RE: terracotta versus plastic pots

Applying a sealant to the INSIDE of a large terracotta pot will effectively
block the porous nature of its material, making it similar to plastic.  This
has the benefit of retaining the relative 'coolness' of terracotta to plastic
(the latter can warm quickly on hot days).  A plastic insert would be similar,
but often hard to find in the specific dimensions required.  I like
Alexandre's idea of a plastic bag liner as well.

Be sure and test your sealant on a small terracotta pot before using it on a
larger, more costly version.  Usually, anything rated for outdoor use would
suffice, but products vary.

Smaller pots are often not even worth the effort in a climate such as yours,
except as a means of growing a specimen to a larger size.  Also, while some
plants actually prefer pot culture, others thoroughly resent it - knowing your
plant's needs in this respect goes the furthest towards successful pot
culture.

Seán O.

Seán A. O'Hara
sean(at)gimcw.org
www.hortulusaptus.com


------------------------------ Original Message ------------------------------
Subject: RE: terracotta versus plastic pots
From:    "Alexandre Leonardo" <a_m_leonardo@hotmail.com>
Date:    Fri, July 18, 2008 7:24 am
To:      ottways@eircom.net
         "medit-plants@ucdavis.edu" <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Hello there Brian,
I garden also in the Algarve and I know just how hot and dry our summers can
be. I don't have many pots exactly for that same reason, I find that most
plants won't do very well in pots because even the bigger ones tend todry too
fast. Like you I prefer the look of terracota pots but they do tend to dry
even faster so what I've been doing (and I think i helps a bit) is either put
a plastic pot inside the terracota one or a big plastic bag (the size of the
pot). I also mulch all my pots with wood chips or (in most cases) gravel, I
find that this way the soil doesn't dry as fast. The sealent sounds like a
good idea to.

Alexandre
Algarve - Portugal

From: ottways@eircom.net
To: medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
Subject: terracotta versus plastic pots
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:03:43 +0100

Greetings once again from the Algarve, Portugal (30'C, 86'F). Mainly because
of problems with my soil, I tend to use pots quite a lot. I start seeds and
cuttings in plastic pots and may grow them on in larger plastic pots, but by
choice I will usually use an unglazed  terracotta pot for their 'final' home.
I prefer the look (and feel) of terracotta pots.  However, I have a feeling
that my plants do not do as well in the terracotta pots.  I have read that
terracotta pots are preferable in a Mediterranean garden as water will
evaporate through the pot wall and cool the soil. I am sure that this happens,
but I wonder if the loss of water from the soil driven by this process does
not outweigh the benefit of cooling? If this is the case, then plastic pots
might be better. As a compromise, I am wondering whether it might be
worthwhile to use a sealent inside the terracotta pots to eliminate this water
loss. Your thoughts, experiences and expertise would be welcome. CiaoBrianO
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Hello there Brian,
I garden also in the Algarve and I know just how hot and dry our summers can be. I don't have many pots exactly for that same reason, I find that most plants won't do very well in pots because even the bigger ones tend todry too fast. Like you I prefer the look of terracota pots but they do tend to dry even faster so what I've been doing (and I think i helps a bit) is either put a plastic pot inside the terracota one or a big plastic bag (the size of the pot). I also mulch all my pots with wood chips or (in most cases) gravel, I find that this way the soil doesn't dry as fast. The sealent sounds like a good idea to.

Alexandre
Algarve - Portugal

From: ottways@eircom.net
To: medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
Subject: terracotta versus plastic pots
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:03:43 +0100

Greetings once again from the Algarve, Portugal (30'C, 86'F).
 
Mainly because of problems with my soil, I tend to use pots quite a lot. I start seeds and cuttings in plastic pots and may grow them on in larger plastic pots, but by choice I will usually use an unglazed  terracotta pot for their 'final' home. I prefer the look (and feel) of terracotta pots.
 
However, I have a feeling that my plants do not do as well in the terracotta pots.
 
I have read that terracotta pots are preferable in a Mediterranean garden as water will evaporate through the pot wall a nd cool the soil. I am sure that this happens, but I wonder ! if the l oss of water from the soil driven by this process does not outweigh the benefit of cooling? If this is the case, then plastic pots might be better.
 
As a compromise, I am wondering whether it might be worthwhile to use a sealent inside the terracotta pots to eliminate this water loss.
 
Your thoughts, experiences and expertise would be welcome.
 
Ciao
BrianO

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