The current houseplant boom has everyone buying plants. As the houseplant industry has grown, the decorative planters available have boomed right along with the plants. For every houseplant bought, you can bet a trendy planter was purchased for it.
But before you go potting up your newest plant baby into that cute ceramic planter, I’ve got a few good reasons why you shouldn’t.
Press Pause On the Planter
I’m sure you’re probably scratching your head, wondering what I’m talking about. You mean just grow it in that ugly pot it comes in? Why wouldn’t I put my plant in this beautiful planter? I paid $50 for it. It matches my couch!
Hear me out.
Yup, you paid $50 for that beautiful planter. (It’s super cute, by the way.) But it’s actually better for your plant if you don’t put it in that lovely planter.
At least not directly.
Like many plant parents, when I brought new plants home, I couldn’t wait to free them from their ugly nursery pots and pot them up in a beautiful planter with a fresh, custom-blended potting mix. (I can blend potting mix for any plant with only five ingredients; you can see how here.)
Oftentimes, finding the right planter took more thought than choosing the plant.
But it wasn’t until I started getting into growing African violet cultivars (that’s a whole other topic) and reading up on how the pros grew their violets for show that I realized most of us have it all wrong.
We should always grow houseplants in nursery pots rather than directly in our fancy planters.
Let me be clear: I’m not saying you shouldn’t use planters at all.
Instead, what I’m suggesting is that you grow plants in nursery pots and display them in your fancy planters. Doing so will improve the health of your plants and ensure that the $50 planter will see decades of use. Like so…
I put up grow lights under my kitchen cabinets, so I can enjoy fresh herbs all year. (Check out my setup here.) All of my plants are grown in nursery pots inside planters.
Nursery Pots vs. Decorative Planters
There’s a reason plants are started and grown out in these simple, albeit unattractive, plastic pots. They’re designed to give plants the growing conditions they need to thrive.
Let’s take a look at some of the downsides of growing plants directly in a decorative planter.
Flat Bottoms & a Single Drainage Hole
Most decorative planters have a flat bottom. This means the roots sit directly on the bottom of the pot. These planters also have a single drainage hole.
Wait a minute, Tracey. All I’ve been hearing about for years now is that I’m not going to buy a planter unless it has a drainage hole. And that’s true, but the part many people don’t realize is that one isn’t enough.
Between the flat bottom and the single drainage hole, when you plant directly in the planter, excess water takes much longer to drain out of the pot. Even with that drainage hole, the water tends to sit on the flat bottom, right where your roots are.
This means the roots are sitting in water longer than they should be. Because the water drains out slower, there is less oxygen in the soil. This slows the growth of your plants and, over time, can lead to root rot. Remember, most houseplants do not like wet feet!
Sharp Edges
Many ceramic pots, especially handmade ones, rather than cast, can have sharp edges around the top, which can damage leaves. This sharp edge is even more common with metal or plastic decorative planters.
Fertilizer & Mineral Build-up
If your decorative planter is porous, that can lead to salt and mineral build-up from fertilizer and the minerals in your water. Over time, the salts can build up inside the pot where you can’t see them and burn tender roots growing against the inside of the pots.
Even if they don’t harm your plants, they’re still unsightly.
Repotting Is More Difficult
When you grow a plant directly inside the planter, the root system becomes quite snug. That’s the idea, after all. But when it’s time to repot, getting the plant back out again can be a pain at best. At worst, it can mean damaged roots and snapped leaves.
Take this pot, for instance. It’s adorable! I love it! And I know whatever I plant in there is going to be really hard to repot because the mouth of the pot is much smaller than the overall width. Nursery pot to the rescue.
And then there’s the cleanup.
Cleaning planters so they can be used for a different plant generally means soaking them with bleach and a good scrubbing. If the plant had a soil disease, you risk transferring it to a new plant.
Now, let’s take a look at those ugly old nursery pots.
All good nursery pots have four things in common:
- An indented bottom – this slight indentation in the bottom pushes the roots up a bit so they aren’t sitting in soggy soil. This makes for better drainage, moving water away from the roots faster.
- Four or more drainage holes – again, this makes for much better drainage. These holes are usually below the indent, moving water out of the bottom of the pot and away from the roots quickly.
- A rolled lip – depending on the plant you’re growing, such as tender African violets or Christmas cactuses, having a sharp edge at the top of the pot can damage leaves that rest on it, causing injury or the loss of leaves.
- They’re made of non-porous (usually flexible) plastic. While I am not a fan of plastic and feel we could do with less of it, having non-porous, flexible nursery pots is better for your plants in the long term. When it’s time to repot, the plant slides out of the pot with minimal fuss and without disturbing the root ball. They’re lightweight, which makes moving plants around easier.
What To Do Instead
Rather than growing your houseplant inside a decorative planter, grow it in a nursery pot and slip the nursery pot into your planter. That way, you still have a beautiful plant and planter combo but without the headaches of soggy roots, repotting messes and white stains.
If you’re worried about losing potting soil from all those drainage holes, cut a piece of window screen or get yourself some mesh pads to put in the bottom of the nursery pot. It works like a charm!
Growing and displaying houseplants this way also means less wear and tear on your planters, so they’ll last much longer, too.
Grow In Vintage Planters
Using nursery pots also opens up a whole world of beautiful, collectible vintage planters. Most of these charming finds do not have a drainage hole, making them unsuitable for growing plants. However, if you use a nursery pot, you can take the plant out of the decorative planter to water it before putting it back.
Finding & Choosing Nursery Pots
The best way to find nursery pots is to keep the ones you get when you buy plants. Even those grocery store herbs have great little nursery pots. I’ve built up a tidy collection.
If you have a large plant collection, it might be wise to pick up some nursery pots in assorted sizes. These are best sourced online, as most garden centers and home improvement stores don’t sell them. You’ll often find them being given away for free in local Facebook groups.
Keep in mind the four things you want to look for when choosing nursery pots. Another consideration is whether you want round or square ones. I’ve found having a selection of both works well.
Here’s a good assortment of round ones in 3.5”, 4.5”, 5.5” and 6.5” inch sizes. You can find just about any size you need.
If you don’t need a lot, go in on a package together with other houseplant parents and split the cost.
You don’t have to switch all of your plants at once. Take your time and make the switch, as each one needs to be repotted. You’ll notice happier, healthier plants and less work for you when you do. And if you’re ready to make that change, you should check out why I ditched plant saucers, too.
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