Rain for potted plants?

[gardeningbeginner]

It's going to rain the whole day tomorrow according to the weather forecast. Should I skip watering my plants today? Should I move my plants out of the rain after a certain amount of hours tomorrow to avoid over-watering?

 

[zigs]

They should be fine as long as there's holes in the bottom of the pots

 

[Gina145]

As zigs said, if they've got adequate drainage then being out in the rain shouldn't be a problem. That said I once lost a potted schefflera to excessive rain. However it had recently been defoliated, so its water requirements were less than normal and it was out in continuous rain for three or four days. The rest of my plants, which were full of leaves, handled that rain just fine.

Whether to leave watering before the rain really depends on your weather as well as how exposed your plants are. If our weather is cool when it rains then I may leave off watering for a day or two. However in my city it can be pretty hot immediately before or after a shower, and to complicate matters many of my plants stand close to walls, some with a slight roof above them, so in hot weather I will water them regardless of the rain.

 

[justusforus]

I agree with proper drainage, your outdoor plants will love it. Also remember it is a good thing to collect rainwater to save our resources. It rained here for a few days and I collected water for my patio plants as well as trees and shrubs.

 

[Trellum]

I let the gentle rain water mine from time to time I say time to time because here it rarely rains, and my pots are outside during the hot season, but this last season it rained every single day and my plants were completely ok. Of course it depends from plant to plant... the ones I have outside aren't succulents. aI don't think your will resent the rain water

 

[Gina145]

I've got succulents that stand out in the rain as well. I've never had any problems with those either.

 

[claudine]

I've never done it with my miniature roses, but my mother usually keeps her potted plants outside during summer. She doesn't hide them when it's raining and they're doing fine, so I think that you don't have to worry about overwatering yours

 

[happyflowerlady]

Rain water is usually much better for the plants since it has more oxygen and nutrients in it for the plants, and in the summer, I like to put my houseplants outside for a good soak sometimes, as long as they arent really heavy and hard to move in and outside.
Some of the larger ones can just go outside and live out there all summer, as long as there is good drainage in the bottom of the pots. Then, when we start getting the colder nights, it is time to move them back inside again.
I also save rainwater when I can, and use that for watering the plants that I keep inside the house.

 

[headfullofbees]

Remember that rainwater will eventually sluice out the nutrients in your growing medium.
This can be beneficial, as it will wash out salts which may build up from feeding your plants, but will require some nutrient replacement.

 

[Shellyann36]

I like sitting my plants outside in the rain. They like it too! As long as you have good drainage everything should be ok. I will add that I would not risk my plants in a hard downpour where it is possible for it to get broken or even wind damaged. Keep an eye on the plant and if it seems as if the rain is too hard on them or if the soil is being battered out of the pot it is time to take it in.