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how to seal holes in plant pots

How to Seal Holes in Plant Pots

May 13, 2016 - 11 Comments - 3 min read

I have a small obsession with plants – I just can’t stop buying them. One of the things I love most about our garden is the variety of mature flowers and plants, but our house is the total opposite and has been lacking plant life for some time.

I’ve been slowly building up our indoor garden with an array of colours, sizes and smells. Plants aren’t that cheap, but what’s more, neither are pots! And it turns out, I’m particularly fussy when it comes to plant pots and I don’t like anything too plain or boring.

I find indoor plant pots are often very limited in choice and you always have to check to see if they have a drainage hole – if they do, you need a matching saucer and before you know it, you’ve spent even more money. And if there’s no matching saucer – well, that pot is usually out of the question for indoor use!

About a month ago I stumbled across some lovely little plant pots in TK Maxx. I really wanted to buy them all – problem was, they were outdoor pots with holes. I picked one up anyway determined I could find a way to plug it.

So I thought I’d take you through step-by-step on how we’ve successfully managed to seal holes in plant pots!

Concrete Effect Plant Pot
How to Fill Holes in a Plant Pot
Plugging a Hole in a Plant Pot

You Will Need:

  • Sealant
  • Caulk Gun
  • Tape

Step 1

Place some tape over the bottom of the hole. When it comes to filling the hole, this will ensure nothing will splurge out on the other side. You really don’t want that, otherwise, your plant pot won’t sit flush to the floor.  

How to seal holes in plant pots

Step 2

Apply sealant. What’s so great about sealant is that it’s waterproof. We use it to seal shower trays, bathtubs and basically anywhere we don’t want water ingress, so it made perfect sense to use it for this job too.

When this pot is filled with water, it needs to be able to retain water with absolutely no leaks. Make sure to apply a really good amount that covers the entire hole, don’t worry too much if it’s a little splurged over the hole on the inside.  

Using sealant to fill a hole in a plant pot

Step 3

Leave to dry overnight and then peel off the tape on the bottom side of the pot. You should now have a flat blob of sealant just poking through the hole.

Add some water into the pot and leave to stand for a few hours, checking back to see if any water has escaped. If it has, you may need to apply more sealant, but if it hasn’t then you’re ready to fill the pot with soil and your new plant.  

Calathea Mix Plant
Spiked Interior Plant Pot

This plant is a Calathea Mix, which I picked up from Homebase. I absolutely love the pink tones on the underside of the leaves and I love that you can turn and position the plant pot in different ways for a totally different look at the plant.

The pot has a lovely concrete-effect to it, a real mix of greys and it’s even authentically speckled like concrete too. And of course, the white triangular spikes are completely up my street!

Calathea Mix Indoor Plant
Calathea Mix Leaves
Calathea Mix in Plant Pot
Calathea Mix with Pink Leaves

Both the plant and pot were £10 each and they now live in my office. Having plants in a work space really helps me to feel more creative and relaxed, but I think I definitely need a few more!  

Are you addicted to indoor plants? Let me know if you give this simple pot trick a try and if it works for you too!

How to Seal Drainage Holes in Plant Pots
Kezzabeth

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11 Comments

  • Katie April 14, 2020 at 5:49 pm

    Hi,

    Thank you for this idea, I’ll be sure to steal it for future pots!! I was wondering however, would the caulk still work if the hole was really quite large? I have a monstera which is quickly becoming a tree so I need a really large pot and I can only find the size suitable in the outdoor range but this comes with 4 holes about the size your finger and thumb make when doing the “ok” sign. wWuld caulk work for these or is this more a cement job?

    Thank you in advance!

    Katie

    • Kezzabeth May 13, 2020 at 9:12 am

      Ooh I’m not too sure! I would give a go with caulk as it’s fairly easy to remove if you need to. Or you could always go over with cement if you find it doesn’t work. I recommend filling the pot with water after its set and leave for about 24hours to check whether there’s any leaks!

  • S November 26, 2020 at 8:27 am

    Hi
    This looks easy enough but your step 2 isn’t clear. Is the sealant applied on the inside or outside? From the picture it looks like inside, but is there any reason why you couldn’t apply it on the outside? I want to plug the holes to make my pot a water storage container and collect rainwater. Do you think the sealant will withstand constant damp from the water?

    • Kezzabeth December 10, 2020 at 10:33 am

      I applied the sealant on the inside, but you could probably do either and it wouldn’t make much difference! If you did it on the outside, it would probably be easier to remove in the future (without taking the plant and soil out!) if you changed your mind. We’ve had no issues with water leaking through the sealant since writing this post either!

  • Sandie March 4, 2021 at 9:03 pm

    If you put real plants in a pot without drainage, you will eventually kill the plant. My bet it your plant is now dead. This idea only applies for fountains.

    • Kezzabeth March 5, 2021 at 10:34 am

      You can use a plastic pot with drainage holes inside, with the outer pot acting as a tray. Most indoor pots don’t have holes in them for this exact use.

    • Deanna August 13, 2021 at 9:14 pm

      I am specifically looking at this article for bamboo. Indoor plant, and needs water at all times… Just depends on the plant.

    • Teri January 6, 2023 at 8:51 pm

      If you are careful with the amount and frequency of watering, there shouldn’t necessarily be issues with a plant dying before its time. I had a corn plant in my bathroom that was planted in a pot without drainage. I’ve had that plant for over a decade and it’s just now showing signs of distress … but my brother in law, who is an arborist, believes that it’s likely that it’s simply rootbound by this time and simply needs to be repotted or moved outside (it’s huge now!). 🙂

  • Julie Thomson January 19, 2022 at 9:50 am

    Great idea. Thanks for sharing it. My plants are all in pots anyway, the ceramic pot is purely decorative. You don’t get the choice or the variety of sizes in indoor pots, especially the larger ones, and they are so much more expensive than the outdoor ones.

  • Matthew Snellbacher October 28, 2023 at 4:52 am

    lol a “Calathea Mix” isn’t anything, and that is a Stromanthe Triostar, not a Calathea at all.

    • Kezzabeth January 16, 2024 at 10:21 pm

      Thanks for the info! I am certainly no expert on plants, just copied what the label said 😉

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    Hi - I'm Kezzabeth! Self-taught DIYer, Renovator and Blogger on a mission to turn our house into a home. Seven years ago I was clueless and skill-less, but since then I've learnt how to build, tile, plumb and more. This is my little place on the web where I share everything I've learnt so you can learn too. Read More

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    DIY Content: We’re not builders or experts in the trade industry, so please take any information on this blog as a rough guide and just our own experiences. This blog relates to our home only and you should always consult a professional in you’re in any doubt of work. Please also be aware Building Regulations change often, so always do your own research as well.
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