11 Easy Ways To Keep Plant Pots From Falling Over (2024)

It’s a problem that everyone growing plants in pots is going to face at some time. Your plant pots are falling over and you need some solution to this problem.

You can keep plant pots from falling over by providing them stable support, placing them against a wall, using a heavy pot with a wide base, placing stones on the pot, protecting your garden with windbreaks, or moving the pots indoors when the weather is bad.

I asked fellow gardeners what method they use to protect their plant pots from falling over. And below are the results that you may find useful. Most gardeners used heavy pots to prevent this problem.

I like to use a stake to keep weak plants upright so they don’t fall over from the pot. You can use any wood, metal, or plastic stake that is sturdy enough and available at home. You can check out the best plant stakes on Amazon.com.

1. Use the right pot size for the plant

You need to pick the pot based on the plant size. If the plant has grownlarger than the pot, it will topple over.

The easiest signs of this problem are if the roots are circling the pot or coming out of the drainage holes. You can take the plant out of the pot to check if this is the case.

I suggest you use a pot that is 1-2 sizes larger than the plant. If the plant has outgrown the pot you need to re-pot it.

2. Use a pot made with heavy material

You can grow plants in a pot made from plastic, terracotta, ceramic, wood, metal, and even concrete.

Plastic pots are the cheapest and most durable you would use. But they are also lightweight and would fall over due to heavy wind.

The other materials I mentioned are heavy and won’t fall as easily. But they have their own issues you need to think about.

Terracotta and ceramic pots don’t do well if you live in a location where the temperature fluctuates during the seasons. These materials will turn brittle and crack due to these fluctuations.

The best materials will be wood, metal, and concrete if you are willing to spend some money on such pots.

3. Fill the pot with heavy objects

You can use plastic pots if you fill them up with heavy materials such as pieces of clay pots, bricks, or stones.

You can use these materials as the base layer when preparing the container. They will help improve the drainage while preventing the soil from washing out of the drainage holes.

You could also put some stones on top of the potting soil to provide some stability so the pot does not fall over due to wind.

Another option is to place bricks or concrete blocks around the potted plant to help give support to the pot.

4. Use a stake to support the plant

This is the easiest thing you can do to protect your tall plants from falling over due to wind. Use a stake to tie the plant stem and give it better support.

A stake can be any long piece of wood such as a dowel or bamboo stick. You could even use any metal or plastic rod that is long and narrow.

You can put this stake in the pot and tie the stem at some intervals using twine. If you want more stability, you could put the stake in the ground near the plant.

If you don’t have soil in the ground, you could put the stake in another pot that you place near the plant.

5. Place the pot near a wall

If you have many potted plants in your container garden, the simplest way to protect them from the wind is to keep them near a wall.

The wall will protect them from the strong wind but you need to be careful so they still can get the required sunlight. Make sure the wall is in the opposite direction of the sun to ensure this.

6. Protect the plants using windbreaks

If you’re growing potted plants outdoors, you could protect them with windbreaks. These are bushes, hedges, and even trees that will act as a barrier to diffuse strong winds.

You still need to make sure the potted plants get the required sunlight and aeration so don’t place them too close to the windbreaks. And make sure they are not placed in the shade of such windbreaks.

7. Protect the plants using a windscreen

You can get such a windscreen from a store such as Amazon, Walmart, or Home Depot. It is a stand that blocks most of the wind but allows some of it to pass.

You can also use garden netting with fine wire mesh to do the same. Use stakes to surround your plants with such netting.

The windscreen will allow air circulation among the potted plants but block strong winds from reaching them.

8. Move the plants indoors to protect from wind

This is a temporary measure you can take if you know there will be windy conditions in your region.

You can bring the plants indoors to protect them. If the potted plants are large you may find it difficult to move them. I recommend placing such pots on a trolley or moving tray that makes it easy to move in such situations.

9. Keep your pets away from the plants

If you have pets like cats or dogs, you will have to deal with them running around near your potted plants.

You can’t stop them from being mischievous but you can prevent them from toppling over your potted plants.

A simple way to protect your plants is to surround them with chicken wire or a cage made with wire fencing.

Another option is to grow herbs with a strong scent such as mint, rosemary, thyme, or lavender that will keep pets away.

10. Use a pot stabilizer to secure the plant

You can get a pot stabilizer known as a wire plant stabilizer at a nursery, garden center, or a store such as Walmart, Amazon, Home Depot.

These are wire-frames that you place your plant pot in. They help extend the base of the pot so the weight distribution becomes better.

This will improve the stability of the potted plant and it won’t topple over even in strong winds.

11. Use a cover to protect the potted plant

If the plant is small, you can use inverted buckets and containers to cover up the plants when there is a strong wind.

Make sure the bucket is secured so it does not fly off the plant. You can place bricks or stones on top of the buckets.

Another option is to use a garden cloche to cover the plant and protect it from the wind. You can get a cloche made from wire, mesh, or fabric.