Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> About Gardening

Why Container Drainage Water Turns Brown

Q: My older resin containers release yellowish-brown water when deeply watered. Are the containers breaking down?

A: The containers aren't degrading. The discoloration comes from decomposing potting soil and plant roots releasing tannins—similar to the brown water in the Okefenokee Swamp. If plants are declining, refresh the potting mix.

About Gardening: New Sod Puddles & Sidewalk Flooding: Adjust Irrigation Runtime First; Draining a Wet Backyard Spot: Simple Methods First; Neighbor Drainage Conflict: Redirecting Downspouts and Grading; Solving Yard Drainage Problems: Gravel Sumps, Regrading, and French Drains; Solving Chronic Yard Saturation and Basement Sump Pump Cycling; Filling a Backyard Valley: Drainage Pipe Considerations and Legal Responsibilities; Saving Vegetable Seedlings in High Desert Heat; Fixing a Brick Patio That Holds Water and Grows Grass; Rainwater Container Safety: Smell Test and Source Verification; New Home Drainage Disaster: Fix Water Before Planting Grass

Garden Articles

Simple Fix for AC Condensate Drainage Pit

French Drain Not Flowing: Groundwater vs. Surface Water Diagnosis

Fixing a Low-Spot Driveway Pond with a Catch Basin

Fixing Basement Flooding from Backyard Slope: Three Options

Tap Water Suitability and Styrofoam Container Insulation for Sarracenia

Pygmy Date Palm Yellowing in Las Vegas: Overwatering and Drainage

Neighbor Drainage Runoff Ruining Backyard Sod

Plants

How to Locate and Control a Mysterious Water Drainage Source in Your Yard

Complex Yard Drainage: Catch Basins and ADS Pipe System

Why Does My Lawn Feel Like a Water Bed? Understanding Saturated Soil

Neighbor's Runoff: Stop Water at the Fence Without Causing Problems

Lawn Drainage Solutions: From Simple to Engineered

Solving a Clay‑Soil Drainage Nightmare in Folsom, California

Succulents in Small Containers: Miniature Gardens