Subject: Re: sealant for clay pots ?

From: [email-masked] (Carolyn M Prince)
Date: 27 Mar 1995 23:17:09 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>,
Farooq Butt <[email-masked]> wrote:
>
>Is there a good sealant one can use on clay pots to make them 
>water-impermeable?  The summer here seems to suck the water right out 
>of clay pots and it gets frustrating ALWAYS watering 'em. Anything 
>cheap and effective would be wonderful...

Last year I made a "sleave" from a plastic bag. I wanted to use my clay pots
for herbs so I did not want to coat the inside or outside with anything.
Instead I took a plastic bag about the same volume size as my pot and cut
the bottom off it. Then I placed it inside of my clay pot and loaded it up
with dirt the same way I would if I were to potting a plant. This way the
pot will still drain well but not dry out or leach anything chemical into the
plant. I covered the top of the bag at the top with dirt and wood chips so
no one would see the plastic bag.

Carolyn

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: 27 Mar 95 20:19:32 -0600

> cheap and effective would be wonderful...

That's a feature of clay pots, not a bug!!!  The water evaporating
through the sides of the pot helps keep the roots cool; necessary
in the summer heat in many places.  Also, the free oxygen 
exchange through the clay keeps the roots respiring freely.

If you want waterproof clay pots, try (sob!) soaking them in shellac.
Or buy plastic pots:  much, much cheaper!

To increase water holding capacity in clay pots, make sure the plant
fits the pot (isn't root bound), and consider one of the "super-
slurper" type soil amendments of starch or acrylamide.  Alternatively,
set the pots on capillary matting, carpet samples, or pads of newspaper,
or double-pot.

Kay Klier  [email-masked]