It’s a bit sad when the lilies drop their final petals, the hosta leaves start to brown, and it’s time to deadhead the last double rudbeckia. One of the ways I cheer myself up is by firing up my bulb-related ventures: I do both outdoor bulb planting and indoor bulb forcing. The outdoor part is mainly species tulips and hybrid tulips, planted in the ground and in large pots. The indoor forcing involves hyacinths, tazettas, and hybrid tulips. It requires a short and simple list of supplies: bulbs, soil, and pots. Not a heavy lift, right? Wrong.
The pots sit in the root cellar for 8-12 weeks, depending on what’s in them.
Anyone looking for small pots at the end of the summer season is already swimming upstream, because most garden centers assume, reasonably, that the potting season is at an end. There were usually a few places, though, that would still have decent supplies of small to medium-sized ceramic pots. I like to force in these because they’re easy to move around and nice to give as gifts when the bulbs are ready to come out, conveniently near the holidays. But now there’s a new problem. Pot manufacturers and retailers have decided to go all-in for pots with no drainage. Instead of seeing, at most, a 50-50 split between the two types, the nondraining pots are creeping into the majority. Having seen how hyacinth roots work and having familiarity with rotten bulbs and roots, I’m sticking with traditional drainage holes at the bottom of any pot I use. (Nice little pots like the one at top are perfect for my needs.)
Wouldn’t the houseplant craze help with year-round small pot availability? After all, houseplants know no season. Not really. Either the pots sold at houseplant places are going for silly prices or these vendors, too, don’t find drainage necessary. Apparently, there’s now potting media that doesn’t need drainage. (I’ll let our houseplant ranter, Johanna address that one.) Looks like I’ll be driving all over Western New York pot-hunting. Ha. Much more difficult to get than the other kind.
An important heads-up: Due either to shortages mysteriously caused by the pandemic or the millions of new gardeners who are hopping on the bulb wagon, my favorite hyacinth supplier was sold out of every variety I usually get by mid-August. Larger companies also had a surprising amount of sold-out items, though these don’t even carry the unusual or heirloom types I look for. Buy your bulbs now!
And here’s another tip for those interested. I have found planting bulbs in large pots that get stored in an unheated garage or shed over the winter to be very rewarding and just may help with animal issues. This is a piece I wrote on it.
Thanks for sharing. Always a pleasure to read.
I find the non-draining pots that orchids are sold in equally frustrating. Why should I buy that when I’m going to have to buy a completely different pot?
Darn, they are toxic to cats.
Thank you for the heads up on bulb supply & pots. I will shop early this year for sure
My guess is current decorating fashion is to blame. Pots, at least fully glazed ones, would prevent furniture damage from drainage. Those flimsy plastic drip catcher trays are ugly, and I’ve had them sprout cracks and holes found too late. But I still use them, along with an assortment of other plastic tubs and bowls.
IIRC, you can drill holes in ceramic pots with a masonry(?) bit, but yeah – why should you have to?
Instead of looking all over for pots with drainage,make your own!!
Its not hard. You need a drill & appropriate size drill bit. They make ones for ceramic or clay pots. Ive even used them on plastic from Dollar Tree. Anything can become a pot!!
Just use a low speed & push tip into center,hard enough to grip,but not so hard it cracks the pot. You find bits with regular ones. These look similar to a spade with a point. Its easy. Try on some pots you don’t care about.
Annoying to have to but worth a shot. I guess my rant is also about people thinking pots don’t need drainage.
Agree with Shellee about making one’s own pots and it’s great for the environment if we re-use items found in the household. Kitchen cabinets filled with old food containers are excellent fir this purpose. And keeps the hard plastic out of the waste stream, too.
Also, garage or estate sales – a true treasure trove!
#Reduce, reuse, recycle!
Agree on paper, but I am bit picky about my pots.
Regarding Elizabeth’s last comment–I planted 3 large pots of tulips last fall and overwintered them in my unheated garage, following Elizabeth’s instructions. They all bloomed beautifully and I have already ordered the bulbs i will plants and overwinter this year. Thanks for the inspiration and the instructions, Elizabeth.
Wow! Glad it worked out! I love using bulbs that way.
Thanks for the tip re: getting bulbs early again. Last year due to strikes and covid they sold out super fast. A tip for affordable pots: I like to go to second hand shops to find pots. People drop them off all time and can be picked up for just a couple of bucks
I’m wondering what happened to last year’s pots? Did you generously give them ALL away???? I’m definitely on the wrong continent or I’d be standing in line!
The small ones are mainly for gifts. I keep larger pots to enjoy at home and for annuals later.
Pot with no holes are so annoying! But I tell myself: if I really cared that much, I would drill my own holes in it as suggested by other commenters. But it does feel like hemming a really expensive dress: why should I pay top dollar and then have to fix it?
But even more annoying: pots with those tiny little drainage trays already attached! They’re never big enough to keep from spilling, but it looks silly to put them inside another drainage tray. ARG.
Share the frustration about pots with no holes…or fused-on saucers. Even high end catalogues such as Terrain…most of their pots lack the features to support plant health…and the prices!