Do you use terracotta pots for certain plants?
Terracotta pots are my favourite. But I didn't know that you should soak them before use. My daughter told me that the person she bought her terracotta pots from, told her to soak them first.
So the first thing you will need to do before planting in terracotta is to soak it. Terracotta is naturally porous, so if you put moist potting soil into a brand new, dry terracotta pot, it’s immediately going to pull all of the moisture out of the soil.
Fill your sink or a bucket with water and put your terracotta in to soak. Leave it overnight or for twenty-four hours. You really do want to give it a good long soak.
For years the old tip was to put a stone or a piece of broken terracotta over the drainage hole to prevent soil from washing out of the bottom. Instead, put a paper coffee filter in the bottom. Not only does this keep the soil in the pot, but it allows the water to drain out slower so the roots can soak up more of it.
Make sure your pot and the coffee filter are soaking wet. The paper will stick to the inside of the pot better, making it easier to fill the pot with soil, so it doesn’t slide down between the pot and the filter.
Also a word on cleaning terracotta pots for re-use. You’ll need to soak the pots in a vinegar and water solution or water and a few drops of liquid dish soap. Let the pots soak overnight, and then give them a good scrubbing with a brush or scouring pad. Rinse the pots well, and they’re good to go.
However, if you’re growing a different plant in them or the previous plant had pests or a disease, you will need to disinfect your pots with a mild bleach and water solution. Because they’re porous, all that surface area is great for fungi and bacterial spores to grow.
A word about bleach.
Bleach always seems to get a bad rap from the environmentally conscious crowd because it’s made from *gasp* chemicals. This isn't necessarily true. When exposed to air, bleach quickly oxidizes and breaks down into two even scarier chemicals – salt and water 😉
Soak your pots in a bucket or sink with water and a ¼ cup of bleach. Don’t let them soak for longer than an hour, and don’t use more bleach than that. If left for too long or used in larger amounts, bleach can weaken and wear down your terracotta.
And of course terracotta pots can be painted and used for craft projects. #Terracotta #happyplants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantaddict #tipsandtricks #sarahsgrove
So the first thing you will need to do before planting in terracotta is to soak it. Terracotta is naturally porous, so if you put moist potting soil into a brand new, dry terracotta pot, it’s immediately going to pull all of the moisture out of the soil.
Fill your sink or a bucket with water and put your terracotta in to soak. Leave it overnight or for twenty-four hours. You really do want to give it a good long soak.
For years the old tip was to put a stone or a piece of broken terracotta over the drainage hole to prevent soil from washing out of the bottom. Instead, put a paper coffee filter in the bottom. Not only does this keep the soil in the pot, but it allows the water to drain out slower so the roots can soak up more of it.
Make sure your pot and the coffee filter are soaking wet. The paper will stick to the inside of the pot better, making it easier to fill the pot with soil, so it doesn’t slide down between the pot and the filter.
Also a word on cleaning terracotta pots for re-use. You’ll need to soak the pots in a vinegar and water solution or water and a few drops of liquid dish soap. Let the pots soak overnight, and then give them a good scrubbing with a brush or scouring pad. Rinse the pots well, and they’re good to go.
However, if you’re growing a different plant in them or the previous plant had pests or a disease, you will need to disinfect your pots with a mild bleach and water solution. Because they’re porous, all that surface area is great for fungi and bacterial spores to grow.
A word about bleach.
Bleach always seems to get a bad rap from the environmentally conscious crowd because it’s made from *gasp* chemicals. This isn't necessarily true. When exposed to air, bleach quickly oxidizes and breaks down into two even scarier chemicals – salt and water 😉
Soak your pots in a bucket or sink with water and a ¼ cup of bleach. Don’t let them soak for longer than an hour, and don’t use more bleach than that. If left for too long or used in larger amounts, bleach can weaken and wear down your terracotta.
And of course terracotta pots can be painted and used for craft projects. #Terracotta #happyplants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantaddict #tipsandtricks #sarahsgrove
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Best Answer
Excellent info and thanks for sharing!
I’d use them for all of my cacti and succulents if I could get them in Matte black. I’m in the process of making the switch with my slowest growers that need cold air to bloom. Finding them in this color is the issue. I may have to take out my air brush to get what I want. 😅
I’d use them for all of my cacti and succulents if I could get them in Matte black. I’m in the process of making the switch with my slowest growers that need cold air to bloom. Finding them in this color is the issue. I may have to take out my air brush to get what I want. 😅
@LuxuryMint I have succulents, cacti, ZZ's, jades, snakes, bromeliads and my Hoyas in terracotta.
Whenever I get a new plant I always check to see what kind of pot is best for the plant, some plants don't do well in terracotta!
Whenever I get a new plant I always check to see what kind of pot is best for the plant, some plants don't do well in terracotta!
Thank you, I didn't know until my daughter told me to soak the pots!! @lorigreenbabies @cantelop3
I hope the info helps 🥰
I hope the info helps 🥰
@LuxuryMint I do the same thing as far as root rot prevention goes, lol. I almost lost one peace lily to root rot so my new huge one went right into terracotta, though this one is glazed on the outside (not the inside tho) to somewhat slow the moisture loss down. I'm not playing any games with this beauty, lol
WOW! Great info!!!!