Hang on while we load the rest of the page...
Local Voices

Cool & Wet vs. Hot & Dry

I have just bought and planted my annuals in pots, just like many other folks. I think I have done a great job getting them acclimated to their new environs. I even put some large shell pieces from beach trips of yesteryear at the bottom of the planter.  Then, we had two days of such heavy rain with such cool temps that some of the leaves are already looking overwatered.  

Once annuals are overwatered, you can usually expect a sad, progressive decline of your herbaceous investment. That is unless you can move those heavy, soaked planters to a more sunny location. In some areas of Reston, this might be very difficult due to the heavy tree cover. I personally have very few spots where I can sustain annuals for more than 3 hours per day. Sometimes I just wish I lived where I could plant annuals that are labeled as - "Sun!" Lucky people who can grow in the sun.

In my vegetable garden - with its excellent organic material content and extraordinarily good sunshine delivery - the soil will retain the water for an extra long time with the cool temperatures.  With the cool temps and cloud cover, those plants might also be subject to overwatering.

Remember your biology lessons: plants need oxygen to reach the root systems. If it does not get enough oxygen and water is swamping those fine root hairs, the plant cannot survive.

Even though we are enjoying these temps, your plants might be suffering. So, keep an eye on your plants for any side effects of heavy rain. Warm temps and sunlight might just be what they need to flourish!

Laurie Dodd

8:05 am on Monday, June 4, 2012

Are my annuals are in a pot with drainage holes, and a saucer that can hold just a bit of water, going to do better than those in pot with no way for the excess water to escape? I hope so.

Reply

Peter Paul van Dijk

7:24 pm on Monday, June 4, 2012

Hi Laurie,
in general, pots without drainage holes but open to unpredictable rain is almost guaranteed to drown the plants. We had two-and-a-half inches of rain last week - imagine 2.5 inches of water in that pot without drainage - it will fill up all spaces between the soil grains for several inches, so your water level will be just inches below the rim. That will kill almost anything except bog plants.
There's a whole science to watering potted plants - it's a whole lot more complicated that one would think....

Reply

Molly O'Boyle

7:31 pm on Monday, June 4, 2012

I agree with Peter Paul. I do have a decorative pot with a large saucer that holds water. Can't figure out how to drain that thing without moving the 18" diameter pot! Must move it to prevent mosquito harvests!

Reply
Comment_arrow

Peter Paul van Dijk

11:21 pm on Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Hi Molly, you can try to let a wick hang from that saucer onto the ground. It must make good contact with the ground below the saucer - lay the free end of the wick flat for a few inches; put the other end under the actual pot sitting on the saucer. If you want water to stand in the saucer, just coil the wick inside the saucer. Cotton works well - a strip of an old towel should do fine.

Leave a comment

Your town. Mobilized.

Download Patch for iPhone or Patch Places for Android.

Learn more 

Own a local business?

Stay in touch with customers by claiming your free Patch listing.

Learn more 

Advertise on Patch

Build community trust in your local brand with game-changing tools for any budget.

Learn how