Why Wet Weather Hits Pots Harder Than Borders

There is something deeply satisfying about a proper rainy spell in the countryside. The lanes turn that rich, dark colour, the stream behind the village gets noisy again, and the garden drinks deeply after a dry summer. But while our beds and borders generally take a soaking in their stride, plants in containers are a different matter entirely. A pot is a closed system. It has only the soil you gave it, and only the drainage you built into it, so when rain keeps falling week after week, that little pocket of compost can turn into something closer to a bog than a growing medium.

Roots need air as much as they need water. When every pore in the compost is filled with water, the roots simply cannot breathe, and that is when the rot sets in. The good news is that a few simple habits, most of them borrowed from the old cottage gardening approach of working with the weather rather than against it, will keep your pots and planters in fine fettle right through the wettest months.

Get Every Pot Up Onto Feet

If you take only one thing from this article, let it be this: no pot should sit flat on a hard surface. Water needs somewhere to go once it has passed through the drainage holes, and if the base of the pot is sealed against a patio, a path or a wooden deck, that water has nowhere to escape.

Pot feet, sometimes sold as pot risers, are small ceramic, terracotta or rubber props that lift the container a couple of centimetres clear of the ground. That gap allows air to circulate underneath and lets surplus water drain away freely. They are inexpensive, and if you are of a crafty disposition they are also marvellously satisfying to make yourself from air-drying clay or even from offcuts of timber.

• Terracotta feet suit traditional pots and age beautifully in the damp.
• Rubber or plastic risers are ideal for heavy planters you rarely move.
• Three feet per pot is usually enough, but four gives better stability on uneven ground.
• Check the gap after heavy rain and clear away any leaves that have collected underneath.

On a sloping path or a gravel standing-out area, you may find you need slightly taller feet at the lower edge so that the pot sits level and drains evenly.

Clear and Check the Drainage Holes

Even the best-designed pot is only as good as its drainage holes, and these have a habit of clogging quietly over the season. Roots creep across them, compost silts up, and a stray layer of leaf mould or moss does the rest. Before the wet weather really settles in, tip each pot gently onto its side and inspect the base.

Use a sharpened stick, a small screwdriver or a piece of stiff wire to poke through every hole until you can see daylight. If the holes are large, a single crock or a square of broken slate over each one will stop compost washing out without blocking the flow. Some gardeners use a sheet of fine mesh instead, which works very well in long-term planters.

While you are there, look at the surface of the compost too. A crust of algae or moss can shed water sideways rather than letting it soak in, which sounds helpful but actually encourages it to pool around the crown of the plant. Gently fork over the top centimetre or two to keep the surface open and crumbly.

Move Delicate Plants Under Cover

Some plants will shrug off a wet winter without complaint. Lavender, rosemary, bay and most Mediterranean herbs, however, hate having their feet wet, and a prolonged soaking will see them sulk, yellow and then collapse. If you have a porch, a covered passage, a cold frame or even a sheltered wall, move these tender sorts under cover for the duration.

You are not trying to keep them warm, only dry, so an unheated porch or an open-sided carport is perfect. Aim for somewhere with good light and moving air, because stagnant damp air encourages mould just as readily as wet compost does. If you have nowhere to move a large planter, group it close to the house wall and angle it slightly so that the worst of the rain runs off rather than sitting on the surface. A temporary cloche or a sheet of clear corrugated plastic propped on canes will also do the job.

Ease Off the Watering Can

It sounds obvious, but it is easily forgotten. When rain is arriving every few days, your pots are already being watered for you. Carry on with your usual summer routine and you will be drowning them twice over. Test the compost before you water by pushing a finger in up to the second knuckle. If it feels cool and moist, leave the can where it is. If it feels genuinely wet, skip it entirely and check again in a couple of days.

Feeding needs adjusting too. Nutrients wash straight through saturated compost, so a hungry plant in a sodden pot may still be starving. A weak liquid feed on the occasional dry day is far kinder than a strong dose on wet compost, which can scorch the roots.

Spotting Trouble Early and Putting It Right

Plants give you fair warning if you know what to look for. Yellowing lower leaves, a soft and slightly sour smell from the compost, wilting despite wet soil, or a blackened stem base all point to waterlogged roots. Act quickly and most plants will recover.

• Stop watering immediately and move the pot somewhere sheltered and airy.
• Raise it higher on temporary blocks so water can pour from the base.
• Trim away any soft, brown or rotting roots and foliage with clean secateurs.
• Repot into fresh, free-draining compost if the root ball is badly soured.

A handful of horticultural grit or coarse bark mixed through the compost at planting time makes a real difference, and it is the sort of small, patient habit that sits naturally alongside the rest of country living. Do these few things well and your pots will come through the wettest weeks ready to grow away strongly when the drier days return.