Orchid Pots: How to Choose the Right One for You

If you want to have healthy and beautiful orchids, then it is of vital importance to select the right orchid pots for them. Unfortunately, your orchid's roots could actually rot, then die, if the wrong pot is used. There are a lot of different designs of pots available that are custom made for orchids.

There are orchid pots that have been designed to allow air to flow easily through them while other pots are created to be semi transparent which enables photosynthesis to occur more easily within the plant. It is critical, however, to pay attention to the type of orchid you have, as well as the growing conditions it requires, in order to select the right size and type of pot.

Basket orchid pots, clay or terracotta pots, and plastic pots are the most commonly used types of orchid pots. To help you decide which pot is best for you here is a brief overview and some of the pros and cons of each type of container.

Orchid Pots of Plastic

When it is crucial to prevent the plant's growing medium from becoming too dry, plastic orchid pots are the best choice. Plastic orchid pots are lightweight and come with numerous drainage holes to serve the needs of the orchid plants for moist but not waterlogged compost. It is an easy matter punching additional drainage holes in a plastic pot if the plant needs more drainage.

Many home growers utilize plastic orchid containers, however the major disadvantage to this style of pot is that the potting mix will hold water for a longer length of time than it would with a clay pot.

Orchid Pots of Clay or Terracotta

Clay or terracotta orchid pots are excellent for epiphytic orchids that are drought-tolerant, such as Cymbidiums, which are also much healthier in larger-sized orchid pots. The great advantage of clay pots is that, along with the drainage hole at the pot's bottom, clay is porous which means that water will evaporate quickly from the potting soil. For orchids that don't do well in an overly saturated potting mixture, clay pots are ideal.

And if you want to grow your orchids outside, then terracotta pots are perfect because they are heavier than plastic pots and thus provide a much more stable growing environment for your orchids.

Orchid Baskets

Acineta Stanhopea, Gongora (with its pendant flowers), and other types of heavily-rooted orchids that like to sprawl, do extremely well in basket pots which are composed of either wire, mesh, or wood. These types of orchids need a lot of sunlight to penetrate their root systems, as well as good air circulation, both of which are important for producing the beautiful blooms these orchids are known for. Basket orchid pots are excellent providers of air circulation and sunlight..

On the negative side, the basket style pots are much more susceptible to drying out more quickly and easily, so it's important to pay attention to your watering schedule. You can find basket pots made from a variety or materials and in a number of shapes and sizes. You will almost always find basket pots for orchids that are meant to be hung from some type of support structure.

All of the above orchid pots are suitable to plant your orchids into. It is simply a good idea to find out before purchasing what the ideal growing container is for a particular type of orchid. And it is especially important to remember that the type of growing condition and pot you choose should be determined by the type of orchid plant which you are dealing with. Doing the research first will help you choose the right kind of orchid pots to buy.

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