Drainage

Question

I want to start a vegetable garden on my balcony and everywhere I read, it says that drainage is key and to poke many holes in the bottom of the container for proper drainage. The problem with my balcony is that water runs right off it onto the balcony of my neighbor below. If I put each pot on a plate (a low rise dish which will catch the water), will I be able to water the vegetables enough without the water spilling over top? Or, can I just put rocks in the bottom of my non-draining pots so that the roots don’t sit in the water?

Answer 1

Yes, either of these options will work. You can even use Styrofoam peanuts instead of rocks in the bottom of pots if you are worried that weight may be a problem.