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Plant Pot Matchmaking: How to Choose the Right Containers for Your Plants

Royal City Nursery-Ontario-How to Choose the Right Containers for Your Plants-assorted pottery for sale

Nothing is more pleasing to the eye than a perfectly-potted plant. Choosing the best house for your plants is not just about nailing the right design; it’s also about making sure it’s a home your plant needs for a healthy, happy lifestyle. You wouldn’t move into a new home without careful consideration, so give your plants the same due diligence!

 

Materials Matter!

You might think that a pot is just a pot, but behind every container is the potential to help or hinder a plant. Here are the most common plant container materials and why you should think twice before repotting.

Terracotta

This baked clay pot type is one of the best choices for potting up many plants. Meaning “cooked earth” in Italian—it’s easy to imagine sun-baked Tuscan homes with stuffed terracotta pots lining the courtyard. They are timeless containers for plants, inexpensive, and readily available in many sizes, making them a popular choice among pro and amateur gardeners alike! Terracotta is also a natural material, perfect for an eco-friendly garden or a design scheme that embraces natural elements. 

Since terracotta is a porous material, however, they are typically not the best for plants that need to retain moisture (such as ferns, calatheas or African violets, for example.) This baked clay pulls moisture out, which makes it a great option for cacti, succulents, and other plants that like to dry out a bit between waterings. If you do plant flowers and other favourites in terracotta containers—indoors or out—make sure to keep your eye on the soil’s moisture regularly to avoid dehydration. 

Concrete

Concrete is another popular choice for a plant container; you will find a myriad of geometric shapes and styles to choose from. These types of planters are heavy, durable, and can make a bold statement in your garden or home as containers for plant arrangements or potted trees. It can be hard to move plants in concrete pottery, though, because of their weight, so pot up plants that can stay awhile!

 

Plastic

A lot of people are against plastics, but as a gardener, it can be hard to avoid them! Plants are potted in plastic containers in garden centres and greenhouses, and these containers are usually used to start seeds and grow smaller plants. They are easy and lightweight to move plants in and out of and can be recycled year after year with proper care. Plastic containers are easy to clean, inexpensive, and come in a variety of sizes for potting plants. 

Ceramic

It’s hard to pass up a nice ceramic container because they are all so pretty! Ceramic containers can be beautiful additions to your home and garden, and come in endless patterns, colours, and sizes to suit any decor. As for plant containers, though, be mindful that most ceramic containers aren’t drilled for drainage, so planting a pot directly into one can lead to a host of trouble like mould, root rot, and pest build-ups. If you do find containers you absolutely love, you can drill drainage holes yourself using a ceramic drill bit, or simply place your plant inside a proper plastic pot to ensure you can manage the water distribution correctly. 

 

Metal

Gardeners and houseplant enthusiasts alike are loving the industrial look and using metal containers to spruce up a plant paradise. Metal is a great durable container for plants, and retains moisture well. The only downside to using metal containers is that they tend to conduct heat and may overheat certain plants if left in direct sunlight. If using metal as a plant container, consider where you will be placing it when potted up.

Wood

Try out an array of wood planter boxes or whiskey barrels for a touch of country charm. These make nice accents to a farm garden, but just make sure you line them with plastic to avoid any rotting. Proper drainage must also be ensured with wood containers.

Size Matters

With so many amazing containers to choose from for your plant, how do you choose the right size? As your plant’s root system grows from your tireless nurturing and care, it will need more space to grow. The general rule is to repot plants in containers only 1–2″ bigger than the container it is currently in. Doing so will ensure that your plant gets the right amount of water. A large container full of soil for a small plant isn’t the best scenario, and will hold too much water, potentially harming your plant. 

 

If repotting your plants is on the agenda this spring, and you’re looking for the best place to buy new containers for your plants, stop by to see us for some great selection and helpful tips! Let us help you find the perfect pot for your plants, or you can try out our in-store potting service. You pay for the materials, and we pot! It’s a win-win.

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