Why You Need Pot Feet or Pot Toes!

You are probably thinking to yourself, “Why Do I Need Pot Feet?” Or maybe “What the heck are Pot Feet?”

Have no fear, I will tell you all about Pot Feet and why you should have some for your plants, right here.  We will start off by telling you what they are.

So What are Pot Feet?

Pot Feet are exactly what they sound like, they are little “risers” that are placed under your potted plants to raise them up off of whatever surface they are standing on.  They can be made of plastic, rubber, clay or ceramic and can be decorative or invisible.  They can be stationary or made with wheels for easy mobility.

How do I use Pot Feet with my plants?

Pot Feet are literally placed in combinations of three or more, under your heavy potted plants.  They will effectively raise the potted plant up about and inch to 2 inches off the ground, deck, carpet, patio or veranda.  They are placed in combinations of three or more to stabilize them and keep them nicely level.  Most potted plants only need three to keep the pot from being tippy, but if you have four it won’t hurt to put that extra one under there too.

Why should I use them?

Now that is the really important question.  Every year, I have many plants that are brought indoors in the winter months and then just wait patiently for that long weekend in May, that signals the arrival of summer.  My plants go outdoors, once that May weekend has arrived.

Now comes the reason for using Pot Feet.  If you are like me, itching to get your plants outdoors, you will need these Pot Feet under your delicate potted plants.  They will help  to keep the plants healthy, and more importantly, to keep them from marring the area where they will spend the next few months.

I have regrettably learned this the hard way.  The first year that we had our deck, I put my passion vine plant outdoors directly on our brand new deck surface.  It looked beautiful in it’s corner and it grew really well.  So where’s the problem, you might ask.

 

Initially, there was no problem.  As I said, the plant looked nice and was growing quite well, blooming continuously all summer long.  What more could you ask for?

Well, by October when the nights were becoming cooler and the plant was not so happy in the outdoors anymore, I cut it back, took all the precautions to make sure I wasn’t bringing any outdoor bugs, indoors and that is when I realized what I had done.

 

Where the pot had stood for the last five months, there was a nasty ring where pot and deck met!  A million pillbugs beat a hasty retreat into the darkened corners that they love and I noticed that they had also left their mark on the deck as well.  They had also migrated into the plant, making it necessary to rid the plant of it’s bug inhabitants.

If I had only thought to put these Pot Feet under my plant before setting it out on the deck, I’m sure that I would not have that tell tale mark on my deck today.  Like water rings, these were also caused by excess water pooling up under the pot with nowhere to drain.  With Pot Feet, that little area under the pot, is now open to the air and the circulation of the air will keep the deck dry.  Deck boards that are constantly wet start to break down.  No one wants wood rot especially in an area that is used for family entertaining and guests.  A small investment in these Pot Feet would have spared me a lot of work.  Lifting the pots off the deck would have kept the pillbugs from gaining access to the plant as well.  LESSON LEARNED!

So Who Needs these Pot Feet?

I would say that anyone who is planning on placing potted plants outdoors, should invest in these Pot Feet.  Not only do they work on deck boards, but they will keep cement areas from becoming marred as well.  Interlocking bricks will not have moss growing between the joins, because there will be good air circulation happening under the potted plants.

Sometimes a small investment will make a world of difference for you and your outdoor space.  Not to mention that the plants will do better as well. Drainage will be increased, and your plant will thank you for that.

Pot Feet are not just for the great outdoors,  they can also be used indoors as well.  No worrying about rings on hardwood floors, or carpets that have been stained by pots sitting directly on them.  When your pots are elevated on Pot Feet, they are easy to turn during the winter months, so that growth will be even.  That’s just another little benefit of these little wonders that are known as Pot Feet!

Pictures on this post are from my own garden, please do not copy without permission!  Please feel free to use the images on Pinterest though!