Subject: Re: Beginner question: Clay or plastic pots for herbs?

From: [email-masked]
Date: 24 Feb 95 09:57:50 -0600

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Chris Thornton) writes:
> perhaps you can seal the inside of the pots so they don't use so much
> water.

I didn't find the beginning of this thread, but if you're having trouble
with plants in clay pots drying out, some of the choices are:

1) moving to plastic pots (plants in plastic don't grow as well for me,
    though)
2) shifting to a larger clay pot, even including putting several plants
    of the same species in one larger pot
3) jardenieres: putting the clay pot inside a glazed pot that's slightly
   larger: net result is the air between the glazed and unglazed pots
   is more humid, so water evaporates from the unglazed clay more slowly.
4) double potting: putting the unglazed clay pot on a pad of sphagnum
   or other moisture retentive material inside a larger clay pot; stuff
   the space between the walls with more sphagnum.   The sphagnum
   acts like a sponge, taking up water from overwatering, releasing
   it back when the inner pot dries.
5) increasing the soil water capacity by changing the potting mix; most
   commonly now by adding "water grabbers", polyacrylamide beads that
   swell in water.

Kay Klier  [email-masked]