks or gravel elevates the barrel slightly so moisture can drain freely from the holes.

Angel Tora

Beginner

How much soil do I need for a half barrel of whiskey?

A standard half barrel will hold around 4 cubic feet of soil, but we used roughly 3 for ours because the plants we put in it had rather large root balls. We used a moisture control potting soil which ran us about $14 at Home Depot. Be sure to soak the roots of the plants before you place them in the barrel.

Esaul Ouadah

Beginner

How do you make a planter out of a whiskey barrel?

  1. Drill Drainage Holes. Make sure that excess water can drain out of the barrel when you water your plants.
  2. Add Landscape Rocks. The finished planted will be heavy, so go ahead and place it where you want your plants to grow.
  3. Fill with Potting Soil.
  4. Plant Your Container.
  5. Add Mulch and Enjoy.

Co-Authored By:

EveryThingWhat Staff Editor

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12th January, 2020

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