wrote in message
...
I'm a man and a bachelor... so not a lot of knowledge
of plants and gardening

I have a small patio id like to 'class up" a bit by
using pots and plants

Question...many types of post to chose from. What is
best type and material for low maint pots and plants?

I'm thinking HARD plastic over the softer foam pots,
right?

I would also move these pots INSIDE my house in winter
and grow low care plants in winter as well. Peace
Lily's?

Anyway....advice on pots please?


Pot rules:

1) Big pots dry out faster than small pots. A 12" high pot will dry out
completely in the sun in about 4 hours. Know thyself. If you're gone at work
for 8 hours a day, many of your plants will suffer in small pots, so buy the
biggest you can manage. Up to your knees is about right, and keep them
watered.

2) Most plants want their roots cooler than their tops. Even if the pots did
NOT dry out, they still get quite warm. So, again, bigger is better, and
light colors are better than dark colors. Try and group the pots to shade
some of them, even if it means sticking a patio chair in front of the pots
on the warmest days.

3) Red clay pots look great, but they're porous, so they dry out more
quickly than materials like plastic. It's not always easy to find plastic
pots that don't look tacky. One nice alternative is the half barrels sold at
garden centers. They're big & unmanageable, and you wouldn't want them in
the house. Buy smaller pots to use only in the house.

4) Styrofoam: You're right. Forget it. Besides looking lousy, they get
damaged by garden tools.

Holy smokes! What did I say???? :-) Big pots dry out MORE SLOWLY than
small ones! Gotta stop doing 23 things at once here.

Also want pots that drain, otherwise they can get full of rain water.
I use plastic with holes in bottom that sit on a pot base.

"Frank" wrote in message
oups.com...
Also want pots that drain, otherwise they can get full of rain water.
I use plastic with holes in bottom that sit on a pot base.


The pots should also be round, square, or some other shape. I have
documentation to prove this.

I know it's silly but my wife keeps buying plastic pots for outside and
they do not drain. I have to drill holes in them to keep plants from
drowning
Frank

"Frank" wrote in message
oups.com...
I know it's silly but my wife keeps buying plastic pots for outside and
they do not drain. I have to drill holes in them to keep plants from
drowning
Frank


I know what you mean. Whoever designs those things should be severely
punished. Matter of fact, so should the knuckleheads who decide to stock
them in their stores. I can understand Home Despot being clueless, but not
real garden centers, and I see those pots there, too.

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...

"Frank" wrote in message
oups.com...
I know it's silly but my wife keeps buying plastic pots for outside and
they do not drain. I have to drill holes in them to keep plants from
drowning
Frank


I know what you mean. Whoever designs those things should be severely
punished. Matter of fact, so should the knuckleheads who decide to stock
them in their stores. I can understand Home Despot being clueless, but not
real garden centers, and I see those pots there, too.

Perhaps such pots should be considered as being intended for indoor use
where the amount of water they get can be strictly controlled. It's a bit
trickier than using pots with drainage holes and saucers but it certainly
can be done.

Jim

"Jim Voege" wrote in message
.. .
"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...

"Frank" wrote in message
oups.com...
I know it's silly but my wife keeps buying plastic pots for outside and
they do not drain. I have to drill holes in them to keep plants from
drowning
Frank


I know what you mean. Whoever designs those things should be severely
punished. Matter of fact, so should the knuckleheads who decide to stock
them in their stores. I can understand Home Despot being clueless, but
not real garden centers, and I see those pots there, too.

Perhaps such pots should be considered as being intended for indoor use
where the amount of water they get can be strictly controlled. It's a bit
trickier than using pots with drainage holes and saucers but it certainly
can be done.

Jim


Even indoor plants sometimes need their soil flushed heavily to dilute
mineral buildup. That's why drainage holes are still a good idea for them.

I don't like plastic pots either. Even though terra cotta pots are
porous, I think they look so much nicer and more natural. One of the
things I do, is to buy the matching terra cotta saucers for my pots.
This allows for a little water reservoir at the bottom. . .But you
probably already realize that!

Sacramento gets quite hot on some days in the summer. . .but for the
most part, the terra cotta pots have worked just fine.

Myrl Jeffcoat
http://www.myrljeffcoat.com

wrote in message
ups.com...
I don't like plastic pots either. Even though terra cotta pots are
porous, I think they look so much nicer and more natural. One of the
things I do, is to buy the matching terra cotta saucers for my pots.
This allows for a little water reservoir at the bottom. . .But you
probably already realize that!

Sacramento gets quite hot on some days in the summer. . .but for the
most part, the terra cotta pots have worked just fine.

Myrl Jeffcoat
http://www.myrljeffcoat.com



They work for you because they happen to be large enough to work with your
plants, the soil you're using in them, and the length of time during which
you can't be there to tend to them. This is why telling new gardeners
anything really specific isn't really possible. Just "go bigger". :-)

Yep!. . .The "go bigger" advice is definitely sage. I have an area
near a gazebo that I try to keep most of my potted plants. They are
blessed with the right about of sun exposure, etc. I also have an
automatic sprinkler system that waters them for me - even if I'm gone a
few days!

Myrl
http://www.myrljeffcoat.com

"Frank" wrote in message
oups.com...
I know it's silly but my wife keeps buying plastic pots for outside and
they do not drain. I have to drill holes in them to keep plants from
drowning

While drainage holes are generally needed there are plants where this really
isn't a concern. For example, I have on a number of occasions inadvertently
attempted to drown impatiens in pots without drainage holes. Never
succeeded.

Jim

"Jim Voege" wrote in message
.. .
"Frank" wrote in message
oups.com...
I know it's silly but my wife keeps buying plastic pots for outside and
they do not drain. I have to drill holes in them to keep plants from
drowning

While drainage holes are generally needed there are plants where this
really isn't a concern. For example, I have on a number of occasions
inadvertently attempted to drown impatiens in pots without drainage holes.
Never succeeded.

Jim


Huge pots can become interesting to move after a heavy rain if there are no
drain holes.

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...

"Jim Voege" wrote in message
.. .
"Frank" wrote in message
oups.com...
I know it's silly but my wife keeps buying plastic pots for outside and
they do not drain. I have to drill holes in them to keep plants from
drowning

While drainage holes are generally needed there are plants where this
really isn't a concern. For example, I have on a number of occasions
inadvertently attempted to drown impatiens in pots without drainage
holes. Never succeeded.

Jim


Huge pots can become interesting to move after a heavy rain if there are
no drain holes.

Good word, "interesting". :-)

Jim

"Frank" wrote in message
oups.com...
Also want pots that drain, otherwise they can get full of rain water.
I use plastic with holes in bottom that sit on a pot base.

Don't forget that if you want to take these plants indoors in the fall
you'll need to provide them with saucers to catch extra water.
Aesthetically then you'll probably want to buy matching pots and saucers at
the same time even if you're not using the saucers outdoors.

Jim