Containers for Houseplants (5606)

Gardeners often debate the merits of clay and plastic pots for indoor green plants. Are there any differences between the two types of pots? Can you successfully grow plants in plastic pots?

Commercial growers often use plastic pots.  Almost all greenhouse plants grow in some type of plastic container. Indoor gardeners, however, often have problems when they use plastic containers. For this reason, many indoor gardeners believe clay pots are best for green plants.

There is a basic difference between the two types of containers. Water passes through the walls of clay containers and evaporates to surrounding air. This process often leaves a white substance on the outer walls of clay containers. Because water evaporates quickly, the soil dries out much faster than in plastic where water cannot pass through the walls.

Plastic restricts water movement through the walls and keeps the soil moist for a fairly long time. The indoor gardener must recognize this and modify watering practices accordingly.

The problem becomes somewhat complex when indoor gardeners have a mix of clay, plastic, and similar decorative pots. It means you must touch the soil to see if the plant needs water.

Some plants are sensitive to over-watering. This is especially true for cacti and succulents. You will have more success using clay containers with these plants.

Flowering plants such as the poinsettia and hydrangea need large quantities of water. Plastic pots would help keep the soil moist.

You can double-pot plants if you want to use plastic and decorative containers. Keep plants in a clay pot or a plastic pot with a drainage hole. Place the pot into a larger decorative container that does not have drainage holes. Place a one-to-two inch layer of coarse sand or gravel in the base of the container.

The pot containing the plant will sit on this material. Remove excess water every two weeks by tipping the unit. You can cover the surface with long fiber sphagnum moss to hide the double potting.

The double potting method works quite well when growing plants in large containers. Planter boxes are often used indoors in buildings and offices. You can put a variety of plants with different watering requirements in the same planter. You do not have to surround each plant with a lot of soil.

You can leave plants in clay pots and surround them with peat moss or vermiculite. You can water the soil directly or water the material surrounding the pots. This process enables you to remove plants periodically and replace with others.

You can also look at the root system to see if corrective action is called for, especially if foliage is beginning to turn yellow. It is more difficult to lift plants from planter units when you place them directly in soil.

You can successfully use clay and plastic containers when you grow most indoor flowering plants. Modify watering practices according to the pot as well as the likes and dislikes of particular indoor plants.

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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