Anything should grow in a clay pot. Can you describe what care you give them? Maybe it's just not enough water or fertilizer. Or the wrong plant for the amount of sun. Could be many things.

Another good answer to your problem is to have the plant in a plastic pot slipped down into your clay pot. I love the look of the clay pot but with the heat of summer the clay pots just plain suck all the moisture out of the soil. Having the plants in plastic pots creates a barrier between the attractive but water starved clay. It is easier with at least an 8" pot also but you will have no problem by using the plastic pots inside the clay pots. Have a great week!

In addition to the above good advice, I advise NOT using straight potting soil - it dries out at the drop of a hat. Instead, mix in some good quality top soil or good, loamy soil from your garden. A good ratio is approx. 1/3 garden soil to 2/3 potting soil. It makes a *BIG* difference in terms of water retention. I've been doing this for many years with all my potted plants, and while clay is still going to dry out faster than non-natural materials, it does cut down a lot on the watering.

Also agree - can grow anything in clay, and clay is actually better for root growth because the root run stays cooler.

I particularly love geranium in clay pots.

i gave up on clay pots decades ago ....

the clay wicks water out of the potting medium ....

either move to plastic pots... or find plastic pots that fit inside the clay pots .. to put a buffer in between ...

yeah.. i know.. many succeed with them.. i just wasn't up for the battle ...

i have about 100 clay pots in the polebarn.. if anyone wants them.. lol ...

ken

PS: break them up for drainage in the bottom of the plastic pot ...

PPS: experimentation is the best way to learn .. take each suggestion above... and try .. say.. 2 plastic.. two with soil mixed in the media ... etc ... take notes.. and then next year.. you will know which system works best for you.. on your steps.. in your garden ... with the plants you choose

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I'll take all your ideas and see if I can't grow some beautiful pots of flowers on my steps this year.

hi! just stumbled upon this forum/thread...i'm gonna find all the others helpful too..I also love gardening and i tend to a number of flowering plants of my own.
And they are all on our rooftop so they're all inevitably in pots.
I use both clay and plastic pots. Yeah, plastic pots retain the water better than clay pots. But if you're gonna use them be sure to put holes on the bottom of the plastic pot or on the bottom sides so as not to drain the soil together with the water.
Yes,clay pots are cooler. But they also absorb water.
Among my potted flowering plants are euphorbias, which do not need much watering, and chichiricas, a year-round flowering plant.
Do visit my site: http://liquidgold.wordpress.com/buyfloweringplants/
I am also interested in designing pots :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Cheap Flowering Plants

liquidgold, advertising is not allowed in the gardenweb.

ozziesgirl, I truly expect that the problem is due to under-watering, don't you? I happen to believe that clay containers and a very porous planting mix (no soil, which can really slow drainage down) are the best way to treat container plants, but I am prepared to water frequently and thoroughly. Our container plants like nothing better than fresh, oxygenated water. Healthy, vigorous root systems require oxygen just as much as they do water. Frequent drenching (as well as a very porous mix) provides both.

The frequency of watering depends upon the size of your containers in relation to the size of your plants. Among other things. They may need watering as much as once a day. I have several bonsai that I have to water a couple of times a day in the heat of the summer.

Geraniums and petunias both require frequent deadheading and regular fertilization in order to maintain their full blooming status. But, I'm sure you know that.

Whatever helpful hint that you try, I sure hope that you find something that works for you, as that's the most important thing. We all learn by our failures, as well as our successes. And there can be lots of failures in the gardening world, lol.

You can also add water retention crystals. The one I bought is called Water-sorb. Now IÂm putting that in all my pots, especially hanging baskets (I do have about 20 hanging baskets and as many pots on my deck and porch!). Cut the watering down by half.

I had big clay pots on my front porch too. I found the baking heat on the concrete fried almost everything. I switched to the lightweight foam pots and everything worked better. I actually haul mine in to overwinter: they are not too heavy to handle and these are probably 16" in diameter. The geraniums in there are at least 5 years old now and are huge, as are the purple sweet potato vines. . Plus the spikes are easily 2 feet tall: very dramatic.