Does the hanging basket have sufficient drain holes? If yes, then there is no more fear of developing a root rot from rainfall than there is from just regular manual watering. If no drain holes then you have a problem regardless of the water source.

That is so good to hear! Am punching a few more holes in pot.
I've noticed that plants 'perk up' visibly after being rained upon
(versus city-treated unnatural water). Can now enjoy the rainstorm to come tonite.

Hold on there! The number of holes in the container bottom makes no difference in how much water the soil holds. 1 or 100 holes, the soil will hold the same volume of water based on particle size & total capillarity. Pam didn't say there is no danger, just that there is no more danger than if you over-watered with a garden hose. You still can't let plants sit in saturated soil for extended periods & not expect roots to rot.

If you can't get the plants under cover so soils return to damp instead of soggy conditions, you could:

A) Prop the container at a 45* angle, which changes the shape of the saturated layer of soil at the container bottom & reduces the total volume of saturated soil. (If you're interested in the science behind this, I'll provide a link that explains it).

B) Shove a wick up into the drain hole and allow it to dangle about an inch or two below the container bottom. This requires that you raise the container on blocks or elevate it in some fashion. This will "trick" the water in the soil into "thinking" the container is deeper than it really is. When the water moves down the wick in "search" of what it "thinks" is the container bottom, it drips off the wick & pulls with it, additional water from the saturated layer of soil at the container bottom.

Al

Well, Al, I just couldn't carve extra holes in that pot anyway. But, I think it's safe to let it get at least a little precious rainfall because it's in a hanging pot--That should offer better drainage than in a ground container.

The soil in jasmine's 6-inch pot had good drainage. It was rootbound, tho. I sliced off bottom inch of fine roots, spread out, & placed it in a 12-inch hanging pot, surrounded by regular potting soil. Should I have used fertilizer??

It rains so infrequently here (coastal SD) that I want to take advantage of it. Yes, I'll make certain it doesn't remain soggy--just damp. Thanks for your informative tips.

The only way an elevated pot offers better drainage than one on the ground is if there is a wick involved. A pot that sits on the ground that has continuity between the soil in the container & soil beneath the pot will have much better drainage than a container that is simply elevated. A continuation of your thinking would be that a pot that is elevated 5 feet above the ground would drain better than one elevated a foot in the air, and the physics of water movement & retention just doesn't work that way.

I couldn't answer your question about fertilizer unless I had some knowledge of what your approach has been thus far. If you are flushing the soil at every watering (so at least 10-15% of the total volume of water you apply escapes from the drain hole), there is no reason you cannot fertilize at every watering, weekly, or bi-weekly, with 1/8-1/4 strength solutions all year long.

What am I missing? Coastal SD is where?

Al

Because I don't have "wick"(?) material, will use your "Tilt 45 degree" method to drain--after Star gets a nice taste of real rain. Btw, "SD" = San Diego, California. As am within a mile of ocean, believe I'm a USDA 10b or Sunset 24. Nice climate but don't get rain, much or often.

I only potted it 2 days ago & didn't know if I should fertilize it at that time, as there might be time-release one in it when bought. Thanx again for info, Al

P.S. Have to mention-- My thick-trunk, 3-foot tall, Jade Tree in pot on balcony is now profusely blooming, with clusters of teeny flowers all over it!...Pretty sight.

Al- I meant to respond to your statement: "A continuation of your thinking would be that a pot that is elevated 5 feet above the ground would drain better than one elevated a foot in the air,...."

No, my thoughts were simpler. Was just thinking was that a hanging pot would drain better than a pot sitting on my balcony floor--which would sorta plug up its drainage hole.

I have several hundreds of nursery pots on the pavement all winter (when it rains in California). It has rained 6 inches in the last week. I never have a loss from root rot. What you use for a potting mix is all that matters. When I have to water all those pots everyday in the rainless summer it is a drag but better than using a so called water retentive potting mix that will let you water every week or two. Al

Informative, Al... I learn from your container drainage experience. Thanks.