URBAN PLANTER BOXES

Heavy rainfall can quickly turn your beautiful urban planter boxes into soggy messes that harm your plants. Proper drainage is the key to preventing waterlogging and maintaining healthy roots. Start by ensuring your planter boxes have adequate drainage holes at the bottom - at least one half-inch hole for every square foot of soil area. Create a drainage layer by adding two to three inches of gravel, pebbles, or broken pottery shards beneath your soil mix. Use a well-draining soil mixture specifically formulated for containers, combining potting soil with perlite, coarse sand, or coconut coir to improve aeration and water movement. Consider elevating your planter boxes slightly using pot feet or bricks to allow water to escape freely. During periods of heavy rain, you can temporarily cover your planters with waterproof covers or move them to sheltered areas if possible. Monitor your plants after heavy rainfall and empty any collected water from saucers immediately. For additional protection, incorporate organic matter like compost into your soil to improve its structure and drainage capacity over time. These simple strategies will help your urban garden thrive even during the rainiest seasons while preventing root rot and other water-related plant diseases.