"Livs" wrote in message
...

Thanks Billy, I've done this now with all pots, putting a layer of
broken terracotta at the base and creating more drainage holes.
Unfortunately it seems to have made no difference. The water just seems
to be sitting on the top layer and not even reaching the drainage holes.
I don't know if its the fact that I mixed in some water retaining
granules or that the compost was not bone dry when I first poured it out
of the grow bag and into the pots??? Or posibly I'm jut giving too much
water but I'd say I used a quarter of a small watering can on each this
tme and still the same problem. Grrrr

When you say that the water is sitting 'on' the top layer, do you mean that
it is actually not soaking into the potting mix?

If you do mean that, then it sounds like the potting mix is water repellant
and until you can rewet it then nothing will work.