Eco-gardening is at its best in The Monday Garden
April 13, 2003, issue 55
Lots of pots get bought in April. Purists favor terra cotta . .... Serene as old stone, it’s porous, promoting air circulation and moisture balance. Downside, it’s heavy and breakable. Also, chemical salts (you see a whitish streaking or crust) can build up to harmful levels. Remove by soaking empty pots in vinegar. “Clay” is the same thing, only cheaper. Terra cotta glazed on the outside is almost as healthy and looks cleaner.
Plastic is cheap, lightweight, durable, and retains moisturize. However, it doesn’t let the roots breathe and can retain too much moisture. And it’s, er, plastic. I like it for hanging vines. Clear plastic (e.g. disposable cups) is good for hanging orchids, very light and the roots get sun.
China is pretty but is functionally like plastic only heavier, more expensive, and breakable. It’s not good outdoors in winter. If you like china, use decorative “cashe pots” (e.g. no drainage hole) j big enough to fit a clay pot holding your plant, with some gravel underneath for drainage. Ferns, particularly, like double potting as it keeps their roots cool and damp.
Outdoors, foam containers are lightweight and good insulators but the styles tend to be too ornate. Wood’s good but can rot over time unless treated with chemicals (potentially very dangerous). Concrete planters are wonderful but very heavy. In the right place, plastic’s OK too. Reduce weight and increase drainage and insulation by filing the pot’s bottom with Styrofoam packing “peanuts”. Black pots, of course, absorb more heat than light ones.
I like terra cotta indoors and out. My secret: terra cotta’s most likely to break by freezing in its first winter, so get “pre-tested” pots by buying last year’s stock in early spring from nurseries that store their pots outdoors. When a pot breaks, use “Quick Grab” glue or tie it together with decorative string.
Whatever pot you’re buying, make sure it has a drainage hole. And size matters: don’t pot up more than an inch or two in diameter at a time. Overwatering in the number one houseplant killer and over-potting is a key cause of overwatering.
Aesthetically, make your pots a consistent part of the décor. Use similar color, shape, material, and/or size to unify groupings. Pick size, shape, and color to compliment the plant. (Some people have lots of shoes; I confess to a closet full of pots but often still don’t have just the right one.)
Photo credits: Sue Sweeney
© Sue Sweeney 2003
Comments (1)
What the readers said:
Just came back from doing laundry -- I always spend the …drying time in the local church garden …. it's FULL of daffodils of all shades of yellow, orange and white -- the large frilly ones and the miniatures too. BTW the word is spelled "cache" pot. Don't know whether it's more strongly related to the meaning of "hiding" the presumably unsightly interior pot or it's just "storage." Spelling is NOT my strong suit, but in this case it's French -- although we have the word "cache" in English too -- and for some reason I'm better in foreign languages -- probably because my vocabulary didn't race ahead of my spelling ability when I was learning. But that's why it's pronounced "cash po" instead of "catch pot." Gregg (NY) [fortunately, The Monday Garden crew includes lots of generous experts!]
Nice article. I, too, prefer clay and pressed peat pots (the latter, of course, is only temporary but so is life). Today I was out in the rear garden, pruning shrub deadwood and being surprised that so many fat buds had appeared on everything. Barbara (NY)
I was just in my garden … admiring the little blue Grecian wild flowers…. They are the same blue purple. Fortunately, we've had some nice weather …which gave me the opportunity to spring clean. Yesterday was just enjoying the bulbs …. Our pink pussy willow is also in bloom. Lin (NY)
Posted by Sue Sweeney | February 28, 2005 6:38 PM
Posted on February 28, 2005 18:38