Decorative pots and containers for garden plants and trees
Clay pots
That old standby, the red clay pot, continues to be popular. It's
inexpensive, easy to find, and available in many shapes and sizes. The
earthy color (besides red, clay pots are sometimes available in shades
of brown or gray) and texture blend well with most furniture styles and
don't overshadow the plant.
Because they are porous, clay pots absorb moisture and permit air
circulation. They are great for beginning gardeners since it is
difficult to over water plants in them.
If plants are over fertilized, excess salts appear as a white crust on
the pot sides. In areas where the water has a heavy salt concentration,
the excess salts leach out, also forming a white crust on pot sides. A
nonporous container cannot give you these problem signals.
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bonsai pots
Plastic pots
Modern man's answer to pottery is plastic. Plastic
containers are easy to clean, lightweight even when watered, inexpensive
to buy, and available in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes.
One novel container is made of clear plastic, exposing the potting mix
and root system.
Nonporous plastic pots may create watering problems
They do not absorb any moisture or permit air circulation. Since
watered plants in plastic pots remain moist longer than plants in porous
containers and need watering less frequently, plastic pots are the best
choice for moisture-loving plants. Until watering plants has become
second nature, though, the beginning indoor gardener may find porous
pots easier to use.
If wide slits on the container bottom serve as drainage holes, use a
thin layer of stones or pebbles instead of pot shards for crocking.
Glazed ceramic bonsai pots
Available in many colors and sometimes vividly decorated with
patterns or pictures, glazed ceramic pots are quite ornamental. Prices
vary according to size and decoration. Glazed containers, like plastic
pots, are nonporous and may present watering problems to the beginner.
If you find the perfect glazed pot but are hesitant to buy it because of
possible watering difficulties, use it as a decorative sleeve.
Metal containers
With the renewed interest in indoor gardening, an increasing number
of people use house plants as decorative objects. Plants in metal
containers of copper, brass, silver or silverplate, pewter, polished
steel, iron, or aluminum are elegant enough to suit any decor.
For various reasons, most metal containers are best used as decorative
sleeves. Since many metals tarnish, they may require
periodic cleaning or polishing. If excess water is left standing
indefinitely in the pot, it could corrode the metals. If your container
is valuable, line it with heavy plastic or place a drainage saucer
inside to avoid water damage. Metal containers rarely have drainage
holes. If you decide to plant directly into your metal pot, drainage
material must be provided to capture any excess moisture created by
regular watering. If you are lucky, enough to find a metal pot with
proper drainage holes, treat it as a normal container when planting. Be
sure to provide a saucer or tray to catch any water runoff. Plant roots
that touch the sides or bottom of a copper pot will die. This shouldn't
radically affect the plant's health, since the remaining roots will
live.
Wooden containers.
Though more generally used outdoors, wooden containers are relatively
inexpensive and available in many sizes, shapes, and wood types. Stained
or varnished wood is usually nonporous. Untreated wood containers can be
porous and, like clay pots, should be soaked before you plant in them.
If drainage holes are present, place a waterproof saucer under the pot
to catch excess water.
If your wooden container is slatted, the sides may not be watertight.
This could create a seepage problem that would be unattractive, as well
as hard on furniture surfaces. It's best to use these containers as
decorative sleeves rather than planting in them directly.
Baskets.
Plants and basketry seem to be made for each other. Baskets can be
found in a profusion of shapes, sizes, and price ranges. Though usually
constructed of natural materials in shades of beige or brown, some woven
containers are painted or stained in a variety of colors.
Since baskets aren't watertight, they should be used as decorative
sleeves. Unless a saucer to catch water runoff can be
placed inside the basket, watered plants will leak, probably ruining
furniture surfaces and eventually the basket. A few baskets can be
purchased with metal inserts, permitting planting in them directly.
Since these inserts do not have drainage holes, treat them as drain-less
containers when planting.
Self-watering bonsai containers
If you find watering house plants a nuisance or if you travel
frequently and must leave your plants alone, self-watering containers
may be the answer. These innovative containers are usually constructed
of plastic. They have a reservoir for storing water and a method of
tapping this stored water when the potting soil dries out. Moving
through capillary action, water is drawn up into the pot by either a
sensing device or a fiber wick until the potting mix becomes evenly
moist. When the potting mix dries out again, the cycle is repeated. Use
the self-watering container as a decorative sleeve or
plant directly into it.
Eclectic containers
If your taste leans to the unusual or the
unexpected, you can put plants in containers originally designed for
other purposes. Cookie jars, ice buckets, pitchers, coffee pots, jars,
watering cans, or anything else with enough space to hold potting mix
and a plant can be transformed into unique containers. You need only
imagination and courage. Since these containers were not designed to hold
plants, they will not have drainage holes.
