Container Garden: What pot you should use

 

Container Garden: What pot you should use

People who live in the urban area and who loves to grow plants often face the problem of land unavailability. Here, container gardening comes to the rescue. You don’t have to fuss about the soil in your backyard. You can start gardening in any container available. One advantage of growing plants in containers is you can ensure soil fertility. Plus you can change the location of the containers at different growth stages of the crops. There are more benefits of growing plants in the container like they have less risk of soil-borne diseases, virtually eliminate weeds and weed-related problems, and the mobile plants give more control over moisture, sunlight, and temperature. The size of the container may vary depending on the crops to be grown in it. There are quite options of pots available in the market. If you are new to container gardening you may get confused while choosing best the pot. The choice of the pot will depend on the type of plant you will in it and also the prevailing condition of your house or garden. So, here are few options of pots available in the market, and the following are few points that you should know about these pots before visiting the store or market and so that you can buy your pots like a pro.

 

1. Plastic pot

Plastic pots are most commonly used in pots by gardeners. They come in a wide range of sizes and colors. The best part about plastic pots is that they are light in weight and easy to move around when required. For those people who have limited space or who live in a rental house plastic pots are the best option as they are easy to move around and also they have a long life. The plastic pots come with few drainage holes at the bottom which allows excess water to drain out easily. And they are also cheap and easy to wash.

The limitations of these pots are that they are made of PLASTIC and also difficult to regulate the temperature of the soil inside. Also, when they are exposed to direct sunlight they become faded and brittle Even though gardeners love these pots, the plant inside might not love them as much as the gardeners do.

2. Terracotta pot

Terracotta pots are loved plants. These pots can maintain the optimum temperature of the soil inside in the summer as well as winter season. Terracotta pots usually come with one drainage hole at the bottom allowing excess water to drain out quickly. They dry out quickly and suitable for growing succulents and other plants that hate wet feet. They don’t come in a wide range of sizes as they are fragile and it is kind of difficult to move around. They chip off quickly and they don’t have a long life but they are environmentally friendly. You can grow flowers and veggies in them but make sure they are placed stable and you don’t need to move around frequently. And also they are cheaper than ceramic pots.

 

3. Wooden pot

Wooden pots come in different sizes and shapes. They generally come with plastic lining inside and with few drainage holes. Aesthetically they look very nice when they are new but the problem is that when you start growing plants in them or they come in contact with soil or humidity they start decaying. Having said that they last for a couple of years. Wooden pots if they are big enough then you can use them to grow bigger plants or root crops. If wooden pots of the desired size are not available in the market you can get customizes in local carpenter shops.

4. Metallic pot

People generally use metallic pots for decorative purposes. They generally don’t come with drainage holes. So, that means either we have to make holes in them or grow your plant in a separate pot and keep the pot inside the metallic pot. Another reason for growing the plant in a separate pot is that when the metal comes in contact with moisture it will start rusting and sometimes they cause harm to the plants growing in them. So, irrespective of the fact that the metal pot comes with a drainage hole or not it is recommended to grow the plant in a separate pot and keep it inside the metallic pot and use the metallic pot for decorative purposes.

5. Ceramic pot

Ceramic pots are beautiful and are commonly available in the market. They are sturdy and attractive and hence they are generally used for decorative purposes to grow indoor plants. They come in different shades of colors and sometimes you will with beautiful designs on them. While buying ceramic pots make sure that they have a drainage hole in them. The life of a ceramic pot is much longer than any other pot. They last for a decade until and unless you bumped into them or you drop them. But they are the most expensive type of pot.

6. Thermocol box

 

Thermocol boxes are generally used for packaging fragile things. They are generally used to pack electronic items, glassware, or laboratory chemicals. Thermocol boxes are also wide to transport fishes and kinds of seafood. So, if you can get your hands on a few of such boxes, they will serve the purpose of growing crops in them after making few drainage holes in them. You can grow veggies of different sizes in them and even shrubs as they generally come in big sizes.

7. Growing bags

Fabric bags are made of half fabric and half pet bottle plastic. They offer a wide range of sizes. They are used to grow veggies like tomatoes, brinjal, chilies, etc. They are not often recommended to use indoor because underneath the water gets collected and soil as well making the area dirty. If however, you want to keep them indoors then they can be used with drainage trays.

HDPE(High-density polyethylene) grow bags are also commonly used by gardeners especially for growing larger veggies like pumpkin, zucchini, gourds, etc. Such bags come with drainage holes and a wide range of sizes are available in the market. They have an average life span of 5 years despite of wear and tear due to weather or handling. They are extremely lightweight and can be folded and stored away when not in use.