Choosing the right container for your indoor Plants is as important as providing the right light and proper watering. If you ask a number of gardeners you’ll probably get a variety of responses as to what kind of container to use. The trick is to take the plant’s needs into consideration.
Do you go with a plastic or terracotta container? what about a glazed container? Each have their pros and cons and their devotees.
Terracotta containers are great for people who may be water worriers. If you are constantly wondering if your plant needs water or if you are always watering- terracotta may be the medium that best suits you. Unglazed terracotta containers are porous and they absorb water and allow it to evaporate. I find that to be a plus for plants like cacti & succulents that are susceptible to over watering. Another feature of terracotta containers is their weight, they’re good stabilizers if you place your plants outdoors. They’re least likely to fall over with a gust of wind and plants that are top heavy won’t fall over easily either indoors and outdoors.
Plastic containers are pretty inexpensive and are readily available and most plants come in a plastic container. Should it ever fall over your container probably won’t break, it may just get a few scratches but that’s about it. If you’re an over waterer your plants that like to be drier won’t take kindly to your generous watering. If you’re a busy person or don’t water on a schedule plastic containers may be good for you. If they don’t have enough drainage holes you can easily punch a few more with a sharp instrument or a hot nail. You can find them in various colors and shapes and plastic is easily molded so you can find some nicer containers with interesting patterns or designs. If you have a large collection of plants that need to fit on a window sill square plastic containers take up less space than round ones because you can place them side-by-side.
Glazed containers are popular because they come in a wide range of colors, textures and styles. A nice glazed containers can sit in your home and not look out of place but actually enhance the aesthetic value of your surroundings and your house plants. Since they’re glazed they are good for plants that like to be moist or those that like to sit in water as you’ll loose less moisture around the roots to evaporation through the container or simply from water draining rapidly. They’re a decent choice for people who find that they don’t water their houseplants enough.
When considering what kind of container to use for your house plant take into consideration first what your plant’s watering needs are and then your track record for watering. Then what you can afford and what, if any, impact the look of the container will have on your surroundings or the plant.