Choosing a pot for plants is one of my favorite things as a plant mom. I find joy in taking my time to consider how does the foliage compliments the planter and where can I find the best planters for the lowest price. Honestly, it’s a huge topic in our houseplant facebook group! (join us here) A planter is something that can make or break your house plant as well as your indoor decor. Therefore, you want to be extremely mindful in choosing planters for you plants.
Alot of newbies and seasoned plant moms like to theme their planters around one color, type, or style. This concept adds character to your green space.
source: http://www.instagram.com/plantblerd
source: http://www.instagram.com/plantblerdSize
Over potting and under potting are issues that we really need to consider when choosing a planter for our plants. Some plants have preference for what size pot they like to be repotted into, but a good rule of thumb is to pot your plant in a planter 1-2 inches larger than the original pot. Over potting result in your plant either being drown in additional water being retained in a large planter and/or directing all of it energy to developing versus foliage. Under potting can cause additional stress to the plant and yourself because of the need to repot more often.
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Drainage over decor every day, all day. Proper drainage prevents the cause of the silent demise of most plants – root rot. It’s a necessary asset to plants and there is no way around it. I prefer than everyone just choose planters than have drainage holes, but if you must have that cute planter (I get it, I have a few) that has no holes to drain water, we have a hack for you.
Place your plant in a plastic nursery pot that is smaller than the cute planter, but a necessary size so the plant can thrive.
Add rocks/pebbles at the bottom of the decorative planter
Place the plant (planted in the nursery pot) inside the decorative planter
The pebbles will act as a barrier between your plant’s roots and soil and the excess water that will drain out. This will prevent your plant from soaking and rotting in water. Always check for excess water about 30 minutes after watering and pour out the additional water. This practice will prevent gnats as well. (read more about getting rid of ghats here)
Material
Material plays a larger role than many people are aware of. Most importantly, material of your planter effects your water habits. These are the most common materials that planters are made of:
Terra Cotta / Clay
Available in a variety of shapes and sizes, terra cotta pots adds an earthy color that compliments green foliage. Made of a porous clay rich in iron, terra cotta is very porous which allows your soil to remain cool and breathe as well as it absorbs water quickly preventing over watering. The main problem with using terra cotta is can dry out quite rapidly, especially in sunny locations. Therefore, terra cotta is a great fit plants who prefer drier soil and for plant owners who are heavy handed with watering.
Plastic
Plastic is typically what your new plants originally comes in. It’s lightweight and more affordable of most planters. they retain water more, so you would definitely need to water less frequently. Be mindful that dark colored plastic planters absorb heat in really sunny areas and can possibly can damage to sensitive roots.
