Pots are the 1st thing you need in container gardening. Because pots replace the role of cultivating a piece of land, pots have more advantages than in-ground gardening, like mobility, ease of growing in small spaces, ability to grow plants in pots by utilising vertical space, and cost efficiency because of lesser material needs than in-ground gardening. You can grow edible plants, Herbs, indoor plants and foliage anywhere with minimal effort. That’s the highlight of container gardening.
Importance of selecting the right pots for successful gardening
When choosing pots for your plants there are two different checklists to check. The 1st checklist is about functional purposes and the other is about decorative purposes.
The functional purposes of a pot are the size of a pot that perfectly fits and encourages plant growth, drainage holes that are important to keep the potting mix well-drained and the material that is suitable for your climate conditions.
The Decorative purposes are shapes that fit your space, a colour that blends with your indoor or outdoor space and types of pots that you need like railing pots, hanging pots and vertical planters.
Guide on choosing the best pots for different plants
In this Blog, you will learn about some important basics that will help you get some ideas about choosing pots. In the following blogs about pots, you are going learn how to choose the best pots for your plants in detail about pot size, material, and some popular pots like hanging pots and vertical planters. In feature Blogs, you will get to know about some advanced container gardening strategies as well so keep in touch.
TYPES OF CONTAINER GARDENING POTS MATERIALS
There are various pot materials, and each has pros and cons. Knowing these characteristics will help you choose the best pot material for your plants.
Pros: A sustainable choice in Container gardening with an aesthetic-classy-nature look. Terracotta/Clay pots have natural pores, so the water drains out naturally (it doesn’t mean you don’t have to poke a drainage hole) the pores allow air to pass through.
Cons: I’ve used terracotta pots., The reason I give up on terracotta pots is they’re super expensive now and they’re fragile and heavier than plastic pots. I’ve used clay pots for 6-7 years before at that time they were affordable. Most of the pots are broken after years and years. They’re heavier as well as an individual gardener I don’t prefer this for solo gardeners.
Pros: Ceramic pots are suitable for decorative purposes and indoor uses. These pots are preferable choices for growing houseplants and succulents. They’re excellent showpieces along with houseplants. You can’t make drainage holes in ceramic pots, but you can use the double pot method to use them. It’s a little expensive than other pots but it’s good to invest if you’re into home decor.
Cons: Ceramic pots are extremely fragile, you’ve to be extra careful while handling them, a little more expensive than other pot materials. You can’t make drainage holes. These pots can be used for only indoor purposes and houseplants, exposure to hard weather might damage the texture.
Pros: Metal pots are long-lasting and resistant to breakage. Sleek modern and rustic looks are some textures to your rooms. Easier to move, metal pots are now available in different colours as well so you can choose based on your room’s wall colour and decor themes.
Cons: Metal pots absorb heat from direct sunlight, potentially affecting the plant roots. Some metal pots like iron without protection coating rust over time exposure to humidity. Also, metal pots don’t have drainage holes so you’ve to adopt the double pot method.
Pros: A widely used pot material in container gardening., because of the affordable price, and light-weight. Choosing UV-protected pots prevents damage from sun exposure. Choosing pots with drainage holes is preferable or you can easily drill a hole using a soldiering iron in plastic pots. Not a fragile one but it’s not easily breakable. Designer pots are available in a little bit more pricey than normal ones.
Cons: Plastic pots are not as breathable as Terracotta pots so it is important to make drainage holes before potting. Without UV protection pots might get damaged by sun exposure over time. Plastic pots are preferable for edible gardens, and growing herbs and flowers because they are less visually appealing.
Pros: Fabric pots or Grow bags are another sustainable option. A breathable pot material with excellent air circulation for root growth., a good option to prevent root rot and overwatering. Extremely lightweight easy to move, encourages air pruning. Sometimes the texture fills best for your home decor.
Cons: Less durable materials may wear out after a few growing seasons. Dry out more quickly not suitable for moist-loving plants. Sometimes fabric pots collapse easily or can’t maintain a structure.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A POT
Importance of choosing the right pot size for plant growth
Choosing pot size is important for plant growth. The suitable-sized pots encourage growth, smaller pots restrict growth and the bigger pots hold lots of moisture and lead to root rot. The right pot size has to be chosen by the root ball, not the height of the plant. Choose the pot size 2 inches bigger than the root ball. If the saplings are in 4-inch pots then choose 6-inch pots to grow., you can repot after the plant root grow bigger.
MATERIALS | Durability | Weight | Moisture Retention |
TERRACOTTA | Moderate | Heavy | Low |
CERAMIC | Moderate | Heavy | High |
METAL | Very High | Varies | Low |
PLASTIC | High | Light | High |
FABRIC | Moderate | Light | Low |
Why Drainage is crucial and how to select pots with proper drainage
Pots with proper drainage holes are important to drain out the excess water. You can’t measure the water amount separately for every pot and not possible to calculate how much water is needed for a plant. That’s why we need drainage holes in pots to drain out excess water from watering or rain.
It’s easy to drill holes in plastic pots using soldiering iron, fabric pots have pores to drain out the water, and you can drill holes in terracotta pots by soaking them in water and poking a hole in damp terracotta material using sharp objects. Metal and Ceramic pots are hard to drill and you might damage the pots while drilling.
To make proper drainage in those hard-to-make hole materials or pots you can use the double pot method. Putting a pot with proper drainage holes inside those pots. You can pour out the water. For other pot materials with drainage holes, it’s advisable to use plant trays to collect excess water to avoid water dripping and floor and damage the floor.
Aesthetic and Style in pots
Whenever you choose a pot, just analyse the place you are going to put it and know the purpose of the pot. For Gardens and greenhouses, you can choose pots based on plant needs, edible plants need more in-depth pots so grow bags and bigger plastic pots are easy to move and affordable. For outdoor choose durable pots like metal pots or UV-resistant plastic pots.
For indoor – semi-indoor decor purposes choose glazed ceramic pots or designed plastic pots that should blend with the indoor decor. For flower pots you can use designed plastic pots or normal pots it depends on where you are going to place the plant.
HOW POT SIZE AFFECTS PLANT HEALTH
Too Small or Too Large pots: A big NO
Why I said no to two small or two large pots is simple. The pot should be only 2 inches bigger than the root ball the ideal size. You can report after you see roots under the drainage hole or you see signs of root bound. Too small pots dry quicker and congested space restricts root growth.
Too big pots have more potting mix than the needed quantity, they hold extra nutrients like nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus that lead to fertilising and burn the plant. Also, holding excess water in potting mix leads to root rot, and soil compaction and leads to fungal attacks.
Tips for repotting when plants have outgrown their pots
This thing usually happens when root bound happens you can see signs like quick drying of soil, water draining out quickly and stunted growth and roots in the bottom. If you see these signs just transplant the pot to one size bigger pot filled with healthy potting mix. Add Epsom salt to reduce the plant stress of repotting.
DIY OR UPCYCLED POTS
Using Household Items as Pots
You can turn any of the household items into pots. We throw a lot of tins, cans and containers in different materials as garbage. All those items mostly end up in landfills, to avoid these you can use mason jars, food containers, water bottles buckets, cans and a lot more containers in households as pots.
Tips for ensuring plant health in DIY or Recycled pots
Whatever the material cans or containers you going to upcycle as pots., make sure they have drainage holes. If it is not possible to make holes use the double pot method using another upcycled material.
Materials like iron or steel have a possibility of rust and heat absorption choose a place based on that. Handle carefully when you repurpose fragile materials. knowing pot materials characteristics before using is helpful as a gardener.
MAINTAINING CONTAINER GARDENING POTS
- Metal pots need rust coating and have to be avoided in direct sunlight places.
- Clay pots form algae or mould after placing in high humidity and heavy rains, so scrap them out after wet seasons or try to put them indoors.
- Use UV-protected plastic pots for outdoor gardens for durability in plastic pots.
- Use Bottom trays to collect water and avoid damage.
- Fabric pots might tear out after a few blooming seasons, use quality fabric pots and try to keep them away from direct sunlight.
- If you want to store empty pots for next season, wash the pots, let them dry and store them in a shaded and dry place.
- If possible, store small containers in bins with a lid.
CONCLUSION
Choosing the pot contains spending money, a main thing for container gardening. So, the pots have to be functional, visually appealing, easy to care and maintain, mobility and affordable as well. To tick all these boxes the above tips will help to choose you the right pots as a beginner. Check out other Blog Posts to learn more about pots – potting mix –tools.
You can try new pot materials, shapes, colours and different patterns every time to experience different themes in pot arrangement in container gardening. Also, let me know in the comment section what is your most favourite and least favourite pots.
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