You just have to go to a green store or garden center to see the wide variety of existing pots. These differ in color, shape and material. When buying, it should be borne in mind that each flower pot model has advantages and disadvantages, and not all models are optimal for each plant and each location. Here is more about terracotta and plastic pots.
Terracotta or plastic pot: different types of flower pots
Do you have plants indoors, on your balcony or in your garden? Anyone who has plants at home necessarily has pots that he has filled with soil before planting his plants there. Depending on the size of your plants, you adjusted the size of the pot. The bottom of the pot usually has holes for the water to flow through. In this way, waterlogging can be avoided. Most of the pros and cons of different flower pot designs come from their material.
plastic jar
Plastic flower pots are available in a wide variety of colors. You generally find them in cylindrical form, such as classic pots, or in the form of planters (long rectangular containers). Plastic pots have the advantage of being easy to clean as they have a smooth surface. It is therefore easier to remove the limestone which is deposited on its surface. This also results in another advantage: germs, fungi and bacteria cannot cling to it and are therefore more easily eliminated. Plastic flower pots are therefore ideal for sensitive young shoots. Another advantage is their solidity. When dropped, plastic pots do not break as quickly as terracotta or ceramic pots. As plastic does not tend like earthen ports to absorb water, this material is particularly suitable for plants that like moist soil.
The advantages of plastic pots
- Budget: overall, they are more advantageous than earthen pots.
- Weight: they are easier to lift. You can therefore move them in your garden, on your terrace or your balcony according to your desires.
- Solidity: these are plastic pots which, unlike earthen ones, are less likely to break in the event of freezing or falling.
- Ecology: strangely enough, they are more ecological than earthen pots in that the latter require more energy not only to manufacture them, but also to transport them.
- Maintenance: the plastic pots are very easy to clean.
- Aesthetics: everyone has their own tastes, but plastic pots have the advantage of being available in many colours.
- Warmth: plastic pots retain moisture and warmth, which can promote the development of your crops.
The disadvantages of plastic pots
- Ecology: when the pot is worn out, it needs to be recycled.
- Aesthetics: The color of the plastic pot may fade in sunlight.
- Heat: plastic pots tend not to aerate the roots and can cause them to rot more easily. In addition, they protect the plant less from the cold, unlike earthen pots.
Terracotta pot
Opposite to plastic, you have a completely different material: terracotta. These flower pots are mainly available in red and brown tones and are particularly popular due to their natural look. If you are looking for solid pots that do not move, it is in your best interest to choose terracotta pots, even more so if you live in a place where it is windy. This also applies if you plan to put your pots on a rather narrow window sill. The major disadvantage remains that of cleaning because due to the consistency of these pots, dirt and germs can easily settle in them. In addition, these flower pots can break faster and easier.
The benefits of terracotta pots
- Aesthetics: many find attractive terracotta pots more to their liking than plastic pots, aesthetically speaking.
- Heat: the terracotta pot being thicker than the plastic pot, it better protects the plants from the cold. Being more airy, their roots breathe and grow more easily.
The disadvantages of terracotta pots
- Budget: terracotta pots are more expensive than plastic pots.
- Weight: Terracotta pots are heavier than plastic ports. On a balcony, for example, this can quickly make a difference.
- Solidity: just one fall is enough for the earthen pot to break. This can also happen in the event of frost. This happens all the more so when the terracotta is not enamelled.
- Ecology: plants must be watered often in earthen pots because they are porous and this induces significant evaporation.
- Maintenance: it is less easy for an earthen pot than a plastic pot.