Drainage holes or not?

Last week I bought a Gunnera Manicata,complete impulse buy I have yet to decide where to plant it as space is limited (why buy a Gunnera then) annnyway...I'm going to plant it ina large container for now but knowing it likes water would it survive better without drainage holes in the bottom?

Many thanks

 

hi loli,
i bought one a few years back, it was in the ground, sandy soil, didnt do anything. dug it up, put it in a pot, (sealed, with one drainage hole drilled half way up the side of the pot) lots of good quality, moisture retentive compost, and it chucked up a few small leaves last year.

this year though??!!! its romping away. the pot gets a washing up bowl full of water every other day now its on the move, with phostrogen once a week. i reckon by the end of the summer, its going to be rather big!

 

Thanks Al n I'll go for it

 

My Gunnera chap will be in a terrorpotter cot will it matter if there is no drainage at all if I bung the bottom up?

 

The only thing I'm thinking is that if it's permanently soaked, then I could imagine that it would be a bit stagnant in smell. I don't think it'll do the plant much harm though as they love it by ponds and rivers so root rot wouldn't be problem.

 

Use a bit of geocloth/textile on the bottom of the pot (same diameter) then a layer of small stone on top of it then the soil.

 

DUnno if relevant / helpful but mine is planted with the bottom of the planting hole lined with a piece of pond-liner. So under it is bog soil / water, but the roots can grow sideways into dry, and soil on the surface may be dry too, but deeper roots will be sat in boggy-ness