Rain sucks.

[CrazedHoosier]

Hello! I'm new here, so sorry if I mess some things up. Anyway, I have a rain problem. Southern Indiana rains so much that it is causing issues for all of my plants. I potted tons of pansies last fall, and the soaking rain came and rotted all of them. On top of that, Indiana is typically a cloudy state, so the water just sits. I am again facing the same problem with all my pansies/violas/spring bulbs. I'm honestly thinking about just digging them up and letting them dry out. It is just so bad. What makes it worse is that our summer months June-August, are blazing hot and full of sunlight, so I have to water twice a day in normal miracle grow potting mix. For that reason, I cannot add more drainage elements to my pots. Does anyone else deal with these issues? Is there a way I can cure this issue?

 

[headfullofbees]

Welcome.
I live in NW England, where it rains.
Raised beds are your friends.
Or mix your soil and compost for your pots.

 

[NigelJ]

Raised beds as suggested. For pots plenty of grit in the mix to allow drainage over the wet period, for some plants I use 50% grit 50% soil. I find it easier to water more often in summer than to try and dry out soggy compost. Feet under pots to allow drained water to run away or stand pots on gravel.
Look at growing plants that like damper conditions.

 

[alp]

Yes, grit and plenty of raised bed and grow some rain loving plants. Bog plants .. Bog orchids, Astilbes, hydrangeas could be your friends!

 

[DirtMechanic]

I do not believe water retention beads will add to your drainage problem, but might solve at least some of your summer drought issues. Sorry I do not know the proper name of the product, but it is in a lot of potting mix already. You have probably seen them.

 

[Chuck]

This is not a typical year for rain as evidenced by all of the floods that are covering everything from S. Dakota to Kansas and east. Even a raised bed cannot cope with rivers out of their banks. And more rain is coming plus its warming up and the ice is melting. I predict a poor gardening year for the middle of the country