We're in for another week of wet weather, and it’s safe to say our water butts are benefiting from the constant rain. That can spell disaster for our potted plants, though – unless, of course, you have pot feet on your side.
Heavy rainfall is forecast in many parts of the UK until Friday, leaving container plants at higher risk of waterlogging. There are a few ways you can protect potted plants from heavy rain, but one of the most overlooked methods is using pot feet. They’re very simple – pot feet just prop your pots up above the ground, allowing excess water to drain away. I told my friend to buy a few of these £1.99 terracotta pot feet from Amazon after her plants were flooded, and she hasn't had the problem since.
'It’s such a small tweak, but during a wet week, pot feet genuinely can be the difference between a container that shrugs off the weather and one that suffers from waterlogging,' says Julian Palphramand, head of plants at British Garden Centres.
Here’s why experts say they’re more important than ever at this time of the year – and a few places to buy them now.
Pot feet are exactly what they say on the tin: they give your containers ‘feet’, raising them above ground level so that there’s space beneath them for water to drain away. Without them, pots sit flush with the ground – and since they’re often sat on hard surfaces like patios, excess water from heavy rainfall can quickly flood the plants inside, even when the pots have drainage holes.
'When we get days of relentless rain, pots can behave a bit like buckets,' explains Julian from British Garden Centres. 'Once the compost is saturated and the drainage holes are pressed tight against a patio or lawn, the water has nowhere to go, and your plant roots end up sitting in a puddle.'
That’s where pot feet come in. They don’t have to be fancy – you can pick up a pack of three Verve Laleh Terracotta Pot feet for £4 from B&Q – but if you want to decorate your garden at the same time, you can buy them in a range of styles and figures (I love these hedgehog plant pot feet from B&Q).
Improved drainage isn’t the only benefit of using pot feet – they can protect your plants from late winter frosts, too.
‘As well as aiding plants in periods of heavy rain, pot feet can be crucial at this time of year as they can provide protection from cold and frosts,’ explains Richard Barker, commercial director of LBS Horticulture.
‘The cycle of freezing and thawing can be detrimental to potted plants, and elevating pots with pot feet will reduce their contact with cold surfaces that would otherwise freeze the roots or soil.’
Of course, you can also protect plants from frost with mulch, or even an outdoor plant cover, like these plant fleece frost protection jackets from Amazon, for an added layer of defence.
Where to buy pot feet
Bestselling invisible pot feet that you won't even notice.
These natural birch wood pot feet are perfect for a rustic garden scheme.
It's as simple as that! Pot feet really could save your container plants from heavy rain and late winter frosts.
