Choosing Indoor Plant Containers

Choosing indoor plant containers. Plant containers can make or break your plants. For example, a $100 exotic palm from an upscale nursery may look tacky when placed in a simple green plastic pot.

In contrast, a $10.99 palm from the discount home store can appear elegant when housed in a beautiful Chinese ceramic container.

Think of plants as the botanical equivalent of a basic black dress. Just like accessories enhance an outfit, indoor plant containers are designed to complement your plants and make them stand out in your home.

Before we delve into choosing the right accessories for our plants, let's first discuss the fundamental requirements for indoor plant containers.

Basic Requirements for Choosing Indoor Plant Containers

IIndoor plant containers should be large enough to stabilize and nourish the plant, protect the floor from dirt and moisture, and provide adequate drainage.

Size: Generally, the taller the plant, the larger the container it needs. This is both an aesthetic and a physical requirement. A tall plant needs a broad base to stabilize it, and it would look weird in a tiny pot.

When repotting your new plant, you can usually select a container that is one to two inches wider in diameter than the original container.

However, avoid choosing a container that is too large, as excessive soil can retain too much moisture, leading to root rot since the roots will be unable to absorb the excess water.

If the plant still looks too large aesthetically for the pot, set the pot inside a larger decorative pot. 

Drainage: Your container must have drainage holes; otherwise, the plant may develop root rot. However, you don't want the plant draining on your cherry hardwood floor.

If the pot you love has no drainage holes, fake them. Put the plant in a smaller plastic container with drainage holes, then set the plant in the holeless container.

To conceal the unattractive container, cover the tops of the pots with sphagnum moss. If your container has drainage holes, make sure to place a saucer underneath it.

Avoid covering the drainage holes with gravel. If you're worried about soil spilling out, you can use a coffee filter to cover the holes, but this is typically not an issue.

Choosing Indoor Plant Containers - How To Match the Decor

Containers come in many materials: clay, ceramic, plastic, wicker. Choose the materials that best complement your decor. Here's a look at each:

Plastic: Plastic containers have the double whammy of being both unattractive and non-porous, so air cannot reach the roots of your plants. They are, however, both light and cheap.

I often keep my plants in plastic containers set inside ceramic ones. Moving the plant is much easier because you can move the plant and the heavy container separately.

Clay: The primary advantage of clay containers is that they are porous, so over-watering doesn't pose as much danger as with other containers. 

However, since they are porous, a non-porous water barrier is needed between them and your floor. Some clay pots have patterns embedded in the surface and can look quite elegant indoors. 

However, most clay indoor plant containers are more appropriate on the porch or patio.

Ceramic: Ceramic containers are typically expensive, nonporous, and heavy. However, their advantage is that they are aesthetically pleasing and complement home interiors better than plastic or clay options.

Because ceramic can be molded into various shapes and decorated with different patterns, you can find pots that match any decor style, from French Provincial to Country Cottage.

Rattan: Rattan containers are best suited for more casual decor. Baskets made of rattan are generally inexpensive and lightweight.

Since you cannot place soil directly in them, a useful method is the "pot within a pot" technique—simply place a plastic saucer at the bottom of the basket and then set your potted plant on top. You can often find large rattan baskets at a fraction of the cost of a ceramic pot.

What To Know About Reusing Pots

Pots can be reused, but take precautions by cleaning them thoroughly first to remove any resident bacteria. Scrub the pot with a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water. Then rinse thoroughly.

Don't be Afraid to Experiment

When it comes to choosing indoor plant containers, don't be timid. Any container can contain a plant, so don't be afraid to experiment.

I've seen plants in copper watering cans, teapots, and antique wash bowls. Use the pot within a pot method, and you can switch containers every week if you like. Now go potty!