I don't put holes in the bottom. I couldn't keep enough water on them during the summer when I did that. I have one 1/2" hole in the side 3" from the bottom, I fill the bottom 3" of the bucket with rocks. I plant on top of the rocks and the roots grow down into the rocks. When I water, once it comes out the hole I stop watering. I let the plants tell me when to water (they do lie sometimes though). Problem I have is I don't get many tomatoes. Get a pile of them growing but don`t seem to "harvest" many. Last year somebody on here told me to put Epsom salt on them and it did help for sure. This year I put Epsom salt in the hole when I planted and mixed some in the dirt as well. And then there are the damn worms! I`m going to have to be more vigilant spraying and watching for them. I always have peppers and cucumbers coming out my ears, just trying to figure out the maters.