I visited Michelle Thursday evening to clear the deck. We’ve removed all the plants so she can treat the wood with water seal. Container gardeners know about the annoying rings that live under every pot on the deck or patio. I scrubbed the rings from Michelle’s deck as best I could and decided to find a solution before we replace her plants.
A gardener can buy fancy supports to place under each pot. The air space will allow water to drain rather than pool and hopefully prevent the discoloration that comes from trapping water and soil against the wood or concrete. I checked a few sources, but as a decidedly frugal gardener, I wanted a solution in our price range.
Behold the pot wedgie! Using 2×4 scraps from an outdoor project and the chop saw, I cut a collection of blocks.
- Mark a 45° angle and cut
- Make the next cut at 90° and you have two blocks done.
- Repeat until you have enough blocks for your pots.
Place a ring of these wedgies on the patio or deck.
Gently set the pot on top the ring. If the pot is too large, use extra wedgies, and space them further apart. The idea is to provide daylight under the pot. And yes, I know there will be some water trapped under the wedgies, but the quantity should be less than without the wedgies.
Now, water the pot heavily until water drips from the bottom. Grab a glass of ice cold lemonade and sit quietly, sipping and watching as the water pool under the pot dissipates. Don’t move until the deck dries. Repeat these steps at least twice a week, and enjoy the blessings of a low stress activity.
Genius idea! :)