On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 08:24:31 +0100, Chris ] wrote:

Why do plant pots have a wide bit at the top?
Why not just a straight taper from the bottom to the top?

I assumed it prevented the top of the pot flexing too much. Not so
true for clay pots but with the plastic pots they would flex in any
direction they could and so break quicker.

JB

"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...
Why do plant pots have a wide bit at the top?
Why not just a straight taper from the bottom to the top?
--
Chris


Possibly;

To give people a fill line for compost, to allow for watering,

Maybe to increase the volume of water that can be fitted in the top of the
pot.

Maybe for stuctural reasons - it makes the pot more rigid having a little
lip

Perhaps someone just thought it looked better!?


Thats the best i can do at this time in the morning.

Colin

In message , Colin
writes

"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...
Why do plant pots have a wide bit at the top?
Why not just a straight taper from the bottom to the top?

Could it be to help in stacking them?
Allow them to nest together but still give you a lip to get hold of to
separate them more easily.
--
Sue Begg
Remove my clothes to reply

Do not mess in the affairs of dragons - for
you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 08:24:31 +0100, Chris wrote:

Why do plant pots have a wide bit at the top?
Why not just a straight taper from the bottom to the top?

So you can stack them, without the sides and/or base being damaged?

--
Tim C.

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 10:41:19 +0200, Tim Challenger wrote:

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 08:24:31 +0100, Chris wrote:

Why do plant pots have a wide bit at the top?
Why not just a straight taper from the bottom to the top?

So you can stack them, without the sides and/or base being damaged?

Um, It also stops the pots jamming together as much.

--
Tim C.

Hi,

I always thought it was to limit the chances of the terracotta cracking when
the soil inside freezes during inclement weather. The frozen soil is forced
up and therefore does not exert to much pressure on the off vertical sides.

Chris
Essex, Obviously

"Tim Challenger" wrote in message
news:1113468216.a93dda39083d0d14ab10be059c64b1ea@t eranews...
On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 10:41:19 +0200, Tim Challenger wrote:

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 08:24:31 +0100, Chris wrote:

Why do plant pots have a wide bit at the top?
Why not just a straight taper from the bottom to the top?

So you can stack them, without the sides and/or base being damaged?

Um, It also stops the pots jamming together as much.

--
Tim C.

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 09:48:07 GMT, news wrote:

Hi,

I always thought it was to limit the chances of the terracotta cracking when
the soil inside freezes during inclement weather. The frozen soil is forced
up and therefore does not exert to much pressure on the off vertical sides.

Sure, any sloping-side will do for that.
The OP was asking about the thickened ring around the top lip, not what are
pots tapered. As I understood it.

--
Tim C.

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 08:24:31 +0100, Chris ] wrote:

Why do plant pots have a wide bit at the top?
Why not just a straight taper from the bottom to the top?

The worst sort of pots in my experience are the ones with a
curled-over rim which is a wonderful hiding place for small snails and
adult vine-weevil.

Pam in Bristol

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 08:24:31 +0100, Chris ] wrote:

Why do plant pots have a wide bit at the top?
Why not just a straight taper from the bottom to the top?

The worst sort of pots in my experience are the ones with a
curled-over rim which is a wonderful hiding place for small snails and
adult vine-weevil.
Pam in Bristol

And even worse are round sided pots that are fattest in the middle.
It's a nightmare trying to repot from those!
Jenny

"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...
Why do plant pots have a wide bit at the top?
Why not just a straight taper from the bottom to the top?

The 'step' provides extra strength.

--
ned

http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk
last update 09.04.2005

ned wrote:

"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...
Why do plant pots have a wide bit at the top?
Why not just a straight taper from the bottom to the top?

The 'step' provides extra strength.

That is possibly true for plastic pots, that rim strenghtens the whole
structure, but it's definitely not true for ceramic pots.

The wider section at the top is to aid "nesting" of stacked pots. Each pot
sits on the internal shoulder of the next.
Without this facility it would be very difficult to separate pots with a
straight taper because the touching surfaces would create a "fusing" action
or adhesion effect.
Some plastic seed trays have this problem.......often cheep ones !


"griz" wrote in message
...
ned wrote:

"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...
Why do plant pots have a wide bit at the top?
Why not just a straight taper from the bottom to the top?

The 'step' provides extra strength.

That is possibly true for plastic pots, that rim strenghtens the whole
structure, but it's definitely not true for ceramic pots.

If they were wider at the base they would be more stable wouldn't they?
Especially the larger ones. They would still stack too.....just the other
way round. I think.

Sue

--
Derby, England.

Don't try to email me using "REPLY" as the email address is NoSpam. Our
email address is "thewoodies2 at ntlworld dot com"


"vsop" wrote in message
...
The wider section at the top is to aid "nesting" of stacked pots. Each pot
sits on the internal shoulder of the next.
Without this facility it would be very difficult to separate pots with a
straight taper because the touching surfaces would create a "fusing"
action or adhesion effect.
Some plastic seed trays have this problem.......often cheep ones !


"griz" wrote in message
...
ned wrote:

"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...
Why do plant pots have a wide bit at the top?
Why not just a straight taper from the bottom to the top?

The 'step' provides extra strength.

That is possibly true for plastic pots, that rim strenghtens the whole
structure, but it's definitely not true for ceramic pots.

In article , Sue
writes
If they were wider at the base they would be more stable wouldn't they?
Especially the larger ones. They would still stack too.....just the other
way round. I think.

You mean like

/ \
/ \
/______\

?

How would you get the plants out?
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...
Why do plant pots have a wide bit at the top?

Because having a narrow bit at the top would make it hard to fill them with
potting compost.

Next question!

--
Brian
"Anyway, if you have been, thanks for listening."