Although I have crocks in my pots, compost still leaks out

Mrs H Hardcastle, West Yorkshire

Stefan says: Your pots are on a flagged patio, but no matter what you do, you still end up with a ring of compost around the outside at the base, which looks unsightly, especially when it’s wet.

I see exactly the same thing with my own pots and I can appreciate that on an immaculately paved patio it will look unsightly. I cannot offer a complete answer but we brush around the pots to tidy up whenever it’s dry. You’re quite right in using crocks but remember they are there to improve the drainage, not totally block up the hole.

Compost leaking out of pots on a hard surface is a problem most gardeners have