Monday, May 15, 2006
Growing Cacti - Flower Pots.
Most people who grow succulents and cactus plants in flower pots believe that the clay pot works better than plastic ones. This is more a matter of personal preference and what works best for each individuals plant care giving habits. Use plastic, plain clay or glazed clay pots, as long as there is a hole in the bottom for water drainage. Whether you decide to use clay or plastic it is important that the roots never soak for long periods of time in standing water, so avoid leaving standing water in a dish under the flower any pots.
Size matters to the root system of any potted plant, and it is important that roots have room to grow. In most cases it is more important to leave some space for the roots to grow than it is to try and keep the pot size small. It's true that a smaller pot will dry out more quickly, but if the roots are stressed by being too confined it will cause the plant to be at risk for a deadly fungal infection. There are a few species which need to be pot bound because they specialize in growing in the tight spaces of rock cracks in nature, but most varieties are better off without compressed root systems.
