Wondering how to waterproof your flower pot or planter? In this article I will show you how to waterproof your flower pots in a few steps. This way you can prevent rings on your wooden table, cupboard or floor. You will also prevent rashes and mildew. Read on and watch the video for more information.
When do you need an insert sleeve?
Flower pots come in many shapes and sizes, but unfortunately a lot of them are not 100% waterproof. If you have a plastic flower pot, then obviously it will be waterproof, but many other materials unfortunately are not. In those cases, a plastic insert cover offers a solution. When you buy a new flower pot, there is often a sticker or label on it that states whether the flower pot is completely waterproof. That way you know immediately if an insert cover is necessary.
Do I always need a plastic insert cover?
No, in certain situations you can also solve it with a saucer or plastic bag. Suppose you want to put your houseplant with growing pot and all in a non-watertight flower pot, you can also put a saucer or plate on the bottom. That way, you catch excess moisture and you don't get a rash to the outside. There are also plants that are very dry and hardly get any water. These include succulents and cacti. These get so little water that you could also use a sturdy plastic bag. You place the plastic bag on the bottom, insert the plant and fill it with soil. The soil presses the bag against the outer wall and everything that sticks out above the flowerpot is cut away to just below the edge. So you don't see anything of it anymore. This method works well, however, only for plants where the soil remains virtually dry.
Insert sleeve to reduce the size of your flower pot
You can use an insert sleeve to make your flower pot waterproof, but it can also be useful to make your flower pot smaller. For example, if you have a tall flower pot and would put a plant in it, the roots can never reach the water at the bottom of the pot. By using an insert sleeve, you actually raise the bottom, preventing the moisture from sinking down and staying within reach of the plant.
There are several ways to reduce the size of your flower pot. The easiest is often to put hydro pellets (clay pellets) in the bottom of the flower pot, since they are inexpensive and lightweight. Fill the flower pot to the point where you can place the insert cover. Then put the plant in and fill the flowerpot with soil or a substrate. Basically, this way you make a flower pot inside a flower pot.
Placing an insert sleeve..
Be careful with your moisture meter!
Are you using an analog moisture meter? Then be a little alert to the fact that it often has a sharp tip. If you stab too deep, you could puncture the insert sleeve and still get rash. Most moisture meters are less than 30 cm long, so for larger flower pots this problem is not likely to occur. You can put a line or piece of tape on your moisture meter so you know how deep you can safely insert it.
Insert sleeve square or round
Most insert sleeves are round, but there are also square insert sleeves. Insert covers are universal and almost always need to be cut to size. An insert cover is always tapered and therefore narrower at the bottom than at the top. The top must fit snugly against the rim of the pot, so measure the diameter of your flower pot beforehand and then you can't go wrong.
Many flower pots are square, but it's good to know that you can often just use a round insert sleeve. The insert sleeve is flexible, so the bottom of the insert sleeve remains round and the top will form to the square of the flower pot. In this way, you can waterproof almost all flower pots with a round insert cover.
The height of your insert sleeve
An insert sleeve does not have to be as high as the flower pot itself. An insert cover should be at least 10cm high, measured from the bottom. This is where the water will collect. Further, if you make sure the cover fits snugly against the inside wall, you'll be fine. Water normally pours into the center of the flowerpot and then sinks directly to the bottom without touching the wall of your flowerpot. So the water tightness of your insert cover is mainly determined by a good fit against the inner wall of your flower pot.
Flower pots with a special shape
If you have a rectangular flower pot or other shape for which you cannot find an insert cover, you could also use a piece of epdm foil. This is used for waterproofing ponds and roofs. You put it in the flower pot and cut off the excess material at the top.
