How Do I... Pick the Right Plant Pots?
Do you know your terracotta from your fibreclay and your plastic? A horticulturist shares the secrets to buying pots
In this practical series, we ask experts to answer your burning design, decorating and gardening questions. Here, horticulturist and Northcote Pottery ambassador Melissa King reveals her top tips for choosing the right plant pots.
Northcote Pottery terracotta pots
Are terracotta pots a good choice?
With their warm, earthy feel, Italian terracotta pots make a timeless addition to the garden – plus, they go with just about anything.
Terracotta pots are porous, allowing air and water to pass through the walls of the pot, so they are an ideal choice for dry-loving herbs such as rosemary and oregano or Mediterranean-style plants like geraniums and lavender. You can even paint them to express your potted personality.
Terracotta pots are suitable for most areas of Australia. Just be aware that they can be vulnerable to cold weather and may crack in extreme conditions.
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Are terracotta pots a good choice?
With their warm, earthy feel, Italian terracotta pots make a timeless addition to the garden – plus, they go with just about anything.
Terracotta pots are porous, allowing air and water to pass through the walls of the pot, so they are an ideal choice for dry-loving herbs such as rosemary and oregano or Mediterranean-style plants like geraniums and lavender. You can even paint them to express your potted personality.
Terracotta pots are suitable for most areas of Australia. Just be aware that they can be vulnerable to cold weather and may crack in extreme conditions.
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What about glazed pots?
Glazed pots are ideal for bringing a splash of colour to your garden or patio. The glaze seals the outside of the pot and makes the clay less permeable so the pot holds onto moisture better. The glaze also gives you a stronger, more resilient pot and the thick walls help to protect the soil from absorbing excessive heat. So, in most cases they are a good option for hotter areas.
Glazed pots can be heavy, but you can use that to your advantage by growing larger plants that might need a more stable base. The most stable shapes are square or squat pots that have ‘wide shoulders’.
I often plant small trees like weeping Japanese maples in big glazed pots, because they are nice and heavy and don’t tip over easily. Tall plants with big heads like standard crepe myrtles also work well in large glazed pots.
Glazed pots are ideal for bringing a splash of colour to your garden or patio. The glaze seals the outside of the pot and makes the clay less permeable so the pot holds onto moisture better. The glaze also gives you a stronger, more resilient pot and the thick walls help to protect the soil from absorbing excessive heat. So, in most cases they are a good option for hotter areas.
Glazed pots can be heavy, but you can use that to your advantage by growing larger plants that might need a more stable base. The most stable shapes are square or squat pots that have ‘wide shoulders’.
I often plant small trees like weeping Japanese maples in big glazed pots, because they are nice and heavy and don’t tip over easily. Tall plants with big heads like standard crepe myrtles also work well in large glazed pots.
Northcote Pottery lightweight fibreclay pots
What grows well in lightweight pots?
You can grow almost anything in lightweight pots, but I like to grow brightly coloured annuals or summer perennials and shrubs in them so that I can move them around the garden to bring colour and interest where it’s needed.
Lightweight pots are made from a combination of fibreclay, glass reinforced cement and fibreglass so they’re tough and light enough to manoeuvre, even when full of potting mix and plants. They are an ideal choice for city-dwellers or renters, particularly those who like to chop and change their potted displays.
What grows well in lightweight pots?
You can grow almost anything in lightweight pots, but I like to grow brightly coloured annuals or summer perennials and shrubs in them so that I can move them around the garden to bring colour and interest where it’s needed.
Lightweight pots are made from a combination of fibreclay, glass reinforced cement and fibreglass so they’re tough and light enough to manoeuvre, even when full of potting mix and plants. They are an ideal choice for city-dwellers or renters, particularly those who like to chop and change their potted displays.
Which pots are best for growing herbs?
Herbs grow well in almost any pot, but I think they look best in window boxes or squat pots all grouped together for impact. Terracotta pots are porous so they are a great choice for dry-loving herbs like rosemary and oregano that don’t like to sit in damp potting mix.
Herbs grow well in almost any pot, but I think they look best in window boxes or squat pots all grouped together for impact. Terracotta pots are porous so they are a great choice for dry-loving herbs like rosemary and oregano that don’t like to sit in damp potting mix.
Over-enthusiastic herbs like mint are best planted in a pot of their own.
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What about plastic pots?
Plastic pots are strong, lightweight, and easy to manoeuvre and plant up, making them suitable for balconies and decks. They come in a variety of modern designs, styles and colours that are easy to match to your garden decor.
Avoid using dark-coloured plastic pots in hot areas as they absorb heat. Sunlight can fade poorer-quality plastic pots or make them brittle so be sure to look out for UV-treated plastic styles.
Plastic pots are strong, lightweight, and easy to manoeuvre and plant up, making them suitable for balconies and decks. They come in a variety of modern designs, styles and colours that are easy to match to your garden decor.
Avoid using dark-coloured plastic pots in hot areas as they absorb heat. Sunlight can fade poorer-quality plastic pots or make them brittle so be sure to look out for UV-treated plastic styles.
Unlike terracotta pots, plastic pots aren’t porous, which has some advantages. Plastic containers don’t dry out as quickly so they are a good choice if you don’t want to water as frequently.
Plants that don’t like to dry out too much, such as summer veggies or thirsty plants like hydrangeas, do well in plastic containers.
Plants that don’t like to dry out too much, such as summer veggies or thirsty plants like hydrangeas, do well in plastic containers.
How do I choose the right size?
In general, the bigger the plant, the bigger the pot. Shallower-rooted plants including annuals and herbs can be grown in pots that are only 20 to 30 centimetres deep, but deeper-rooted plants such as tomatoes and dwarf fruit trees like to be grown in pots that are at least 50 centimetres deep.
In general, the bigger the plant, the bigger the pot. Shallower-rooted plants including annuals and herbs can be grown in pots that are only 20 to 30 centimetres deep, but deeper-rooted plants such as tomatoes and dwarf fruit trees like to be grown in pots that are at least 50 centimetres deep.
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How do I know when it’s time to re-pot plants into a bigger pot?
If the plant looks cramped or is bulging over the sides of the pot it’s a sure sign that it needs to be re-potted.
Roots may even be growing through the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot. Sometimes the roots push the plant up, so that it looks like it’s about to leap out of the container.
You may also see signs of distress like poor flowering or stunted growth.
If the plant looks cramped or is bulging over the sides of the pot it’s a sure sign that it needs to be re-potted.
Roots may even be growing through the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot. Sometimes the roots push the plant up, so that it looks like it’s about to leap out of the container.
You may also see signs of distress like poor flowering or stunted growth.
Would you recommend self-watering pots?
With a self-watering system, plants can access water as they need it and in most designs the overflow hole drains away any excess. These pots also help to retain nutrients and reduce watering time.
Another advantage of self-watering pots is that moisture doesn’t sit on the foliage so there is less chance of fungal disease.
I turn to self-watering pots when I don’t want to think about watering. They’re also great if you have a habit of killing your plants by over- or under-watering. So self-watering pots are a good choice if you want happy, healthy house plants. They’re also perfect for shade-loving patio plants like ferns or hydrangeas.
With a self-watering system, plants can access water as they need it and in most designs the overflow hole drains away any excess. These pots also help to retain nutrients and reduce watering time.
Another advantage of self-watering pots is that moisture doesn’t sit on the foliage so there is less chance of fungal disease.
I turn to self-watering pots when I don’t want to think about watering. They’re also great if you have a habit of killing your plants by over- or under-watering. So self-watering pots are a good choice if you want happy, healthy house plants. They’re also perfect for shade-loving patio plants like ferns or hydrangeas.
Are there any plants I shouldn’t put in a self-watering pot?
Dry-loving plants such as cacti and succulents aren’t the best choices for self-watering pots.
Dry-loving plants such as cacti and succulents aren’t the best choices for self-watering pots.
Your turn
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Want more on gardening? Check out this story: 3 Hottest Indoor Plants for 2021… And How to Make Them Thrive
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More
Want more on gardening? Check out this story: 3 Hottest Indoor Plants for 2021… And How to Make Them Thrive
Comments (0)
Picking the right pot isn’t just about style and design – it’s also important to consider the functionality of the pot and how you’ll be using it in your garden.
Outdoor pots are designed with holes in the bottom to allow the potting mix to drain freely. On the other hand, cache or cover pots don’t have a hole at the bottom, so the plant is placed inside the cover pot in the original black plastic pot. With these pots, plants need to be removed before watering to allow water to drain completely.
Consider self-watering options if you want to make watering your container garden easy.