Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: Brad26 on March 06, 2021, 23:11
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Hi everyone,
So I’m going to build a wooden planter box lined with plastic and will be 50cm high, 50cm wide and 50cm deep. Question is how important is drainage? Ideally I was hoping to put some stones at the bottom so that water could drain into this space so as avoiding the compost getting over saturated. Would this be ok or is paramount for me to make some drainage holes?
Thanks
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You really do need some drainage holes as even with stones in the base, the water will collect during heavy rain. Outdoor planters without drainage are really asking for trouble.
If you stand your planter on something to get it off the ground (legs built in to the design, bits of spare wood, or bricks underneath...) you will find the water drains quickly, the base will stay a lot dryer and should not rot.
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Thanks new shoot, I knew I probably had to just needed someone to tell me I guess. I drilled several holes in the bottom of it today once I built it. Just need to paint it and line it with some thick black plastic now. I also fitted some wheels to the bottom to make it easier to move.....the reason I didn’t want drainage is because I didn’t want the dampness to damage my new patio stones. But now it’s off the ground with the wheels it should stay relatively dry I’m hoping. Here’s the finished article....
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Looks good. You have made a nice job of that :)
If the planter is off the ground, air can circulate underneath and it should not stay damp. You might get a bit of green on the stones where they are shaded, but that would clean off.
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Thanks Shoot, yes with the wheels lifting it off the ground and making it mobile I’ll be able to move them every now and again to keep the stone underneath clean.