Constant Rain

[PastryBaker]

It is very rare for my area to get as much rain as it has been getting. And more on the way. It has rained for 3 days straight, with a one day break, and now to rain for the rest of the week. That is if I go by what the forecast says. I am not as worried about my trees in inorganic mix, but more so for my nursery stock and pre-bonsai that are all in organic mixes.
Should I put up something like a clear plastic to keep the rain from over watering them? And it would still allow sun and air circulation.
Also, what do big nurseries or bonsai nurseries do when it is going to rain for a long time? Especially if they have plants/trees that like it drier.

 

[RobertB]

Plants like rain!!

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

We had weeks of rain last spring, and all I did was not water. My trees that are in organic mixes are as healthy as ever. They were greener and grew faster than with the usual city water. I believe rainwater actually purges the salts and impurities from the soil, pulls fresh air in, and if there's any lightning, your plants are getting usable nitrogen. So I would just sit back and enjoy the cool, damp weather and the increased vigor of your trees.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I soak my pots in the pond sometimes, and some of those times I forget I put them there. My record is four days of submersion.
As long as there's nothing weird going on, they'll live.

A rainwater flush is a welcome situation in my yard. It does, like @Desert O'Piñon says, dissolve limescale, release locked nutrients, balance the pH, aid in organic breakdown and displace air and water.
Check if the pot drain holes are free of debris, if not make it so, and let them rip.

 

[Shibui]

Overwatering related problems do not happen in a few days. It takes weeks of soggy soil to get the root rotting fungi going. If you have problems after a week of rain then you were already overwatering before that rain.
Rain is also welcome in my garden when it happens.

 

[stav121]

As long as your soil drains well and there is no pooling happening inside the pot where water stays still and there is no air circulation - nothing bad should happen.

I believe that @leatherback had a nice video of a tree that had root rot from water pooling on the edges of the pot that is an eye opener - that even if you see the water drain freely you should never discard other pot defects from causing watering issues. Main reason why I tend to "test" how my pots hold water before I put soil in them after seing that video.

 

[JadedEvan]

One thing I do when I start to get worried about rain (it rains a LOT here in The Netherlands) is to simply elevate the pot and create a tilt for the water to drain out. I have some pots that are very good at retaining water and for those I've used a ceramic drill bit to drill additional holes to let the water escape when tilted.

Another suggestion is to get the pot off the bench a little higher by placing sticks or supports underneath. This allows more air to move under the pot and allow for additional evaporation.

But like others on this thread I wouldn't worry too much if this was just a few days of sporadic activity. Significant changes over the course of weeks or months would be more of a concern. Hope this helps!

 

[PastryBaker]

Thanks everyone.
It is just so rare to get this rain here. And I myself love rain and if it is warm will be out in it.
I will make sure and tilt the trees if it continues. My bonsai benches are not wood, they are Metro shelving, so air circulates from the bottom easily.
I am building my new bonsai bench of wood next week.

 

[rockm]

Thanks everyone.
It is just so rare to get this rain here. And I myself love rain and if it is warm will be out in it.
I will make sure and tilt the trees if it continues. My bonsai benches are not wood, they are Metro shelving, so air circulates from the bottom easily.
I am building my new bonsai bench of wood next week.

The material of the bench doesn’t make any difference wood plastic whatever

The angle of the pot is the trick. Water drains more quickly and thoroughly as the water table of the pot elongates-tilt the pot the water table in it becomes longer. Gravitational force increases which increase water pressure and move water more effectively. Shallower pots drain less efficiently than relatively deeper pots