Why do novices always use clay pots?

[C And D]

I see so many clay pots in the collections of novice succulent growers.

I wonder what advice they received that prompted them to use clay pots?

Let's discuss....

Here's my advice being an experienced expert grower, get rid of them, and replace them all with plastic or sealed (glazed) ceramic.
Clay pots have been studied by the Germans and found to inhibit root growth because of the porosity and increased drying of the roots near the pot.

We have a couple clay pots for big plants, but we got rid of most of them, and use plastic if in doubt.
If you want quicker soil drying, use a leaner soil, we use 75-90% pumice, the rest is soil mix.

[iann]

If you overwater, water at the wrong time, or use an unsuitable soil, then clay pots provide a bit of a safety net by drying out faster. On the downside they dry out faster Too fast in almost all cases, "teasing" the roots and tempting the unwary into even more overwatering. The vast evaporation, ignoring the sheer waste of water, leads to problems such as salt buildups and deposition layers.

[DaveW]

I think you are on risky ground in the USA Craig and Denise questioning such fervently held beliefs, since I raised similar questions in the past and using clay pots seem to be akin to a religion for some!

Why do people still take monochrome photographs when we see in colour, thinking it is somehow artistically superior? Purely tradition since as both clay pots and black and white photography were invented first, therefore traditionalists continue to claim they must be somehow better even if science proves otherwise.

That of course leaves aside whether you think clay pots look more decorative than plastic, but that has nothing to do with providing the best growing environment for our plants. The two things that surprised me on joining this Forum was to see how many American collectors still have clung to clay pots for our plants, because since the late 1960's they pretty well disappeared from cactus collections in the UK, only a minority of collectors still using them.

The second was the use of fancy (some garish or ugly to the European eye) ceramic or terracotta pots in your shows, plus them even entering into the judging of what is essentially a plant show where it is only the quality of the plant that matters and the container should not compete for attention with the plant and just blend into the background.

In UK shows, provided the container was clean and neat, it never entered into the judging. I can only put this down to the difference in cactus society structure in the two countries where the UK has a single society in charge of the judging with just local branches, therefore all our judges are required to be trained and accredited and "sing from the same hymn sheet" when judging. Whereas I gather your organisation is all independent local societies without a central organisation, therefore judges do not have to take any examination as to their competence and be accredited before they can judge, therefore can rather "do their own thing" instead of having to follow a uniform national system of judging for your plants?

Probably it's simply different national characteristics, but to me the container required provided it is neat is the one the plant grows best in, not which looks "prettiest". Maybe due to growing in expensively heated greenhouses we in the UK pack our plants together tightly to make best use of space, therefore fancy pots would be unseen most of the time anyway, that is unless you were a windowsill grower.

Drying out faster may be a consideration in a cold damp country like the UK Ian, but even so we mainly cultivate successfully in plastic. Many clay pot users live in much hotter countries where drying out faster would be a disadvantage rather than an advantage?

[oldcat61]

I still have a lot in clay pots because I think they're pretty & I like the uniform look on shelves. I guess if you squash all 4" square plastic pots together on a bench, that's not an issue. I've been trying Steve's sealer idea & some glazed pots from IKEA. Wish there was a beige plastic pot that looked like clay. I have "matchee-matchee syndrome". Sue

[pins&needles13]

I use clay pots because the greenhouse I have doesn't have much ventilation (In fact it only has a small door for ventilation). I water about once a week and I also make sure I water in the evening to let the plants get as much water as possible.

[majcka]

Becouse their Grandmothers grow their pelargoniums in clay pots too.

'Wont die hard' is that's how you say it???? The Word by Word translate it would be 'The habit is an iron shirt'.

[Saxicola]

Why is an easy question to answer. Many people hold on to the old belief that cacti and succulents need to dry out as fast as possible and terra cotta dries out faster than plastic. I mean, we still love to give new growers the incorrect advice that the soil should dry out between waterings, so it is natural for them to go towards a type of pot that helps that happen.

The harder question is how do we counter this belief. I think it will be decades at least before the conventional wisdom changes, but at least for people that come here or talk to us in person we can do something. One thing is to make clear that our desire for very fast draining soil and not overwatering is not the same things as water being bad. Constantly alternating between wet and dry is a good recipe for rot and terra cotta only increases the odds that it will happen.

[Eli]

I have been growing cacti since 1965, and I always use clay pots. I have never found cacti to grow well in plastic ones, no matter what the soil is like. It will overheat in warm weather, and get too cold and not dry out enough in the winter.
They also tend to topple over easier in plastic pots, and you can get spiked !
Also clay pots take on a weathered look and are easier on the eyes. Plastic ones are usually shiny and look harsh.

In fact I don't like using plastic pots for anything.
I find Fuchsias grow better in clay pots too ... I've got over 50 varieties.

[Aiko]

I like square pots. They only come in plastic...

[cactushobbyman]

If I had more room, all clay. All my rot comes in the plastic pots. I use plastic only for room and now I have changed my soil mix to work. Studies have shown, and studies will show, and the expert growers do this, but if you like, and you have great success, the heck with the rest.

[promethean_spark]

I've found that they grow better in plastic pots than clay, however CA summers are among the most arid on the planet. Probably clay pots are okay in cooler, more humid climates where things don't dry out so quickly.

Square plastic pots are by far the most space (and water) efficient, and when they're in a tight grid the sun never hits the sides of the pots (roots against black plastic in the sun fry).

[oldcat61]

That's my problem - I don't have a "tight grid" that the sun doesn't hit. All my plants are different sizes & I like leaving room for air circulation around. If someone makes varied sizes of light tan plastic pots, please let me know. But then you still have the knock-over/fall over problem for tall plants. If you're a grower, this is easy but for a hobbyist who values a "pretty" GH, it's still a trade-off. Sue

[sundanz]

Well, all of mine are in clay pots and they are doing great, having doubled and tripled in size since 2012 when I started in this hobby! I had some in plastic pots and the results were poor. I repotted those into clay pots and they grew just fine. Our climate is hot and humid and the winters are mild most of the time. My cacti are in a Greenhouse under controlled conditions. They are healthy, thriving, blooming and I see no reason to put them into plastic pots just because some experts feel that is the only way to grow them. I do what works for me!

[Robb]

Clay pots have been studied by the Germans and found to inhibit root growth because of the porosity and increased drying of the roots near the pot...

So that's why my Echinopsis refuses to plump up! I have nine or so plants that are in clay pots, and it can get to 34 degrees in my greenhouse on a warm winters day. Should I make an effort to change their pots to plastic and/or glazed ceramic?

[Steve Johnson]

So that's why my Echinopsis refuses to plump up! I have nine or so plants that are in clay pots, and it can get to 34 degrees in my greenhouse on a warm winters day. Should I make an effort to change their pots to plastic and/or glazed ceramic?

Or if you still prefer plain clay pots, waterproof them first. I know whereof I speak, because I started waterproofing my terracotta in 2012. At that time, I still had a bunch of pots that hadn't been waterproofed yet, but I made a point of finishing the job in March 2013. That gave me a great opportunity for observing the difference with regards to growing quality, and I'll tell you that waterproofing definitely works. The plastic pots we get in the US don't last more than a few years or so before they crack if you keep them out under full sun. However, if that's not an issue for you, plastic should be fine -- but avoid dark green or black pots so the roots of your cacti don't get overheated. Glazed ceramic is great too, more durable although more expensive than plain clay or plastic. (Waterproofing does have a limited lifespan, so I've been slowly transitioning my collection over to glazed ceramic.)

Craig's advice concerning nonporous vs. porous pots is IMO spot-on, although it's beyond me as to why hobbyists have been so late about catching up with what professional growers have known for many years. For those who find that porous clay works best, more power to you.