Another Silly Thought Re- Plant Pots!

[Bigmallly]

Was just looking at some large plant pots (FB Size) & wondered why they taper to the bottom when surely if used for a single plant the would benefit from tapering out at the bottom to allow for more root growth. I understand 3" pots need to be tapered down to allow you to tap them out. Do you think I need a Psychiatrist?...................................Don't answer that.............

[Lumpy]

How about a hobby BM?

I have heard gardening is very good for you!

[Jay-ell]

If you grow a large plant in a pot you may need to prune the roots so take it out the pot from time to time.

[WendyC]

I've a couple of urn shaped pots, which effectively taper out, before going in again. All I can say it that they are a pain to empty, especially with a dense rootball.

[mothhawk]

I try to get large pots that have sides as vertical as possible, to make them more stable. They are not IMO as aesthetically pleasing to look at though. There are pretty pots on the market, but the bottoms are often half the size of the tops and I worry that they will tip over.

Wider at the bottom?

You'd struggle to get a potbound plant out without damage.

[Jay-ell]

there is also a logistics reason. Its cheaper to transport a load of pots which fit inside of each other rather than those which dont

[Bigmallly]

there is also a logistics reason. Its cheaper to transport a load of pots which fit inside of each other rather than those which dont

I had also thought of that and came to the conclusion that's the only reason for them to be the shape they are.

[Jay-ell]

Another reason may be the original manufacturing process. When they were massed produced in clay rather than being hand thrown they would be moulded as it required unskilled labour and could make alot of uniform pots quickly, each using a precise amount of clay.

They had to be of a design that could me made in a mould easily. the shape they are means that the central part of the mould comes away from the inside of the pot and the pot comes away from the outside of the mould.

[SusieG]

Wider at the bottom? [URL=http://www.sherv.net/][/URL.[/QUOTE]

^^^^ wider at the bottom, sounds a bit like me Mothhawk!!! ^^^^

[SusieG]

Whilst we're on subject of pots, is there a reason for choosing the 'terracotta' colour, black or green ....???

[Bigmallly]

I think they should be a mud coloured one.

[Bren In Pots]

Does anyone use square pots? I've got half a dozen of them and to me they just feel wrong. Mind you it did take me ages to get used to plastic pots but they're cheaper to buy than terracotta so thats what I use now.

[Jay-ell]

Does anyone use square pots? I've got half a dozen of them and to me they just feel wrong. Mind you it did take me ages to get used to plastic pots but they're cheaper to buy than terracotta so thats what I use now.

I used them before I discovered MFBs for toms - I could pack em side to side down the side of the blowaway and have more soil per pot than round pots

[Jungle Jane]

If you grow a large plant in a pot you may need to prune the roots so take it out the pot from time to time.

This happened to a plant/tree my dad was growing in a 50cm ceramic pot (grey!) water wasn't draining out & there was a puddle on top,so we tipped it on it's side & the root was blocking the hole,I don't think we got it out the pot that day,it was really stuck in there. It could still be stuck in there?

[lottie dolly]

Wider at the bottom? [URL=http://www.sherv.net/][/URL.

^^^^ wider at the bottom, sounds a bit like me Mothhawk!!! ^^^^[/QUOTE]

and me