Many growers prefer plastic for a wide variety of reasons not related to what the plant prefers, and those reasons are perfectly legitimate choices; but, if plants could make choices, they would choose the unglazed clay (terra cotta) pots that are cooler when it's hot and allow gas exchange through the permeable walls. Unglazed clay also helps to reduce the ill effects of excessive water retention because water evaporates from the soil faster through permeable walls than pots made of impermeable materials.

Al

I replace them because they crack and break. Different sizes and plants... Alyssum, geraniums, stock, begonias, sweet potato vine, etc. My mind is too worn out to think of more right now, but all smaller plants like this.

Some plastic pots I have now the outer colored layer is peeling off and breaking away.

I recently moved to Florida where I was warned about plastic pots because of the heat and sun. I brought my large container plants with me. I had plastic pots which feel like Styrofoam plastic but are thick. Can't really describe them. They have lasted in NY for over 10 years and I have recently repotted plants into them in Florida. So far, so good.They are over 15 years old and still intact. I reuse them still.

I tried finding them again and haven't had luck. They are marked 'Thermo-lite' and made in Ohio. I tried Googling them but I believe they are no longer made. They are fantastic, last forever and I feel insulate the roots from the heat and are very light. No cracks.

I have other large plastic pots, all are thick. They have lasted for years. You have to buy pots which are thick. Thin plastic doesn't last long.

Jane

Here are two of my pots. The first one, the terra cotta looking pot, I've had for a few years now, but it cracked after a year or so. The blue one I just got last year and have 2 or 3 of them which are all peeling, but not as badly as this one.

My Blooms · More Info

My Blooms · More Info

If you're leaving them outdoors all winter, or in a spot where they can freeze, you can attribute the cracking to that practice. .... can't speak to the peeling - bad paint:substrate match-up, I'd guess (incompatible).

Al

jane-ny, I have lived in the south for 27 years. I've always used plastic pots. They last several years for me. I avoid white plastic pots. The sun eats them up in one year. I prefer Lerio pots if I can find them. I get all of pots from the local dump or curbside or even a landscaper.

ZZ - some plastics have photo-inhibitors that make plastic resistant to the sun's harmful rays. Plastics that lack those inhibitors break down much faster relative to those with inhibitors. Generally speaking, because white pots reflect more light than any other color, they would be more resistant to photo-degradation and help keep the soil/root mass cooler - especially in direct sun.

I bought 36 white pots from the dollar store and nested 2 pots together so they were opaque - I didn't want sunlight turning to heat when it passed through the slightly translucent pots and hit the soil. At the years end, when I tried to lift the pots by the lip, the lip of the outer pots disintegrated, but the inner pot was fine because of the reduced photo load due to shading of the outer pot. I thought it was a good idea at the time, but it turned out to be more of a h/a than anything.

Al

I've never bought a pot. All of mine are used. So I don't know how old they were to start with. White and yellow are the ones I avoid.

Took a picture of the pots I was talking about. I can't find them anymore. They are old (15+ years). Very light and feel like stryrofoam. I have grown so many large plants in them.

This shows how thick they are, but almost air filled.

Here's the name on the bottom of the above pots. I would love to find out if anyone makes them anymore. They are a worthwhile investment and I would buy a bunch more.

I recently put a large Pachira tree in a pot I found in Walmart. Have no idea if it will hold up but it was thick so I'm hoping it does.

I really think you need to shop around for pots. I love clay for smaller plants, but the big guys really need plastic so I can move them around. I don't want to repot the large plants each year so I try to find plastic which is thick and should give me at least 3 years.

Jane

ZZ - I guess the point I was trying to make is avoiding white or yellow pots because they fell apart is like avoiding blue cars because you had 2 in a row that had transmission failures at low mileage. If you had discovered a high quality white/yellow pot with photo-inhibitors in the plastic, they might well be your favorites. Just sayin ....

Al

Hi JRDPA. Just wanted to say hi to a fellow Pgh gardener.

Every fall I empty my outdoor clay pots and store them in the shed and back porch. Otherwise in winter they can crack especially with soil in them.