Faced with a sea of choices, if you select the wrong pot, you can waste money, time and even damage your plants. There are three main features to consider when choosing containers.

1. Drainage 2. Porosity 3. Weight. These and other important factors, can help you avoid making costly mistakes like waterlogged or dry soil that kills your plants or broken pots in windy spots.

Do your homework first before buying pots or repurposing items for your plants

It may save you a lot of heartache later, by taking into consideration how porous and heavy a pot is, as well as its drainage characteristics.

Three Key Factors to Consider When Choosing Plant Pots

1. Drainage

Whichever container you select, it must have adequate drainage holes.  Healthy plants not only need room to grow, but also adequate oxygen for the roots.  Excess water must be able to escape or plants will drown. If your potting mix smells sour, this could be the problem!

2. Porosity

Porous containers such as those made from unglazed terracotta or clay, timber, paper pulp and other natural materials allow moisture and air to move through them.

What are the benefits of materials that ‘breathe’?

• They allow air to circulate around plant roots.
• As the moisture evaporates out the side of the pot, it cools the soil and helps draw excess water, preventing root rot.

What are the disadvantages?

• These containers dry out more quickly (especially in full sun) and so does the potting mix.
• This can lead to plant stress or death if not watered regularly.
• These pots need watering more frequently than non-porous materials like ceramic and plastic.

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