Pro tip: I planted my cherry tomatoes in a 5 gallon bucket with holes drilled low on the side, and the roots went sideways

Richard Mitchell · 2026-10-22T07:05:07.524716+00:00

Last spring I got tired of the saucer under my pot turning into a mosquito pond on the balcony, so I drilled a row of 1/4 inch holes about 2 inches up from the bottom of this old 5 gallon bucket. Figured it would just drain better. What actually happened is the roots grew out sideways and found those holes, and by July I had tomato roots poking through like little white noodles. Plant was the healthiest one on the railing, no rot, no drowned roots. I'm guessing the air at those holes kept things from staying soggy, but I don't really know. Anyone else end up with roots growing out of the drain holes, or did I just get lucky with the weather in Austin this year?

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Pro tip: I planted my cherry tomatoes in a 5 gallon bucket with holes drilled low on the side, and the roots went sideways | Balcony Veggie Gardens - Hub Chatter