Tilt the containers steeply, It will reduce considerably the amount of water in the PWT by reducing the volume of soil that the PW can occupy.

Al

Why are you concerened yellowthumb?

I haven't had a bad thing happen to mine with no sun for weeks, cool temps, and mounds of rain. Mine are all fine from the small pots to the large ones?

This soiless mix just stays moist, not sopping wet, and my plants love it,at least all mine do, depsite the lack of sun.

If you made your 5.1.1 right, your plants will be just fine as long as you have drain holes underneath.

This is a no worry soiless mix when outdoors...Even while the sun is in, just the light of summer keeps the plants drinking anyways..;-)

Mike

There is a wide variance in the size of the particles in the bark component people use, which is the major player in determining how much water the soils hold, so everyone's soil may not drain as well as yours, Mike. I tried a different bark this year & am finding that some containers (so far) can go 4-5 days between waterings, which, for me, is too water retentive. I like a soil that needs watering every day when the planting is mature.

Al

So true Al...

I think I make the one that you like to use too. The one that needs watering almost everyday once the sun finaly comes out...I even have to water most everyday in the winter when the sun is out..

I am home every morning to water. Then if I should leave for a vaca, I never have to worry about anyone watering everyday for me. It is so much easier for me to use the less water rententive one, and lots of benefits besides this...Thanks for showing me..

Particle size does make the big difference..
I will post a close up pic of the 5.1.1 mix, incase anyone here, especially you yellowthumb wants to know what is working for me in such a wet hostile condition...

Mike..:-)

Hi Mike,

Thanks for keeping me in mind. Yes I definitely want to know. It's getting interesting here too, the weather has been cloudy and wet for about half a month now, but as bad as yours, we do have sun coming out now and then. It's humid but not too hot. I have to say everything I grow loves it, I have a gardenia has been hanging on without doing anything for a long time, finally broke its leaves buds recently. Another gardenia is flourishing with many new growth too.

I also have an Osmanthus, it has new growth, but many new growth either fell off or failed to open the leaves. Given this rain, it burst with new growth again, and the foliage is beautiful. It does conflict with what I believe, they seems like the rain and the humid and don't mind the less sun a bit.

I am not too concerned with the plants in gritty mix or 5-1-1, but I am concerned with the plants I have not repotted yet. They are still in their peat based old soil.

YT

I’m in Vero Beach and have an open balcony filled with plants in containers. Some are established and not drowning in all this rain - but new plants are not doing well. Im coverint them with a plastic garbage bag or lean it on its side.

Quick tutorial:

Most commercial potting media support several inches of excess water at the pot's bottom. This is water that will not drain by the force of gravity alone because the sum of water's tendency to stick to itself and to soil particles is greater than the force of gravity. This is the water you need to be very concerned about. In the images, the shaded area represents excess (perched) water, which will be the same ht in any container for any given medium. Note how much water can be expelled from the container by tipping the pot (see B) or using ballast (see D). It's too late for ballast, since the planting is already established, but ballast can eliminate 95% or more of excess water in any medium.

You can also use a wick to drain a significant amount of excess water from plantings for which a water-retentive medium has been used. When using a wick, the best location for the drain hole is through the bottom of the pot where it meets the sidewall. Combine it with tipping with the drain hole at the lowest point for best results. I use a strand from a rayon mop as my wicks.

The only way to stop water from entering a pot when it's raining is to use some type of mechanism to ensure no rain falls on the plant or soil. So providing some form of cover (garage or enclosed porch, e.g.) or providing a makeshift canopy/umbrella would be the direction your thinking might take if you don't care to use the methods I described.

Al

@Julian H I have been having the same issue. I tried a beach umbrella but it was too wide for the area and would hit other things in the vicinity. One thing that seems to be working is covering the top of the planter with a few layers of plastic wrap.

i have the same problem too much rain water in my 20 gallon containers i out arica palms, can i cover dirt with plastic

That will only work if you are able to rig the plastic so it directs water that would otherwise enter the grow medium, outside of the pot ..... like an upside down funnel the diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the pot's rim. If you lay plastic on the soil such that the plastic only diverts water to the outer edge of the plastic where it can pass into the grow medium, you will have done little more than complete an exercise in futility.

Did you take the time to read the short tutorial I left above? It mentions or depicts a number of ways to limit the amount of excess water a conventional container planting can hold.

Al