To cover the holes or not to cover

[Cherokee_Motley]

I have had success growing Sun golds and Early Girls in recycled plant containers and I will try it again next year.

However, I have one question.... Should I cover the holes and then poke a few small holes to ensure the water slowly drips out or should I leave them open?

Currently, the water rushes out the bottom almost the second I add it. After the first month I put a sheet pan under the pot to hold the water and facilitate a poor man's wick system.

But I only have so many sheet pans and I might want to grow 5-6 plants next year. It seems if I cover the holes with tape, the water will stay in the pot much longer and then slowly leak out over the course of a few hours versus a few seconds.

What do y'all recommend? Thanks....