Amazing Benefits of Terra Cotta Pots
Why I LOVE terra cotta pots, they may have fallen out of popularity for various reasons but I have a newfound appreciation for these wonderful bits of clay. Now with minimizing our use of plastics in the garden they are an earth friendly choice.
Terra cotta pots have been around for ages and I mean ages but they have come in and out of popular use. Here you will discover the amazing benefits of terra cotta pots!
I haven’t always loved them. I had read of the cons associated with using terra cotta for your plants. Believing them, I went with plastic instead.
There is no explanation as to why I started using terra cotta pots again. I just did and I have fallen in love.
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The cons that I read about, like they dry out too fast, become heavy when planted, discolor over time, are all the things I found to be pros.
Here is the many ways I use terra cotta pots and why.
Great for my house plants.
My house plants actually perform better in terra cotta. I contribute this to the fact that terra cotta is porous and actually breathes, so even if I should over water a bit the roots don’t drown like they can in plastic pots.
Another plus is I can tell by the color of the pot if the plant actually does need to be watered, terra cotta is is moist and darker in color when there is moisture still present in the soil.
In the past I have tried to overwinter geraniums inside my home and was never quite successful. They would live but were spindly and unattractive.
Then I tried it using terra cotta pots and it was a game changer for me. The plants not only lived through the winter in an east facing window but they thrived. I did not get blooms but I was just happy they were so healthy that by the time they went outside they bloomed in short order.
I actually enjoy how they weather and discolor.
The way terra cotta weathers adds a patina that just works for me. So many try to get this with faux finishes but really those are unnecessary. Terra cotta pots will start this process immediately.
Both of the pots in the photo above are relatively new, within weeks they start to get a white crustiness and a mossy tint. When you have hard water this will occur even more rapidly. It is just the minerals in the water.
Also, you can get a white fuzzy fuzzy-looking mold. It is harmless and will not hurt your plants. Just let the plant dry out a bit more between waterings. It is a naturally occurring thing, not a death sentence, it is a fungi. If you mix dirt and moisture you will get fungi.
If you tend to be allergic to all molds then spray the pot with some hydrogen peroxide and scrub it off when a toothbrush. Rinse well.
Most of the pots I have indoors are easily handled and not too large so this works. It is not a one-time operation though. To keep the mold at bay you will need to repeat this process. I only have a few pots that do this and I cut back on watering or put in a sunnier window, the direct sunlight also kills the mold. (I only put some of my plants in windows that get direct sunlight in the winter, in the summer the sun is too strong and will cook your plants)
Terra Cotta comes in all shapes and sizes.
I enjoy creating miniature gardens in the shallower pots. Typically I don’t leave them outside all winter as the extreme cold can break or make the terra cotta crumble but this one did not make it to the inside of my greenhouse for some reason and it has fared well so far. It has succulents in it that are kind of dormant for the winter. Succulents do very well in terra cotta.
Terra Cotta is Reusable – Better for the environment
Terra cotta pots are breakable, not really a plus but you can do fun things with the broken pots. This one is being used in the larger pot as part of the miniature garden and it has succulents in it.
They fill in and spill out in the warmer, dryer months, right now they are semi-dormant and rather sparse-looking. I need to find a photo from last summer with it filled. I do have another post with making a mini garden with a broken terra cotta pot. CLICK HERE to view it.
Terra Cotta pots are Great for Rooting Cuttings
Again, I figure this is because the terra cotta breathes. This past Fall I pruned several of my roses. I stuck the cuttings into well-draining soil mix in terra cotta pots. I also put some in plastic pots.
The ones in the terra cotta are still thriving while the ones in the plastic all succumbed to mildew. (this is in winter, not usually a time you try to start cuttings but I was experimenting, mildew is less of a problem for me in summer)
That may seem like a paradox since mold will grow on terra cotta pots when damp but I can only think that it is a different mold than what attacks plants.
There is an entire post dedicated to rooting roses during the ideal time to do so. CLICK HERE.
I love to get a head start on potted beauty
In Fall I pot up my tulip bulbs. We get heavy snows in May, right when my tulips are at their peak. It smashed them right to the ground so I have decided to pot up any new ones I buy to enjoy in Spring and if we get a late snow storm I can move the potted tulips under cover and keep right on enjoying them.
Something I mentioned before but it bears repeating. I can keep an eye on the moisture content of the pot by seeing how damp the side of the pot is, which tells me if I need to water or not.
I also plant up dahlias in the greenhouse. Not only do they get a head start but I can propagate them too.
Bottom weight
One of the big pluses for me with terra cotta is their weight. Plants that can tend to be top heavy won’t topple over like they can with lighter weight pots. This has been a trouble for me. I don’t have huge pots so lifting and moving has not been a problem but if it were they do have plant dollies that work great. Move It Plant Dolly
My pet flamingos would topple a plastic pot but even in a relatively medium sized pot they share with some rosemary they stay upright.
Terra Cotta pots organic feel and look are perfect for the herb plants that I use to make fun topiaries. Two of my favorites are lavender and rosemary but topiaries can become top heavy, having pots with good bottom weight is the fix.
Terra cotta aids humidity
One more plus is they create humidity around your plants. The porous terra cotta material absorbs then releases moisture creating humidity around plants that help them thrive in drier climates (like mine).
Have you tried testing out whether terra cotta works better for you?
Trial and error have been the best way I have found in all my gardening adventures. I did not even try using terra cotta because of reading so much about how superior plastic was. I even sold a wood crate filled with terra cotta pots because I was just not going to use them when I had so much plastic. head slap
Give terra cotta a try. You may find it works for you too. I have found them also to be inexpensive. The smaller pots that fit on a window sill are about $1 to $2 at garden centers.
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Happy Gardening!
More posts You Will Enjoy!
How to Propagate African Violets
Propagate Lavender from Cuttings
House Plants for Better Air Quality
another benefit of terra cotta pots is that they keep the plant’s roots much cooler if the plant is outside in the hot sun versus plastic which bakes the roots and stresses out the plant and can even kill it.
I’ve been switching most of my plants over to terra cotta since I do a lot of indoor planting. They’re so helpful in reducing root rot and mold. Plus I also like the way they look :).
Only let a potted plant sit in water to absorb it for half an hour, no more, then let drain. The pot and soil inside will absorb moisture. As the terra cotta pot dries it will create humidity around the plant. But even terra cotta pots should not be left soaking all the time.
I understand that terra-cotta pots will sweat out excess water. But, is the reverse also true? Think, self watering. If I set a terra-cotta pot in a puddle of water will it only suck up enough to moisten the soil inside or will it become soaked?
The white stuff on the outside of the pots is not fungi. It is the minerals and salts from tap water.
That is Creeping Wire Vine (Muehlenbeckia axillaris) and it can grow as a ground cover (invasive in some areas) or a beautiful house plant. That reminds me I need to go bring my pots of it inside, I put it out in the summer. I love it, it has such a delicate nature. Yep, hard water does the best aging of terra cotta pots. Something people try to mimic with paint, which isn’t nearly as lovely.
What is that beautiful plant with tiny leaves?! I love terracotta. We have hard water here and the patina I’m getting is lovely!
I love terra cotta and only use them when possible. I line my garden steps with them on each side of the steps and it looks lovely. Mine are aging pretty well now and have the moss and other lovely age colors on them. Great article!!
I love the terra cotta too for its earth friendliness. I too am trying to build my supply for use rather than the plastic. Funny how we find the old is really better. 🙂
Thank you so much for this article! I am a very new gardener and love to see all this information and advice from more experienced gardeners. I am starting out with terra cotta pots right now as I am transitioning into a lower waste (less plastic) lifestyle. I am happy to see that they may work out better than plastic! Thanks again! God bless.
No, still can’t get the link to” Learning Impressionism” 🙁
I get a page called: 403-Forbidden Error
I’ve always had access to all your other posts though!?
Oh well…
Wow, I don’t know what is going on there. Can you click this link? Pamela Groppe Art Let me know if this continues to be an issue.
Hi again Pam,
I’m beeing blocked from your ”Learning Impressionism” blog. It sends me to this one? I was wondering if other people were having the same problem?
I have tons of plastic pots too and I still use them, but like you I am buying more and more terra cotta as I find them. Newer ones aren’t as heavy made as older ones but they will still work for me. I just make sure to look and ask for them when at yard sales.
I grew up using terra cotta pots and always loved them and then for some reason I switched to plastic when I started propagating and working in volume. So glad I read this post because for all the reasons you pointed out I recently decided to start reintroducing them. They have so much character and like you I enjoy all that discoloration. Very helpful information, thank you!
I am glad to see that someone else loves terra cotta pots as much as I do! I love them for all the same reasons you do and always seek out new ones.
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
This past Fall, just before the first freeze, I stuck one of my geraniums that was in a terra cotta pot all summer (did wonderful) straight into the basement as an experiment to see if it would overwinter there. This past week I took the pot out and put it in my greenhouse and sure enough there was fresh new shoots coming from the roots. They were white because the basement is dark all the time but it was definitely sprouting! All the old growth was dead so I cut it back, I gave it a good watering and I hope it will come back as gorgeous as it was last summer!
Yes, I should be sure to put my terra cotta pots inside the basement or greenhouse for the winter and usually do. I don’t know why I got lazy with that one with the succulents in it.
My grandmother used to do the same thing. She had a friends who was a Rosarian and had the hugest rose garden, she would give Grandma cuttings to start all the time. I think Grandma had as much fun starting them as she did growing them in her garden. She would give away many of the plants to friends and acquaintances as gifts.
Our weather as been variable as well, warm and sunny one week then cold, snowy and rainy the next. I keep telling myself not to get too anxious for summer but I always am. I love sunshine and heat and I don’t enjoy winter at all.
It was a zing moment for me when I recognized it myself, all my plants in the terra cotta pots were so much healthier. What a great place to exercise, we have been talking about building a lean to type extension on our back deck as a sun room so I can enjoy even more plants indoors.
I am so glad I was able to help.
I really enjoyed this post and learned so much! I’m going to begin buying all the terra cotta that I see at estate sales! I have a wonderful sunporch that I use for a workout room/garden room and I have wondered why so many of my plants don’t thrive or at least do ok. I stepped out there a few minutes ago and sure enough all the plants in terra cotta are great. But the ones in plastic are not! I’m surprised but so happy you posted this so I can begin repotting every thing that will come inside next fall. It is so much nicer to exercise when I have the plants to look at! Well, except that I keep stopping to check out one of my plants. I’ve never been able to get the palms to grow well out there so I’m going to change them to terra cotta and I bet they will be gorgeous! Thanks again!
I love terra cotta pots. I had several and then I inherited my Mom’s. I had not thought about sticking my geraniums in them to over winter in the house. I have not been successful at all trying to get them to survive through the winter. I do have to bring my terra cotta pots in during the winter as they freeze and break here where winter is so cold. I store them in our shop or garage.
Pamela, I love the look of terra cotta pots, but I confess that I have used plastic for my African Violets for a long time for the very reason you mentioned—they don’t dry out so fast. I am a notoriously forgetful gardener when it comes to keeping plants watered. When I forget to water the AFs they get extremely stressed and droopy if I have them in terra cotta, but not so quickly when they are in plastic. So I have more time to get it together and water! But I don’t like the appearance of the plastic pots at all. I usually slip them into a decorative pot to hide the plastic. I read another blogger who grows lovely AF’s and uses only terra cotta pots. They look lovely and I assume he’s not as absent minded about watering as I am. I might try switching back to terra cotta at some point when my life isn’t so full of distractions as it is right now.
I am also interested in propagating roses from cuttings. My grandma used to do that. I remember her putting a cutting into the dirt outside and placing a quart Mason jar over it to keep it moist. I have two tiny ones that I am rooting indoors. They are very tiny but I hope they will grow. I have them in a sunny window and have been very faithful about keeping them moist. I will go back and read your post on propagating roses and learn if I’m doing it properly.
It was about sixty degrees today here in mid-Michigan. Yesterday it was really nippy at 35-40 degrees. It’s crazy weather. My daffodils are up and the ones by the back door have buds on them. They get a lot of sun there and the heat reflecting off the siding on the house so they always bloom first. Hopefully they won’t bloom and then suffer frostbite! I do consider Spring to really have come when the daffs bloom!
Thanks for your info about terra cotta and have a nice weekend!
Happy Summer to you too. 🙂 Plastic doesn’t come near the charm and grace of terra cotta. Now I do like my metal buckets and tubs as well. They have their own unique charm.
The ones in Ireland may be better made. The older terra cotta pots I find at yard sales etc are definitely made heavier and thicker than what I find in the garden centers today but the ones at the garden centers have been reasonably priced so far.
Terra Cotta pots are my choice. I grow flowers in them for the porch and patio. Your info was very welcome.
Happy, happy Summer!
I agree with everything regarding terra cotta pots,they also look great,I do not know about the USA but in Ireland they cost a lot,I get one when I can.