Add Drainage Holes to Your Wine Barrel Planter

You’re creating a wine barrel planter and now you need to know how to add the drainage holes to allow excess water out. Drilling drainage holes in your wine barrel planter is a very simple process.

Tools

You’ll need a drill and a drill bit of either 3/4-inch or 3/8-inch diameter. Any smaller and the water won’t drain sufficiently and any bigger and the potting soil will leak out, even with a liner. For installing the liner, use a staple gun with 1/4-inch staples.

The Process

Turn the barrel upside down and mark out between 12 and 16 locations to drill holes in the bottom. Remember to place 2 very near the exact center and between 6 and 10 around the rim. These are the locations where the water will pool and stagnate otherwise.

Drill the marked holes with the drill. Make sure the holes are clean.

Turn the barrel back right side up. Using 1/4-inch staples and a staple gun, staple over the bottom either galvanized mesh with 1/8-inch openings or potting felt. This will keep the potting soil from escaping from the wine barrel planter.

    Now your wine barrel planter is ready to fill with soil and plants.