Terracotta Pots for Houseplants: Why and Why not?

Are Terracotta Pots Good for Plants?

It is essential to know the features and benefits of a certain type of pot to discern which plants are best suited for your pots. In this article, you will know more about Terracotta Pots, their advantages, and disadvantages, so keep on reading.

What are Terracotta Pots?

Terracotta is one of the most common materials that are used for planting pots around the globe. In Italian word, terracotta means “baked earth” that refers to materials that don’t have a shiny coating and have a moderate amount of porous material made out of clay.

Terracotta pots can be easily spotted on, for they are the most familiar pots that you can see in gardens that have a reddish-brown color. Though terracotta pots are usually unglazed, there are suppliers now making glazed terracotta pots and in various colors.

However, although Terracotta pots have been used widely since the Paleolithic era, some pros and cons have to be considered before hoarding these pots.

Pros

• It has a classic style.
• Terracotta pots are very affordable.
• High-end smooth and glazed Terracotta pots are a bit expensive, but they are well-crafted, frost proof and can last a decade.
• Terracotta pots can be used for both outdoor and indoor plants.
• Its warm and neutral color is perfect for any plant to make it look great.
• The porous nature of Terracotta pots ward off soil disease and decrease the risk of root rot.
• Terracotta pots are suited for a place with colder climates since their porous nature easily draws out the water from the soil and helps it dry faster.
• Plants such as succulents, cacti, snake plants, moth orchids are best suited for Terracotta pots for they rely on its porous feature that helps control the moisture of the soil.

 Cons

• Although Terracotta pots are great for colder climates, the cheap ones are delicate, and the cold weather can affect their condition by cracking.
• Terracotta pots are slightly heavy, so moving them around needs caution since they are also brittle and might tend to break if dropped carelessly.
• Using Terracotta pots for plants that need moisture will require the additional effort of frequently watering them.

Why are my terracotta pots turning white?

If you are new to planting and have bought several Terracotta pots, you will notice that over time, your pots are accumulating white powdery residue on the outer surface, and you are wondering if this means a red flag for your plants. Don’t worry; these residues are not harmful at all and can be removed easily.

This white powdery residue or patina is a harmless mineral deposit that develops when water is drained out from the walls of the pot. The terracotta pot is made out of clay which has porous material and breathes. The porous nature of this pot allows the minerals and natural salts from the water to seep through the pot walls that causes the white flaking on the outer surface.

This white powdery mold can be removed easily by spraying hydrogen peroxide and scrub the residue and rinse it off or you can use a damp cloth and wipe it off regularly.

Now that you know everything that needs to be known before you hoard these classic Terracotta pots, and you have decided that these are the perfect pot for your gardening setup, it’s now time to purchase this pot and start your gardening plans or add them up to your existing garden.

Listed below are Terracotta pots that you can purchase on Shopee:

TERRACOTTA POTS HIGH-QUALITY (LIGHTWEIGHT/SMOOTH FINISHED)

This pot is sold by terracotta. atbp, with a 4.6-star rating and 183 orders sold.

Check out the link below for more details.

Buy this on Shopee

Terracotta/Clay Pots for cactus & succulents (DISH POT #2)

This pot is sold by ryder_lorenzo, with a 4.8-star rating and 415 orders sold.

Check out the link below for more details.

Buy this on Shopee

4*5 / 5*6 terracotta clay pot for Orchids/orchid pots

This pot is sold by dannapatag, with a 4.8-star rating and 473 orders sold.

Check out the link below for more details.

Buy this on Shopee

References

• (2020), Terracotta vs. Ceramic Pots: Which is Better for Your Houseplants, Platt Hill Nursery
• Michaels, (2021), 7 Materials Used for Plant Containers, The Spruce
• Let’s Talk: Terracotta Pots, Clever Bloom
• Webb, (2016), Why Are My Terra Cotta Pots Turning White, Edible Blooms
• Pamela, (2020), Amazing Benefits of Terra Cotta Pots, Flower Patch Farmhouse

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Also read: 10 Toughest Houseplants You An Grow Indoors!