Do you need drainage holes in a raised garden bed?

Hi there,

I am extremely new to gardening and have recently purchase some mini raised garden beds that are very similar to the image above. The dimension are 80 x 50 x 30cm (LxWxH) and they come with a plastic base. There are no drainage holes in the bottom and unfortunately, I have already filled them (I was eager to get started). I am wondering, will my plants even grow properly with no drainage holes? Should I try to wiggle out and remove the plastic base from underneath the raised bed? The beds are currently placed on top of soil anyway, I just wasn’t sure if that soil quality was suitable or not. Any help would be appreciated as I am now very confused!

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Comments

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @toluc. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about raised garden beds.

Drainage holes are always a good idea as they allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Constantly damp soil is not beneficial to plant growth.

I suspect the bottom of your garden bed does not have a complete seal and will allow some water to escape, so I wouldn't say it will definitely prevent the plant from growing properly. Can you drill some additional holes along the lowest points of the side panels? That would provide an exit point for water lower down. A dozen 8mm holes would improve the drainage dramatically.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

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