Ceramic Vs Clay Pots For Plants

At a glance you may think a ceramic pot is simply a terracotta pot with a good paint job.

Ceramic vs clay pots for plants.

Recently i had great success growing a yellow bell pepper a in largish ceramic pot. One of the downsides to clay pots is that clay is porous. The pot is about 18 high and 12 14 in diameter. The rusty brown color of clay is harmonious with every flower and foliage color.

Porous ceramic pots also called unglazed clay allow air and water movement through the sides of the pot. Terra cotta unglazed clay pots are made of a particular soil and fired in kilns during the manufacturing process. Plus clay pots release moisture faster when it s hot outside which means you ll need to water plants more frequently to prevent soil from drying out. Ceramic plant pots are really beautiful you ve probably seen them in decorating stores or on cafe tables.

They can be heavy and fragile and will break if they fall on the floor so we wouldn t recommend hanging them or placing them up high. Again watch out for pilfering animals. Clay can be thought of in terms of geological raw material which is the foundation product for the firing in the kiln which produces terra cotta and ceramics. Yes plastic pots hold more water than clay but this makes them an ideal choice for plants that thrive in moist soil or if you tend to forget to water.

Clay pots wick water and potting mix dries out faster which means you need to water plants more. For one clay is a heavy material with very little flexibility which means it easily breaks and is difficult to move. To explain a little better let s talk about these types of pots their general attributes why they work better for some plants than others and their overall pros and cons. Clay pots provide a healthy environment for most plants.

Air movement stimulates root growth which results in healthier plants. Generally plants that prefer moist soil are better suited to plastic pots. The porosity of clay allows air and moisture to penetrate the sides of the pot. I think a great place to get pots ceramic terra cotta is on craigslist or ebay.

Ebay is great for smaller prettier pots for your succulents. However ceramic pots are typically glazed with a coat of lacquer that prevents the soil from drying out at the same speed as it would in an unglazed clay or terracotta planter. Plants that prefer drier soil are better suited to clay pots. The word terra cotta itself means baked earth in italian.

Disadvantages to clay pots. That should give us a clue.