Drowned Herbs???

Subtitle: When you move, ignore the books & dishes and deal with the plants first.

While moving into my new house two weeks ago, and then focusing on unpacking, there were two potted plant casualties. One's just plain hopeless. The other is a huge plastic pot containing basil & parsley. It had been living on an apartment balcony, so the pot had a dish snapped onto the bottom to protect the outdoor carpeting. The pot was placed outdoors on the lawn in the sun when I moved. It rained heavily for two days, and the herbs began sagging as if they'd been through a drought.

I know all about drainage, so I kept tipping the pot to drain out the tray. Five cycles of this and it was still draining, so yesterday morning, I removed the tray completely. (Normally, I wouldn't even use a tray on an outdoor pot that received rain). I placed the pot up on some bricks and water trickled out the bottom all day long. I've never seen potting soil so saturated.

This morning, the basil is still sagging, but not totally lifeless. The parsley has lost its deep green color and has turned pale. I'm taking votes. Wait another day or two, or repot quickly?

Reply to
Doug Kanter
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Parsley resents repotting. But you are right about saucers. I move part of my large cactus collection to the deck from spring to fall and never water them. I place each pot on two sticks, so that they are lifted at least 1/4" up off the surface. Not only that provides quick drainage, but also prevents mold/mildew on the deck. Place your soggy plants in full sun, and bring them in if there is any chance of rain. A fan will help dry them up too. Unglazed clay pots provide better drainage.

Reply to
Phisherman

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