Today, ceramic pots are the most often used type of container for indoor plants. They come in a wide variety of designs, hues, and dimensions.
Where can I buy affordable plant pots?
You can use a few hints and techniques to get the big pots you might require for your garden. In truth, it’s simple, even free, to obtain large containers that can be used as garden pots. You only need to ask.
For instance, purchasing one of those 5 gallon plastic pots from your neighborhood Home Depot or a store like it is rather simple. The secret is to inquire about the recycling program at the store. For everybody who purchases a tree, plant, or even a program, Home Depot offers a special program. You can recycle the plant’s growth container if you purchase a plant.
The fact that these pots are available for free is fantastic. Since they are designed for recycling, the staff will typically let you take as many as you like at no charge. Even if your neighborhood store doesn’t give them away for free, there’s a good chance you can still purchase them for a very low cost.
It is obvious that using this strategy might help you save a lot of money given that a normal large pot or container costs at least $10 each piece. Yes, you will need to clean these pots at home, but it won’t be a big deal since you can obtain all of these pots for nothing or for a very low cost.
Bakeries are a great place to seek for inexpensive, old pots. As cookie and frosting buckets are commonly used by bakeries, you might stop by your neighborhood bakery and inquire as to if any buckets are available for disposal. Most likely, you’ll be able to receive them for nothing. This is an additional simple method for obtaining huge pots for your yard.
The bottom line is to simply ask around at neighborhood shops. Many businesses are more than delighted to let you take large containers that they no longer need for free. It’s a good substitute for store-bought pots. They are affordable and make excellent plant planters. The only thing you have to do is fully clean them before using.
Which plant containers should I buy?
Yes. But first, let us first say congrats on your new plant before we explain why. Repotting is the next stage in becoming a plant parent. You need a new planter because of this, and we’ll show you how to pick one.
Yes. Getting messy is usually a little fun, and more importantly, it benefits your plant. Additionally, repotting your plant offers it new potting soil to grow in. Your plant will not only be able to maintain its current size but also grow bigger. At first, repotting doesn’t usually include using a larger pot. Repotting may entail replacing old potting soil that has lost some of its nutritional value. But when your plant inevitably outgrows its current container, you’ll need to buy a bigger one.
Yes. Plants are frequently described in terms of size or inches when we talk about them. The diameter of the container in which the plant is planted is mentioned here rather than the plant itself. No matter the size of the plant—it comes in a 4 tall x 4 broad pot—a 4 plant, for instance, refers to a plant growing in a pot with a 4 diameter. These units of measurement allow for a wide range of plant heights and species. One or one foot tall cacti can fit in a four-pot container. If the plant is currently in a 10 pot or smaller pot, choose a pot that is 1-2 larger than the existing size. Choose a pot with a diameter that is 2-3 larger if your present pot is larger than 10.
Yes. Although choosing planters and pots with drainage is usually a good idea, especially if you are just getting started with watering, it is absolutely doable to make planters without drainage work with a little bit of skill. It is important to keep in mind to fill the container with no more water than about one-third of its size. To make areas for extra water to drain into, you can also line the bottom of the planter with lava rocks or something similar. The likelihood of root rot will undoubtedly be reduced by using these techniques.
Right now, you’re prepared to select a fresh pot or planter. I’ll give you one more item to think about before you leave. What materials are in my planter? Terracotta, wood, or plastic planters are commonly seen in stores. Go porous is the suggestion we offer. Plastic pots won’t dry as uniformly as porous ceramics like terracotta, and any wood planter will dry much more quickly than terracotta. Ceramic planters are another excellent option. Additionally, fiberglass planters are perfect for plants with a diameter of 8″ or greater if weight is a concern. Get creative. Horticulture is a combination of art and science.
How large should pots be for indoor plants?
Knowing that planters or pots come in a variety of sizes, but that the four most common sizes are helpful when choosing containers for potted situations. The following pot sizes work well for the majority of houseplants: 6 cm (2 in. ), 8 cm (3 in. ), 13 cm (5 in. ), and 18 cm (7 in.). Of course, you might need to reach as high as 25 cm (10 inches) to provide room for tall trees or floor-standing plants. Stores typically don’t charge for the saucers, which come in corresponding sizes for the pots to stand in.
The clay pot is a common plant container. These are strong, hard pots that go with most plants and furnishings. Due to their porosity, they can allow extra moisture to evaporate through the sides. The same method can allow toxic salts to escape. However, plastic can be preferable if you have plants that require more moisture. Since water cannot evaporate out of plastic in this situation, you need to be careful not to overwater.
Generally speaking, anything with sides and a base can be turned into a planter or decorative container. Old teapots, jars, and discoveries from thrift stores are ideal. Old salad plates, tins for storage, and buckets—all of them work! Even simple wooden crates or boxes can add character to your plant arrangement. You may paint plastic containers, terracotta pots, and even baskets. Metal rusts, thus it’s best to use anything made of metal to hold plastic pots rather than for planting. You can use anything that isn’t waterproof to hold pots, but make sure to line it with plastic so it doesn’t get wet.
You need to exercise caution if you plant directly into pots that are not made for this. It’s possible that the drainage offered by these containers is inadequate. To help absorb moisture and provide an excellent source of natural drainage, the base of the container must be lined with a layer of clay pellets. Additionally, if you combine charcoal with potting soil, the potting soil will continue to be sweeter.
Do indoor plant containers require holes?
Plant roots don’t prefer to stay in water, with the exception of a few aquatic species. They must exchange carbon dioxide and oxygen with the surrounding air, because too much water seals up the soil’s air spaces. Without drainage holes, plants in containers are more likely to become overwatered. The soil at the bottom of the pot may be drenched with water even if the soil surface appears to be dry.
Root rot, a dangerous ailment that can quickly kill your plants, can result from waterlogged soil. Yellow leaves, wilted leaves that don’t recover after watering, and leaf drop are symptoms of root rot. The roots of the plant may be sticky, mushy, or black or brown if you take it out of the container.
To avoid salt buildup in the potting soil, it’s also important to make sure that pots have enough holes. Salts in fertilizers and tap water can damage plants. Some of the salts are excreted by plant roots along with the water, and over time, these salts build up in the soil. Salts are flushed out of the soil when you water deeply and allow the water to escape through the drainage holes in the bottom of the container.
Without drainage holes, salts are never eliminated from the soil; instead, they just keep accumulating, giving your plants an unhealthy environment. If salts do accumulate in your potting soil, you might notice that the plant’s leaves are becoming brown at the tips and margins or that a salt crust has formed on top of the dirt.
To prevent dripping on the furniture or floor, many homeowners store their indoor plants in saucers while they are not in use. This is acceptable, but watch out for water that may collect in the saucer and wick back into the potting soil. Make careful to frequently empty the water from each saucer. Another option is to water your plants in the kitchen sink, move them back to the saucers once they drain, and then do it again.
Do you grow plants indoors in plastic containers?
All of us have witnessed it happen: a plant that was so lush and beautiful at the store rolls up and perishes when it is brought inside.
You might be apprehensive because of this concern or because you’ve killed enough houseplants that you don’t want to do it again, much less buy one for your mother on Mother’s Day. But the truth is that caring for houseplants need not be difficult.
According to Annette Goliti Gutierrez, co-owner of Potted, a houseplant-only shop in Atwater Village, and Jessica Lawrence, a horticulturist and indoor plant care instructor at Fig Earth Supply in Mount Washington, the majority of issues can be classified as either benign neglect or death by kindness.
According to Gutierrez, the major issue with benign neglecters is that they frequently forget—or perhaps they simply were unaware—that houseplants need regular watering, bright light, and a little bit of love to survive.
For instance, air plants are attractive and well-liked since they can survive in a dish without soil, “But if I had a dime for every time someone asked, “So we don’t need to water these,” I would have plenty of money.
said Gutierrez. “And I’m forced to respond, “Well, no, like all living things, even air plants need watering.”
(Sounds like you?) Check out these simple suggestions in Sunset for maintaining air plants.)
Lawrence and Gutierrez claim that houseplants typically pass away as a result of being too appreciated. The worst offenders? incorrect lighting, overwatering, and improper planting.
They claim that if you adhere to the straightforward guidelines listed below, keeping them alive is not difficult:
Don’t be too quick to move them
Most houseplants were grown in greenhouses before being uprooted from their ideal surroundings and placed in shops until you came along, according to Lawrence “As a result, they are anxious when you bring them home, acting like a newborn who has just been plucked out of the womb.
Putting them in your new beautiful pot will just make them more stressed and make it more difficult to provide them with the care they require. The solution: For at least the first year, keep your houseplants in their plastic nursery pots.
Lawrence and Gutierrez tell you that you can still utilize your lovely pot. Simply place the new plant in the decorative pot, plastic pot and all, and fill up any gaps with Spanish moss or rocks.
The nursery pots, in contrast to many aesthetic pots, offer good drainage. And you don’t need drainage saucers because you can bring the plant easily to the sink or bathtub to water it, give it a nice soaking, and then let it drain before placing it back (which look pretty tacky under your decorative pots anyway).
According to Lawrence, most houseplants grow slowly and prefer to occupy little spaces in their pots, but when the dirt in the pot is more roots than roots, it’s time to transplant. Just increase the pot size by one, or at most two, sizes at that time. “The plant does not develop more quickly because of the size of the container, and the extra dirt makes it more difficult for the roots to receive the water and nutrients they require.
Last but not least, while transplanting, fill the bottom of the pot with potting soil (not garden soil) to help the plant grow to the desired height. Never place the plant in the pot’s bottom and then cover it with soil because doing so risked suffocating it.
Water, don’t drown
According to Lawrence and Gutierrez, improper watering is the primary reason plants die, frequently as a result of well-intentioned individuals drowning their plants.
When Lawrence ran a company that provided indoor office plant care, she couldn’t figure out why so many of the plants kept dying until she learned that workers routinely dumped leftover coffee or bottled water into the soil.
She claimed that although they believed they were assisting, the plants were actually suffering from either root rot or suffocation in standing water.
For those who water on a weekly routine without ever checking to see if their plants are moist or dry, this is a severe issue.
Because not all plants require watering at the same time, Lawrence advised putting your plants on a checking schedule rather than a watering one.
Before deciding to add water, stick your finger a good inch or two into the soil to see if it is dry. Buy a cheap moisture tester (like the $12 moisture-pH-light meter from Amazon) if you don’t trust your finger.
Sometimes gardeners are simply stingy, moistening the soil’s surface but neglecting to hydrate the roots. According to Gutierrez, the plant is essentially dry, and the salt and minerals in our water have a tendency to build up unhealthily in the soil.
When it’s time to water, take the plant to the sink or bathtub (ideally in the nursery pot it came in) and give it a good soak so the water can wash out any pollutants and completely moisten the root ball.
According to Lawrence, if the soil is extremely dry, it can actually reject water, acting like a fresh sponge that won’t soak up liquid until it is submerged. For 20 or 30 minutes, submerging the plant in a few inches of water will assist it absorb moisture at the roots, where it is most required.
Let there be light
News flash: For indoor plants to thrive, they require light, but “You shouldn’t place a plant next to a window that receives direct sunlight unless you’re growing a cactus indoors, according to Lawrence.
Keep plants away from the harsh, hot rays from the south and west, which are merely amplified as they come through the glass, and look for indirect light from north-facing or east-facing windows.
However, stay away from placing your plants in nooks or under stairwells where they receive little to no natural light. For photosynthesis to occur and for plants to obtain the energy they require for growth, there must be a reliable source of light.
“Some dark-leaf plants can endure low light, but Gutierrez, whose houseplant care advice is available online, claimed that they will never flower or grow large. Install a small grow lamp or even an LED light above the plant if you must place it in a dark area, she advised. It should be on continuously for at least eight hours each day.
Although a timer is useful, Gutierrez recalls being astounded by a trailing pothos plant that was blooming in a doctor’s office without any windows.
“I then saw that the lights were always on, so the plant was receiving enough light to perform photosynthesis, she added, from the moment people entered the facility until they left at night. “Not all plants will respond in the same way, but for it to be effective, you must keep the light on continuously so it simulates sunshine.