I am seeking a solution for protecting my pots against rain this year. Rain ruins everything. My pots become muddy and it rains for weeks sometimes. I get constant nutrient washout. The plants just dont like it.
Im looking for some type of structure to put over the plants. And then remove when the rain ends. Something like a carport. My concern is the size, and also eind blowing it away.
Any ideas or suggestions?
I filled my pot with plastic drink cups to catch the water
So do you remove all of those cups when you have to water it and fertilize it? It seems like painstaking work for 20 potted trees I have.
Use a plastic bag.
I could see a piece of plastic and a rubber band to make a tent an effective option.
I was thinking of a garbage bag, put the plant in it and wrap around the trunk. You could also use cling wrap like when you mail a plant to keep the soil in. But a plastic bag would be easy to remove
The back of my house has an overhang of about two feet that is about 9 feet from the ground. It works perfect for my figs as its south facing. I know not everyone has that same scenario but just a thought.
2in of coarse woodchips. scrape them back. fertilize. push back. if you get way too much rain you may still need to partially cover to divert some of it. i use osmocote so it doesnt get all flushed away at once. woodchips also help keep moisture in warm , dry weather so you dont have to water as much and helps keep roots cool.
Once your other trees leaf out, putting pots underneath those will probably afford sufficient protection. Make sure your pots have drain holes. Last year, most of mine fit under a japanese maple and a rose of sharon, the latter being more useful for noonday sun.
Not the answer you want but wicking tubs. I am on year 5 of mine. The tubs i bought were wrong but the method works. Doesnt matter how much it rains, snows, or drought…
I grow vegetables, propagate, and have a couple for triage. during the winter i winter sow some seeds in a few as well.
Dont buy the cheapo blue tubs at lowes/walmart etc… they dont handle the UV good enough. However they have lasted 5 years but i expect one more summer and winter will be pushing it.
To answer your main question i do a few inches in the bottom of my potted plants (1-3 gallon) with leaf mulch. then add a layer of potting soil, then a top 1 inch dressing of leaf mulch. (because im a cheapskate)… but it also works for me. Leaf much on the top takes the brunt of the sun and rain… leaf mulch on the bottom soaks nutrients and holds moisture. For me anyways.
i add 4-5 tears of cardboard to the bottom of my pots. does about the same as the leaf litter.
Get over 45 inches per year here…and I am glad to see the rain as it means I don’t have to irrigate or carry many jugs and buckets!
I dont see how it can be good for the plant though. It rains for days at a time. Roots dont like being so wet. I can’t afford tons of perlite. It’s a feast or famine situation. You get nutrient washout. I also add compost to the top of my potted trees. All of that gets washed out as compost tea.
So I don’t see the benefit. I do collect rainwater whenever I can. That I like.
Oh, I agree, I lost a half dozen apple trees in buckets to root rot…so I agree there can be issues.
But, long dry spells are less desirable than too much rain. I can add more nutrients to the potted plants…or just let them alone to get tough rather than large.
Tape these to stakes you put in the pots? Just need to support the pots well or otherwise stabilize the umbrellas to deal with strong wind…
Probably too crazy, but fun to try as long as your plants don’t Mary Poppins away.
Im not paying $90 for 12 umbrellas, haha. I think a 20 pack of trash bags at $4 would be a better idea. Maybe even cover the whole plant in the trash bag. Like a dome.
we get quite a bit of rain here but ill say like blueberry, id rather have enough rain than too little. its easier to fertilize that to water often. if you have a decent draining soil, root issues shouldnt be a problem. try using osmacote. its a slow release fertilizer pellet. it wont wash away and slowly breaks down over time feeding as it goes. my father used to use it and most nurseries do as well. that and a layer of coarse mulch will slow the percolation of water so it doesnt flush everything out. you’ll thank me when it gets hot and dry as you wont need to water 1/2 as much either.