In all my 25-odd years in this game, there’s one thing that always happens – always. Sometimes it’s all the bloody time, other years just a few cases, but mark my words – every single year without fail, same old story.
Your planter’s sinking
like some daft little boat that drops another inch every day.
Nine times out of ten, it comes down to two things: what you made the bugger from, and where you’ve plonked it.
Yeah there’s other stuff can go wrong, but those two cover nearly every disaster I’ve seen.
Most times, your planter’s sinking because of what it’s made from.
Used untreated wood? Course it’s rotting – it’s wood, what did you expect? It’ll rot eventually no matter what, but if you’ve not treated it proper? It’ll go quicker than a snowman in July.
Not much to do really – replace the worst bits, sand it down proper, slap on some decent wood stain or sealant, swap out the rotten sections. Faff? Yeah. Rocket science? Nah.
If, by chance, you added some wood inside your bed plant to raise it, add more! 🙂
we’ve all done it – chucked all sorts in our planters, haven’t we? Stones, cardboard, compost, leaves, twigs… the lot. And you know what? Over time all that stuff just disappears into the soil! add more! add more and add more!
- All that organic matter disappearing? That’s nature working
- Top up yearly with fresh compost
- Quick mix through (but no need to overdo it)
- Job done
Other common one?
It’s in a daft spot. Seen planters right next to paths – or worse, slap bang in the middle of them. Here’s the sad truth mate – nobody walks round them. Not you, not your missus, not the Amazon driver, not even the cat/dog (or both). Every step squashes the soil down, and if the ground’s crap to begin with? You’re basically making your own sinkhole.
And if it’s parked in a drainage nightmare – like the lowest bit of the garden where all the rainwater pools – well then you’re basically watching a slow-motion mudslide. Bit of water? Lovely. Constant flooding? Say goodbye to half your soil.
Best bet? Lift it if you can, sort the drainage, or redirect the water (though that’s usually a right pain and costs a fortune).
Last thing – chuck some fresh compost in every year. Soil settles, that’s just life. Give it a stir, top it up, and for Christ’s sake stop walking on it.
No fancy tricks needed. Just grab some decent compost and chuck it in. About an inch or two should do it.
David, who’s been fixing other people’s gardening mistakes since before TikTok was a thing.
