Types of Pots for Indoor Gardens

 

Each individual indoor gardener has a personal preference for the type of pot used for potted plants. Both the clay pot and the plastic pot are equally capable of supporting plants and each has both advantages and disadvantages.

 

All clay pots have the same earthy terracotta appearance while plastic pots can come in a variety of shapes and different surfaces.

 

Foam types of insulated plastic pots are available also which are great for rooms which are not heated in winter time.

The clay type of pot tends to be heavy and therefore is less likely to topple over, and due to its natural porosity is less likely to allow the roots to become waterlogged. The natural color of the pot allows it to blend in harmoniously with most interior backgrounds.

The problem with clay pots is of course that it requires a crocks to be placed in the bottom to ensure water retention to avoid water flowing directly out of the somewhat large drainage hole.

Plastic pots on the other hand are usually lightweight and are much less likely to break if they are dropped, and they have better water retention properties being considerably less porous than the clay pot. They are far more easily cleaned and are available in far more decorative forms than the clay pot.

There are a range of self watering pots becoming available for indoor gardens which can be obtained in a wide range of sizes from the small kinds of pot commonly used on window sills, up to the large free standing tubs used in the corner of the room for much larger indoor plants.

Typically these self watering pots consist of the main container which contains the growing medium and the plant, and a lower container which acts as a water reservoir. The water is drawn from the lower level up to the upper level by capillary action with the reservoir being kept topped up via a filler tube.

 

There are other varieties of indoor pots and of course you can may your own DIY pots