subject: Orchids Pots – Many Different Kinds [print this page] This article will describe orchids pots that are commercially available. I don't do this to endorse any certain kind or brand but to let the orchid public know what is available. Sometime the frame is just as important as the picture. A pot will add structure to what is being said by the plant and its blooms. We must not forget that watering, potting medium, fertilizing and location will influence the success of your plant, but the pot will hold all of your work together for the world to see after repotting orchids. Choices are abundant when looking for pots. Local nurseries, the hardware store, even the supermarket and of course the internet will bring you a multitude of options. The most common are plastic or terracotta. We will talk about some other choices that may not be as easy to find.
Plastic is a basic. They are light weight and durable. Normally the pot will come with several holes for drainage. This is crucial to your accomplishment of growing great blooming orchids. These are great for indoors where wind is not a consideration. For the pot adds very little weight to the plant and outdoors could be blown over easily. The pots will come in different grades or thickness for length of life span. The thicker the longer it can be used. All plastic breaks down in the sun and the thinner will become brittle quicker. More often than not the plastic pots will be green. Keep in mind the darker the pot, more heat from sunlight will raise the temperature in the pot itself. Often time you can get black pots from greenhouses for free. For this purpose I would pass, environmental control is problematic with orchids. However, on the opposite end of the spectrum clear pots are available and are a favorite of mine. The roots can be seen with no trouble and you can evaluate the need to repot orchid or not. A positive about plastic pots is the fact they dry out slower than a clay pot.
Terracotta or clay pots have been a standard for many growers. Cost can be a factor when needing to buy quite a few at once. These pots have weight to them and therefore stand or hold their ground in the wind to a certain extent. Usually the pot comes with one drainage hole. There are some specialist pots that will come with holes on the sides for drainage. These pots are normally decorative in nature. A plus for clay is the fact that the potting medium tends to dry out, therefore makes them more suitable for drought tolerant epiphytic orchids that will manage better in clay.
While plastic or clay seems to be the majority of orchid pots in use there are other choices to be had in the orchid world. Baskets of all kinds and sizes, these come in plastic or wood for orchid repotting. They can be hung or on the ground and be a beautiful accent for your orchids. Another choice is the use of tree fern material that is made into pots or actual parts of a tree's trunk. I have also seen orchids in bamboo. These make a striking use of this material to stage your orchids. Please remember with any pot: it is drainage, drainage, and drainage. Happy growing!
