Different pot materials suitable to use in different places and planting different types of plants. Understanding more about the different characteristics of the pot may help us grow our house plants easier and make use of the potted plant as our home decor. There are the major types of the pot made from different materials and the analysis of the pros and cons of each type of pot.

Ceramic

Ceramic pot is made from clay and coated by lacquer and makes the surfaces look glazed. The outer layer of the ceramic slows the loss of water from the planting media and prolongs the interval period of watering plants. Compared to the terra cotta pot, the appearance of ceramic pots look smooth, shining and high class. Ceramic pots could be coated by many types of colour and make the ceramic pots match with most of the interior styles. Besides that, ceramic pots are not absorbing heat. Therefore, it could be placed indoor or outdoor and the difference of the planting media temperature would not be much affected. Disadvantage of the ceramic pot is that it is easy to break and we need to handle it with extra care to prevent it from knocking any hard surface and cracking. On the other hand, it is more expensive compared to other materials because of the complicated process in production .

Terra cotta

Terra cotta pots are also made from clay but it is easier to lose water compared to ceramic pots because they are not coated by lacquer. However, the characteristics of easy-loss water are suitable for planting drought-tolerant plants; those plants prefer to undergo an interval of dryness period before the next watering session. The Advantages of terra cotta pots are that they do not easily conduct heat, and make them suitable to place outdoors. Besides that, it is highly durable if exposed to sunlight. Unlike the plastic materials pot, react with the ultra violet and photodegradation occurs and need to change pot after a few years. The disadvantages of terra cotta pots are heavy, it is more suitable to place outdoors and those plants seldom need to be moved. And like the ceramic pots, it is fragilable and should avoid knocking with a hard surface.

Plastic

Plastic pot is the most common planting pot used in gardening. It is light, easy to move, and does not absorb heat easily. Besides that, the cost for buying plastic pots is the lowest compared to the pots made by other materials. Therefore, plastic pots suitable for use by those plants could be propagated in large quantities or those plants need to change their position frequently. .However, the disadvantage of a plastic pot is it will react with ultraviolet light and start to degrade. However, if you place the plants indoors or under a shade area, it could last about 5 to 7 years. Normal plastic is not biodegradable and if we simply dispose of it without proper arrangement may cause the environment pollution. However, currently many plastic pots are biodegradable and able to be recycled. If we clean it and send it to recycle instead of throwing away the pot, we may reduce the pollution caused by plastic pots disposal. 

Bamboo Fibre

Pots made of bamboo fibre are similar to the plastic materials but it is degradable and more environmentally friendly compared to plastic pots. Advantage of bamboo fibre pot is similar to the plastic pot. It is light, easy to move and hardly to be broken if compared to the clay and ceramic pot. Besides that, it may create a ceramic like surface that may be used as interior plant decoration. The disadvantage of fibre pot is it cannot last for many years because it is biodegradable but it is at least may keep for 5 years.

Metal 

The advantage of using a metal pot is light, high aesthetic value and match the interior design styles like industrials, contemporary and rustic feels. The disadvantage of a metal pot is that it is easy to absorb heat and not suitable to put under the sun. It will make the plant leaves burn. Besides that, if the metal pot is not coated by a layer of water resistant paint or the outer layer has scratched, the water will react with the metal and make the pot rusted. 

Choose the types of pot that match your home design and suitable to grow your houseplants. Make the growing task become as easier as possible and we may decorate our home with minimum efforts!