Plant in large pots. Flower pots for cacti and succulents

Hanging pots are good because they allow you to plant fragrant flower beds even in places where there is very little space. Choosing the right plants, you can turn small city balconies into real "hanging gardens". Here are a few plants that are most suitable for this purpose.

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1. Touchy

An annual plant with a funny name "touchy" looks very decorative. It grows well in hanging pots and outdoors, producing many beautiful flowers. Due to its abundant flowering, touchy is an excellent option for decorating balconies.

2. Sedum Morgana

This plant is also called stonecrop Morgan, monkey tail and donkey tail. Its long stems, covered with fleshy leaves, really resemble tails. When the stonecrop blooms, beautiful pink tassels of small pink flowers appear at the ends of its “tails”. The plant is very unpretentious: it loves sunlight very much, but feels good in the shade.

3. Chrysanthemums

This beautiful flower grows well both in pots and in open ground. In autumn, many flowers bloom on the chrysanthemum bushes that do not fade for a very long time.

4. Fountain Grass

An unpretentious and very beautiful fountain-grass with moderate watering and good lighting will actively grow all year round.

5. Tradescantia

This unpretentious plant has many species that are actively grown for decorative purposes. All tradescantias are very hardy, and if you do not create too extreme conditions for them, then they will delight others with their variegated leaves and small, elegant flowers for a long time.

6. Verbena

There are many types of vervain with beautiful, bright flowers that will be a worthy decoration for any flower garden. Verbena grows well in pots. She loves the light, but is afraid of direct sunlight. And for a long and abundant flowering, she needs the soil to be constantly moist.

7. Lobelia

Lobelia comes in white, soft blue, bright blue and purple. With simple care, it grows in thick "caps", completely covered with delicate flowers. Flowering stems of lobelia hang from pots like a real curtain. In order for this extremely beautiful plant to retain its decorative appearance for a long time, it must be protected from direct sunlight. Otherwise, annual lobelia will fade very quickly.

8. Lavender

Lavender feels good in pots and pleases its owners with delicate flowers and exquisite aroma. She loves the light very much and does not like crowding. If you provide lavender with sunlight and sufficient space, then it will be fragrant for a very long time.

9. Burdock

This plant somewhat resembles an unusual bluish-white rose. With its presence, the burdock will decorate any garden. The plant prefers partial shade and does not tolerate direct sunlight.

10. Petunia

Petunia is one of the most popular ornamental plants. It blooms profusely and for a long time with large fragrant flowers and does not require complicated care at all. There are many types of petunias, and hanging pots are best suited for hanging pots, which, growing, hang down to the floor in a thick floral curtain.

There are many varieties of flower pots on the market and it's time to figure out which one is better. This article lists the pros and cons of different types of modern pots and talks about which pots are best suited for certain types of plants. Indoor flowers are a wonderful addition to the interior. They delight the eye with a variety of colors and enrich the air in the room with oxygen. And in what pot should a plant be planted so that it feels like in natural conditions? Let's figure it out.

Houseplants in pots. © Flozo Content:

What is the difference between pots and pots?

Flower pots, unlike planters that are used to decorate nondescript pots, have drainage holes in the bottom. Drainage holes are designed to drain water so that water does not stagnate, and this does not lead to rotting of the roots and the formation of unpleasant odors. Holes for water drainage are sometimes used for bottom watering, when the plant absorbs moisture with its roots from the pallet or from the planter in which it is installed.

Nowadays, due to economy and the race against time, planters have lost their purpose and are being used more and more as pots. That is, they retained the aesthetic purpose, but a functional one was added to it, a vessel in which the plant grows and develops.

In the article, I will dwell on the most popular and versatile materials for flower pots, the use of which is possible not only in functional terms, but also aesthetically at the same time.

plastic pots

Now technologies make it possible to use plastic not only as a material directly for a pot, but also to create flower pots from them.

Thanks to technical advances and the work of designers, plastic pots have turned from ordinary, nondescript vessels into real works of art. Due to the plasticity of the material, such flowerpots have a rich variety of shapes, sizes and colors.

Benefits of plastic pots

The advantage of a plastic pot or planter is its lightness. When growing large plants such as Ficus, Dracaena, Strelitzia, located on the floor, many will opt for a plastic pot that is easy to move if necessary. And with vertical gardening, you can’t do without lightweight planters, which can be given any size or decorated for any material.

Another advantage of plastic is that it can be given any shape, from tall flowerpots to a flat saucer.

Now popular pots with automatic watering system. At its core, this is a pot and planter in a set. A pot with an indicator of fullness of water is inserted into the pot, which has a special hole for watering. Such pots provide an opportunity to do floriculture even for the most forgetful, as they can reduce watering to just a few times a year.

There are also medicinal pots. The specificity of such a pot is that in the bottom of the pot, concave inward, in addition to holes for water drainage, holes are made for air circulation. The roots of the plant breathe and such a pot does not require an additional drainage layer.

Plastic pots are convenient, they do not allow water to flow when watering. The richness of shapes, sizes and colors allow you to choose a pot for any interior, and the cheapness of the material makes them accessible to a larger number of buyers.

Modern technology makes it possible to use plastic pots as additional lighting or make them glow brightly in the dark. Want to plant your flower in a marble vase, but avoid the hassle and expense of moving? Pay attention to plastic pots.

Disadvantages of plastic pots

Of the few disadvantages, it is worth noting that plastic is an artificial material, and it does not breathe, which sometimes negatively affects the development of plants, and when overflowing, rotting of the roots is possible. When growing very tall plants, such pots can become unstable.

Ceramic or clay pots

Clay or ceramic pots have been used by mankind to grow plants for more than one century.

Advantages of ceramic pots

The indisputable advantage of this type of dish, if it is not glazed, is its naturalness. Due to the porosity of the material, excessive moisture evaporates through the walls of the vessel, and the roots of the plant are also saturated with oxygen.

Unfortunately, gypsum fakes that do not have a set of useful properties began to appear on the market. You can tell them apart by sound. When struck lightly, a gypsum pot makes a duller sound than its clay counterpart.

Ceramics, be it simple terracotta or glazed, will always add solidity and richness to the interior. Thanks to centuries of craftsmanship, it is possible to achieve that the pot looks like an ancient flowerpot of the dynasty of some Chinese emperor and a simple cheerful vase with colorful colors.

The clay from which such pots are made is a natural material found in nature. The hydrated water contained in such pots serves as an excellent temperature regulator. In winter, the plant in this pot is warm, and cool in summer.

Plants grown in such pots feel better. Due to its mass, such dishes are more stable and more suitable for growing large plants, including trees.

Disadvantages of ceramic pots

Of course, there are also disadvantages to growing plants in ceramic pots. Clay ware is quite fragile and can break if not handled carefully.

Due to the same porosity of the material, the walls of the vessel can become very cold during evaporation, which will lead to serious injury or death of the plant.

When transplanting a plant from such a pot, the roots that stick to the inner walls are damaged.

Salt deposits appear on the surface of clay pots, which are very difficult to get rid of, and the glaze does not let air through.

Pots made of other materials

Less common materials for planters are metal, natural stone, glass.

Glass pots

Glass material is very fragile and traumatic, it is very easy to break it. Glass is used, as a rule, for growing orchids. You can also grow mini gardens in large glass pots or aquariums, or plant plants that require special climatic conditions.

Glass is a very decorative material, but not suitable for growing most plants.

Natural stone pots

Natural stone is a rare material for a flower pot or planter. A tall tree growing in such a flowerpot will look great in a spacious room with panoramic windows or an open patio. Unfortunately, the high cost of such material does not allow its use in everyday life. Yes, and caring for a plant in such a pot will be difficult. Natural stone heats up quickly and cools down just as quickly, so not all plants are suitable for growing in it.

Metal pots

Metal, no less brutal material for creating planters. Thanks to artistic forging, it can be shaped into various animals or pedestals. Unfortunately, the metal heats up and cools down just as quickly, and eventually corrodes.

With the right selection of a pot or flowerpot, the flower will delight you with its growth and aroma for a long time.

I ask you to supplement this article with your comments, share your experience and send your recommendations.

Gardening stores sell a lot of all kinds of objects that can decorate the garden, complementing what is created by nature. But what if you don't like the banal figures of gnomes and other "sculptures"? Do you want to show excellent European taste?

Pay attention to large pots and planters, from 60-80 cm high. Did you know that these impressive items are not only for planting flowers? They can play many roles, the main of which is to create a spectacular and original corner in your garden.

Where to place such large and even huge pots? Which ones to choose so that it does not look trite? What to add to enhance the effect? How can large planters fix "problem areas" in your garden and around the house? What secrets do landscape designers know when it comes to patios?

Answers to all these questions, 25 best design techniques and 50 photos of large pots with examples of harmonious landscape design - in our new guide. Discover another amazing garden feature!

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First, let's talk about what probably worries you the most - where to place large pots and planters . We have found 10 interesting tricks.

1. Front entrance.

Old as the world, but still effective: put two identical plant containers on either side of the entrance to the site. And admire how your yard has changed! By the way, capricious plants can also be grown in such containers - as soon as the temperature drops, just bring them into the house.

2. Punctuation marks.

How does this relate to our topic? And so that plants in large containers can make the garden more structured, as do periods and commas in the text. They can mark a turn in the path or point to a bench in the shade.

3. Like sculpture.

Another "punctuation mark", but in the role of the central element of some of the sections of the garden. Adds order and European elegance, especially if you choose a large pot in the old style.

4. Point of attraction.

And the third way to designate the structure of the garden is to install a large planter at the end of the path or where it bifurcates.

5. Mediterranean notes.

When decorating a Mediterranean-style garden or patio with characteristic round areas like waves, think about how to fit large vessels or pots made of natural-colored unglazed ceramics into them. Add a round mini flower bed (pot in the center) or surround it with small pebbles.

6. Attention to corners.

Vegetation in the corners of a small area is always appropriate, helping to give it smooth shapes. Add a large pot to one of these areas - with plants or even without them. This focal point is sure to catch the eye and showcase your out-of-the-ordinary taste.

7. Change the proportions.

Around the house, as a rule, there is little land, and all the vegetation is either under your feet or above your head. Balance this picture by adding a "middle element" - at eye level or just below (a large pot of flowers or plants). You will be surprised how much more harmonious it looks now.

8. Among the foliage.

Agree, quite unexpectedly to meet a huge vessel in the far corner of a wild garden. Rising above the low foliage, it looks like it was conjured by a wizard, and treasures await inside.

Tip: for such areas, choose pots of soft shades of natural nature (gray, beige, green), this will enhance the charm of "magic".

9. Non-banal garden.

We have already talked in detail about. And here we propose to supplement it with a large pot-vessel. Such a high element adds decorativeness to trivial beds.

10. Creative (devil) order.

Instead of accentuating the space, huge pots and planters can create it themselves, breaking the excessive order and introducing new lines.

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Now for some ideas on how choose a large pot or decorative vessel to make the most impactful experience.

11. With a touch of time.

A large vessel can be a great focal point if it stands out from the crowd. The bigger the pot, the better. Vessels, on which the imprint of time (patina) is clearly felt, look especially luxurious.

12. Game of contrasts.

If you have a lawn or a flower bed, feel free to put large planters and pots there. Right in the middle of the green. This will certainly attract attention and give your eyes a rest from a solid green canvas. Containers can be very diverse, but they must have something in common - color, shape or material.

13. At the behest of nature.

Take a closer look at the landscape - perhaps there is already an answer to the question of what containers should be. For example, as here: a heavy rounded vessel resembles stones in shape, and the exotic, unusually dark color of plants suggested the shade of the pot - black.

14. A piece of exotic.

Among the great variety of leaf colors, blue shades are very rare. Especially in our latitudes. That's why look for bright blue containers or trendy teal color - against the backdrop of greenery, they will look incredibly exotic. Want to enhance your impression? Install artificial leaves or feathers inside, painted in a similar tone.

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Did you know that with the help of decorative planters and pots you can solve the problems of the site or garden ? Find out a few ways to do it.

15. Harmony does not tolerate emptiness.

Every designer knows: there should be no empty corners. If you still have them - put a large container with plants there (or an empty one - as a decor). A group of such containers will help disguise unaesthetic utilitarian items: an air conditioner module, a generator or utility hatches.

16. From scratch.

Perhaps you are puzzled about what to do with a boring white fence. Or with the barn wall, which, with its screaming emptiness, offends your aesthetic feelings.

Just imagine this surface as a canvas and yourself as an artist. And create! Put several identical, but certainly spectacular containers with greens along the wall. And now enjoy your creation with a trendy touch of modern decor trends!

17. Provisional measure.

If there are still few plantings on the site, large pots with flowers and plants will perfectly save the situation and get rid of the impression of uncomfortable emptiness.

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Now let's talk about what to add to large pots and planters or what to plant in them if you like original solutions.

18. Curious instance.

Large forms - for outstanding content. Try growing a tree with interesting branches or even fruits in a huge container. This is not at all the same as planting it in the ground - a huge pot will highlight the plant, tell everyone about its uniqueness. And you will only have to admire this excellent specimen.

Tip: Before planting a tree in a pot, think about its future needs. After all, the root system and crown will grow, and the container may simply not withstand the pressure. Therefore, carefully study everything regarding the development of this plant.

19. Mexican landscape.

Have you dreamed of some exotic landscape for a long time? Take large pots, place pots of succulents in them and fill them with gravel on top. Put it on a site with the same coating, and put the containers in the house or winter garden for the winter.

20. Add water.

How about getting a garden fountain made from a huge ceramic vessel? You can, of course, look for ready-made models. But it’s really possible to do it yourself - from a large pot and a special set for arranging small garden fountains.

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And in conclusion, we offer spectacular ideas for decorating the patio - also with the help of large pots and decorative vessels.

21. Magic bush.

Do you regret that bushes with beautiful flowers are located far from your favorite vacation spot? Plant young plants in large pots and rearrange wherever you want.

22. Berries at hand.

In large containers, not only flowers or greens can grow, but also berry bushes. Find out from horticultural firms which varieties are best to choose and get such a “delicious” decor.

23. Blooming stairs.

This trick adds a sense of celebration, turning the daily climb of the stairs into an exciting event that pleases the eye. Use the same pots with the same contents - this will reflect your impeccable taste and professional approach to design.

24. In a slender framework.

Very large planters with plants can perfectly zone individual elements of the patio. For example, limit the barbecue area or become an interesting alternative to a garden fence. But, unlike the fence, it is pleasant to admire them.

25. Southern European chic.

And if you have special places for eating or relaxing, limited by stone walls, mark the entrance with a pair of unglazed terracotta pots. Plant beautifully flowering plants or bushes with picturesque small leaves like boxwood inside.

We hope this detailed guide on how to use large pots, planters and decorative vessels in your landscape design will inspire you to create original garden and patio elements. We wish you success in this and admiration of the guests!

Indoor flowers appear at home for various reasons and reasons. There is hardly a house where there is not a single home flower. Flowers in pots are bought in flower shops in the markets, in greenhouses, propagated on their own, presented for the holidays.

Some use them for decoration, others, knowing the properties of plants, are used specifically for treatment, to purify the air. And still others are grown just for fun, being flower lovers.

Home flowers can easily transform the look of the interior, enliven and decorate it.

Photo gallery of flowers

Varieties of indoor flowers amaze with their diversity and beauty. The flower catalog contains photos of the most popular home flowers. Photos of flowers in pots are immersed in a blooming world.

Home flowers differ not only in their appearance, but in different conditions of maintenance and care. After all, in order for a flower to please with its beautiful appearance for a long time, you need to know the rules for caring for it.

A description of the appearance of flowers, their characteristic features, conditions at home can be found under each photo of the plant.

Indoor plants are divided into different categories:

• decorative flowering,
• decorative leafy,
• succulents,
• fruit.

Most indoor plants are flowering. They are united in this group by one thing - the beauty of the inflorescences. But the flowering period and the duration of flowering are different for everyone. This species includes anthurium, geranium, orchid, clivia, balsam, jasmine, azalea and others.

Decorative deciduous amaze with the beauty of the leaves. Some have inconspicuous small flowers, while others never bloom. All year round they have a great view, they are not demanding to care for.

This group includes - ficus, dracaena, monstera, yucca, dieffenbachia, croton, begonia and others.

Succulents have a characteristic feature - a fleshy structure, bristles and hairs that perform a protective function. These plants survive in the complete absence of moisture. These include: fat woman (money tree), aloe, Kalanchoe, cacti, agave, euphorbia and others.

Fruit - dwarf varieties of citrus fruits, avocado, pomegranate, coffee tree.

Unpretentious and capricious house flowers

When the question arises which flower to plant in a pot, one must choose a plant not only for the beauty of its appearance, but also take into account the conditions of detention and the rules for caring for it.

These flowers are not demanding on watering, lighting and humidity. The owners of such unpretentious flowers can leave them for a long time and not be afraid for their appearance - they will survive. Unpretentious flowers are convenient for women, business ladies who do not have enough time for household chores.

Violet can grow on all windows, except for the south one (so that the sun does not burn the leaves). Violet roots are on the surface, so she does not like abundant watering. With excess moisture, the roots rot.

Euphorbia is a succulent with thorns and small flowers, loves light and rare watering.

Clivia grows where others do not survive. A shaded place for her is just right, excess water can kill.

Spathiphyllum is a female flower of happiness. He lives with diffused lighting, goes without water for more than a week. When the leaves dry up, it must be doused with cool water, it moves away and grows further.

Chlorophytum is the simplest and most unpretentious. He can live quietly on a closet in the far corner without light and prolonged watering. He is not afraid of temperature changes and drafts.

Dracaena does not require frequent watering and spraying, withstands darkness.

The fat woman does not like dark corners and excess moisture. The money tree brings prosperity and abundance to the house.

Yucca is sun-loving, manages with poor watering and is unpretentious to the soil.

And housewives, people leading a measured lifestyle, lovers of living plants can grow whimsical and exquisite flowers at home.

The capricious group includes such flowers: begonia, cyclamen, gardenia, camellia, room rose. Following the rules for caring for flowers in pots, they will delight the owner with their beauty for a long time.

• Old inflorescences must be removed in a timely manner, and then the plant will bloom profusely.
• So that the plant does not tend to one side towards the light and grows even, you need to turn it around half a turn once a week.
• If a flowering plant does not bloom for a long time, it should be placed in a cool, dark place and watering should be reduced for several weeks.
• If you sprinkle the ground in a pot with black pepper, you can drive the cat away from the flower.

Types of plant pots

For each flower, in addition to proper care, a flower pot is required. And although the pot is only a container for growth, and the decoration for the room is the flower itself, the choice of this item must be taken seriously.

There are a huge number of flower pots on the market today. They differ from each other in material, color, shape and price. The most bought and demanded are plastic and ceramic.

Plastic flower pots are very convenient to use: they are light, it is easy to transplant plants from them without damaging the root system. These containers are varied in color and shape, which allows them to harmoniously fit into the interior of the room.

Pots made of plastic are practical, they rarely break, since the life of plastic is not limited. These pots are lightweight and easy to move from one place to another. But they have a drawback - they easily heat up at high temperatures. And the root system of the flower suffers from overheating of the substrate.

Ceramic flower pots amaze with their beauty. Their main advantage is their porous structure. It allows the root system to breathe freely, evenly distributing moisture over the substrate.

But these pots are heavy and difficult to move around the room, especially if it is a large plant. They break easily when you drop them. The price of ceramic pots is much higher than plastic ones.

Pots come in different shapes and sizes. It is important to choose the right size of the pot so that the flower is comfortable. There is a "golden" rule when choosing: the height should be 1/4 or 1/3 of the height of the plant.

For large plants and fast growing ones, they immediately take a large flower pot. And small flowers with a superficial root system are planted in a wide and shallow pot.

Very large pots are used for tall plants with a powerful root system. They are usually placed on the floor in the house or outside to decorate the garden.

All flower pots, regardless of material, shape and size, must have a pallet. It helps prevent root rot and mold growth.

If you decide to give a home flower in a pot to someone you know, approach this carefully. According to popular beliefs, you can not give climbing plants, palm trees, ivy, hoya. These flowers predict discord in the family, disturb the peace. It is better not to violate long-lived signs.

Choose a plant in accordance with the lifestyle of a person. Potted flowers are a wonderful gift for both young and old people. Such a gift serves not only as an interior decoration, but keeps the warm feelings of the giver.

Photo of flowers in pots

When choosing pots for cacti, it is worth remembering that these plants do not tolerate stagnant fluid. Therefore, the answer to the question of which pots to plant cacti in, suggests itself - in those in which the root system will be warm and dry. Cactus flower pots should have good drainage capacity and retain the accumulated heat energy during the night period. These consumer qualities have ceramic containers with thick clay walls. If necessary, you can use plastic pots for succulents, but you need to ensure that they are constantly in a warm place. For example, provide for the location of plants on the windowsill, under which the central heating battery passes. Or put it on a sunny window during the day, covering the green part of the plant from direct ultraviolet rays.

Look at the proposed photos of cacti in a pot - they are well illustrated with all the described principles for choosing dishes:

Choosing pots for cacti

Plant utensils, commonly referred to as "flower pots", are of great importance for the growth of cacti, as they determine the volumes of soil mixture available to plants, and with it the amount of nutrients and water.

Florists and flower shops sell cacti most often in very small pots, as they take up less space and are cheaper. This applies, first of all, to miniature clay pots with spectacular looking “mini-cacti”. However, for further cultivation of plants, these small pots for cacti are completely unsuitable, because they cannot provide them with a sufficiently large living space and conditions for growth.

In the sun, a small pot heats up very quickly, and when the sun hides, it cools rapidly. In heat, the soil dries out very quickly, so that the plant is constantly between two unfavorable poles: “very damp” (immediately after watering) and “very dry”.

And since cacti are extremely hardy plants, they do not immediately show that they can hardly tolerate such conditions.

In other words, satisfactory cultivation of cacti in these small commercial potted plants is not possible in the long run. Gardeners in these pots. Very often they are grown in large beds in greenhouses and transplanted into mini-pots only for sale, or small clay pots with plants planted in them are buried in large tabletop peat boxes or beds in optimally adjusted greenhouse climate conditions, that is, they have more living space with even climatic conditions. Therefore, we choose more suitable containers for growing succulents.

In what size pot to plant a cactus for active growth

The size of the cactus pot is of paramount importance, so after buying new cacti, an amateur cactus grower most often needs to immediately plants from small pots into a more spacious dish that is suitable for their further cultivation. There is no single answer to the question of what size the pot should be. In which pot, each grower decides individually, depending on the choice of pots.

A new pot should provide the plant with the opportunity for normal active growth and development within one to two years, and after a certain time, the earthen clod in it should be completely penetrated by roots.

On the other hand, it is also wrong to plant a small plant in a very large pot. Otherwise, in the substrate, where the roots do not braid the entire earthen lump for a long time, unpleasant decay processes may begin. Therefore, very small plants are best planted several together in a larger pot or bowl.

Planters for cacti and succulents

When growing a culture, clay planters for cacti, traditional dishes for all indoor plants, have both their advantages and disadvantages. Their characteristic feature is a certain evaporation of moisture through the porous walls, and the more, the drier the surrounding air and the more sunlight and heat in the place where they stand.

Thus, the soil in the pot dries out much faster than would be expected based on the plant's water requirements. On the one hand, the evaporation of water through the walls of the pot leads to a certain cooling of the earthen clod.

On the other hand, all the salts dissolved in water during evaporation form an ever-increasing layer of white bloom on the walls of the pot. Especially strong limescale is formed in regions with very hard water, when watered, the soil in clay pots eventually alkalizes. And since almost all cacti prefer slightly acidic soil mixtures, their root system gradually dies off, which leads to the death of the plant.

However, along with these shortcomings, clay planters have their own advantages. Firstly, ceramic pots for succulents retain their shape better; when choosing large dishes - this circumstance is often a decisive argument in their favor compared to plastic or plastic pots.

In addition, due to their own weight, they are more stable, which is especially valuable when growing tall cacti or species with drooping shoots. Sometimes a strong evaporation of water can also be an advantage: namely, when the plant is watered abundantly at the wrong time.

As a result of the rapid evaporation of moisture through the porous walls of the pot, the soil dries out faster. You can avoid the formation of limescale on the walls of clay pots if you use soft or artificially softened (distilled) water for irrigation. It is possible to completely eliminate the evaporation of water through the walls of the pot by painting it from the inside with waterproof paint (for example, a special paint used to paint the inner walls of containers with drinking water).

There are clay pots for succulents in a wide variety of shapes, although small flower shops usually sell ordinary round ones. For many cacti, especially for species that form whole clumps, low, flat pots are more suitable.

Plastic pots for succulents, often referred to as plastic in everyday life, also have both their advantages and disadvantages when cultivating cacti. Firstly, plastic pots of the most varied quality are commercially available.

An amateur cactus grower should choose for his plants not disposable plastic pots, which, due to their low price, are preferred by floricultural farms, but better dishes. These pots come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. There are round, low and wide pots that are especially well suited for growing clump-forming cacti; very tall flowerware is more suitable for plants with a long turnip main root. From plastic, both ordinary round pots and square-shaped pots, which are especially popular with owners of greenhouses and greenhouses, are produced.

Plastic pots are cheap, light, and easy to stack. Thanks to the smooth walls, they can be washed well and thus prepared for reuse. Due to the fact that the walls of the plastic pot do not allow moisture to pass through, the plants need to be watered less often.

True, this advantage for inexperienced amateurs often turns into a disadvantage. Plants in plastic pots need about 1/3 of the water that plants in earthenware consume.

Therefore, there is a danger of waterlogging of cacti in plastic pots. In addition, even when the surface of the soil is dry in the plastic pot, the substrate may still be damp at the bottom of the pot.

However, cacti require another watering only when the substrate dries sufficiently; as mentioned above, they absolutely cannot tolerate the constant dampness of the soil. Over time, plastic pots also age, become brittle and break easily. And this primarily applies to the cultivation of cacti, since it is in this case that a characteristic feature is strong solar radiation and relatively high temperatures.

As a generalization, when growing cacti in separate pots for smaller plants, plastic utensils have certain advantages. In small clay pots standing, for example, on the windowsill, it is difficult to maintain the humidity and temperature of the soil at the right level, since the pots heat up very quickly, and the substrate in them dries up completely. In such cases, it is better to use plastic utensils.

On the other hand, large cacti need large pots. However, in this case, a larger volume of soil provides a more uniform temperature and moisture of the substrate also when using clay pots.

In addition, when using large-sized dishes, durable clay pots have advantages over plastic pots that easily bend and break (for example, when lifting a plant carelessly). In addition, if a plant in a large plastic pot is watered too heavily, that is, it can take a very long time for the soil to dry out again, and meanwhile a fungal infection can spread in the soil and infect the plant through the roots.

See how potted succulents look like - the photo shows different options for ceramic and plastic containers:

Square pots and bowls for cacti

Taking into account all the disadvantages that cultivation of cacti in small clay pots brings with it, with their poorly tolerated plants, drastically changing conditions, one very soon comes to the conclusion whether it is not necessary to plant many plants at once in large cactus bowls, thereby creating for them more free living space. Indeed, amateurs who grow their plants in rooms are increasingly finding very attractive and well-growing landscape compositions of cacti in bowls or low flower boxes. And, on the contrary, cacti growers. those who have a greenhouse or conservatory in which they can create favorable conditions for the growth of cacti prefer to grow their plants in separate pots - if they do not plant their large cacti directly into the soil.

If an amateur has a desire to try in a bowl, then first you need to choose the right dishes for this. Flower shops often offer arrangements from bowls.

This in itself is not objectionable if the bowl has drainage holes to drain excess watering water - and if the amateur is not tempted by the round shape to the point of placing the bowl in the middle of the table in the room. Because it's definitely too dark for cacti.

For closed flower windows, depending on their design, amateurs have at their disposal special square cactus pots of various sizes, and for growing on a windowsill, on the contrary, it is necessary to give preference to flower dishes in the form of balcony flower boxes. Eternite boxes, which are produced today from asbestos-free materials, are best suited for cultivating cacti on an external windowsill.

If you intend to grow cacti in a room, it is best to choose more attractive plant boxes, such as plastic ones. In any case, the flower box should have drainage holes at the bottom through which excess watering water can drain.

On an outside window sill this dripping water may not be a problem, but in a room the flower box should be placed on a galvanized steel or plastic tray. Since a pallet of the right size is often very difficult to find, it is necessary to buy a flower box together with the pallet from the very beginning.

Further, in such boxes it is necessary to plant only approximately equally growing, strong cacti that require similar conditions. A particularly well-growing species should not be allowed to grow rapidly and suppress with its growth a rare specimen that grows slowly in the neighborhood.

This overgrowth can also take place in the soil, where the roots of the fast growing species increasingly restrict the living space of the slower growing species, causing the plant to wither.

In addition, "white" looking species that require bright sunlight and plenty of heat should never be planted next to the less thorny green species, which, although they prefer a lot of light, need protection from direct sunlight during the midday hours. And since in the general substrate of any flower box all the roots living in the soil can spread freely, only healthy-looking plants are planted together.

With the right choice of plants according to the location of the box, the amateur cactus grower can achieve very good results. True, when cultivating cacti in flower boxes, it can be very difficult to take out a single plant from there, for example, to photograph it or to transplant a particularly strongly grown plant into a large dish. Most often, in this case, you have to replant all the cacti growing in the box.

However, it is possible to combine the advantages of growing plants in individual pots with the advantages of growing in large containers, if cacti growing in clay pots are placed in a flower box and the free space is filled with a mixture of sand and peat.

Then, thanks to the porous walls of the clay pots, moisture leveling occurs through the filler substrate, and the soil in them does not dry out too quickly. In addition, when cultivating species that prefer not completely dry conditions in winter, lightly moistening only the box filler substrate can keep the potting soil slightly moist. If individual cacti grown in plastic pots are placed together in a bowl, then this will not give great advantages in culture, since in this case moisture exchange does not occur through the walls of the pots.