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andrea_menchio

Which pot size looks better

5 years ago


Taller planter than one below


plant sitting higher


Same pot as above just sotting lower in pot


Comments (44)

  • 5 years ago

    Honestly I think you need a wider pot. Yours don’t seem quite right to me.

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    You are wise to be troubled by the look of the pot and seek advice. But it is not the height that troubles your eye it is the width. This observation is in the pot to plant relationship.

    Andrea M thanked craljh
  • 5 years ago

    A wider pot? planning to of course fill the top with moss so it looks filled.

  • 5 years ago

    I like the second pot with the plant sitting lower.
    I see another pot in the last picture. Can you put it next to the other planter. At an angle a bit. I want to see how it would look with two in that corner.
    And then you can just fill it with faux or real plants. But nothing tall. Just boxwoods or those plants that hang over the sides....

  • PRO
    5 years ago

    Is it a real plant? If it's a real plant, you should be planting it according to it's needs.

    Andrea M thanked beesneeds
  • 5 years ago

    I like the tallest pot and agree: wider would look better❣️

    Andrea M thanked kculbers
  • PRO
    5 years ago

    IMO if that is a fake plant then no pot no plant. IMO you need a floor lamp or another end table and a table lamp in that space .

    Andrea M thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
  • 5 years ago

    Yes its a real plant just got him so he is a bit shocked. i usually keep all my plants in their nursery pots

  • 5 years ago

    And not dont decorating planning to get a lamp for the side table and probably a decorative bowl for coffee table etc

  • 5 years ago

    whichever makes you happiest.. and the heck with what other think ...


    interior design baffles me on some level ... for me functionality outweighs the opinions of others .. of course.... maybe thats why i dont have many friends ... and those i do have.. i dont invite over.. lol ... well.. i do to look at my garden .. not come sit in my house ...


    i do hope you are planning on a pot in pot system ...


    ken

    Andrea M thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
  • 5 years ago

    Hi! :) Love your new figgy, I actually like him higher in the pot... (more tree-like, if that's your aim) He'll perk up and look great. Good luck finishing up your decorating. 😊


    PS plants look beautiful to me no matter what pot they're in or how high or low they are, and they always bring life to a space.

    Andrea M thanked zazfuzzroc
  • 5 years ago

    Are you going to put this behind the couch, by the window?

    Andrea M thanked Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
  • 5 years ago

    no was planning to keep him in that corner

  • 5 years ago

    I'm sad for that figgy. They don't like corners! She needs to be in front of a bright window. Sorry, just the plant mom in me! :-)

    Andrea M thanked kulrn
  • 5 years ago

    It actually gets pretry good light as i also have a giant window in that room next to it. plus thats the afternoon sun and worried if its not a few feet back from the window it will burn the leaves

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    It does seem like it would get pretty good light there with your three windows. Plus, Houzz pictures you post can be very deceiving, because anytime you face the windows the picture is going to turn out darker than it actually is in the room.

    It looks to me like he'd be good where he is.

    Andrea M thanked zazfuzzroc
  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    It's certain you're not going to be happy unless you can keep the plant healthy. A plant just barely getting by will be poorly suited as a decoration, since it will lack the vibrancy/ healthy glow of a living thing dealing with cultural conditions squarely in it's sweet spot. Beesneeds, Tiffany, Kulrn, and I are all mentioning or alluding to the fact the plant will not be happy in its intended position. Where it naturally occurs, it's a high light plant which spends its youth fighting its way through the canopy to a full sun position, so how it looks today is the best it will ever look if you follow through with siting it where it only receives reflected light. Keep in mind the windows and screens reduce the amount of light passing through the windows by at least 50%, possibly more, depending on whether they are tinted and what sort of pyrolytic coatings might be on the glass. If you keep the blinds in that position, you're likely somewhere around 30% light transmission, the equivalent of deep, deep shade.

    A plant's LCP (light compensation point) is the point at which the amount of food/ energy the plant is making during photosynthesis is exactly equal to the amount of food/ energy it burns during respiration. This means the plant would be making just enough food/ energy to maintain its living parts with nothing left over to fuel growth. This is a dangerous place for a plant to be because its natural defenses against insect herbivory and disease pathogens are a byproduct of the rate of its metabolic processes. Ficus lyrata has a high LCP, and since there is no doubt it will be unable to meet it, the plant will quickly start shedding it's parts as a strategy for coping with the strain, which is far more serious than stress. Strain, uncorrected always ends in death of the organism.

    I know your question was about using a living plant and the pot as a decoration. That it is alive should pretty much shift focus to the well being of the plant. After all, the pot will remain exactly as it is interminably; whereas the plant is a reactive organism subject to the cultural limitations imposed by the grower.

    Shifting gears to appearance, tall thin plantings appear unstable to the eye (different than whether or not they actually ARE unstable), and the taller pot adds to the planting's visual instability. Several members have voiced a sense of uneasiness re the combination of plant and pot. A 4" increase in the shorter pot's diameter would go a long way toward eliminating the arrangement's o/a precarious appearance. For the sake of the plant, it would be best to make sure the top of the plant is below the level at which you intend to keep the blinds. Keeping them fully open during daylight hours would be best.

    Al

    Andrea M thanked tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
  • 5 years ago

    one last thought .... the tall thin pot.. will become unstable.. as the plant gains height .... so i would plan on a wider pot .. consistent with the future canopy of the plant ...


    i would fear the tall pot will tip over ... especially if you have dogs or children who like to mess with such ... or just such unbridled exuberance that its hard for them to contain it ...[and dont get me started on cats... lol ...]


    perhaps a problem for another day ... but i tend plan to plan ahead .. because the bigger a plant gets.. the harder it is to repot it ...


    ken

    Andrea M thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
  • 5 years ago

    Tapia's post is quite interesting; thanks for that information!


    I like the taller pot but either one works well if you plant the plant lower. The trunk of the tree looks best when it all shows because you have some symmetry between pot and trunk without it being match-y. (Choose the pot whose length is different from the length of the trunk, however.)


    I have a pot like that but I a Boston fern is going in it.

    Andrea M thanked Aphaea
  • 5 years ago

    Ivm have added a few other photos id my space and my other plants that with that lightinf and placing they are thrivingroving. ive had my kenya palm for 2 years and my snake plant for 1. i honestly do not think that lighting is an issue. i rotate my kenya palm and my new fiddle every morning. as i appreciate the concern i first select the placement then decide in the plant.



  • 5 years ago

    On another note the tall planter is cement so its very heavy so wont likley be tipping over. plus its not sitting very high i have something in the planter tk have it sit higher. was just asking for the visual look

  • 5 years ago

    Beautiful plants Andrea!

    @Tapla seems to know a lot more than I do about plants. I agree that figgy needs sun, but much easier for you to judge that amount of natural light in your own space.. photos don't always provide reality.. (that's what I meant to get across)

    Anyway, good luck... I love plants, so will be honest, and say that is what made me stop and look.. 😍

    At the moment, I have more plants than furniture... LOL

    (posted the pic for a laugh and to lighten things up... will remove later)😊

    Andrea M thanked zazfuzzroc
  • 5 years ago

    And btw, forgot to mention.. your home is beautiful, good luck moving forward.

    Andrea M thanked zazfuzzroc
  • 5 years ago

    Kentia palm and Sansevieria are both known for being practically bulletproof and for tolerating very dim sites, both attributes due to their extremely low LCP. The FLF has a high LCP. I wish you nothing but success; and I hope you'll follow up with some refreshed images next spring that prove me wrong. Best luck.

    Al

    Andrea M thanked tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
  • 5 years ago

    @zazfuzzroc thanks for sharing your jungle! k love plants. the fiddle leaf which i named Jacob 😅 is actually getting more light than my kenya palm is. as its much closer to the rays of the sun. but i think the reason that its not so much an issue with my kenya palm or snake is because that entire room well my entire house at that matter is very well lit. my door even has a large window which this is right when you open the door. if i didint care about that i would buy a fake one.

  • 5 years ago

    @tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a) i will most definitley do that! will see you next spring 😊

  • 5 years ago

    Holy Guacamole zazfuzz--- That photo is FANTASTIC!! Please don't remove it. I love it!! I aspire to it!

    Andrea M thanked User
  • 5 years ago

    Option 2 with the taller plant and shorter planter is the most attractive of the 3 options you presented imo.

    Andrea M thanked sunshine_31
  • 5 years ago

    Also wsnted to see how it looked sittinf a little taller on the first planter



  • 5 years ago

    Lol Andrea, you would laugh hysterically because that is not all of it. I am guessing I am between 300 and 400 plants..lol and not intentionally. I said I would stop...several times, but I really cannot! LOL I bought a new guy yesterday and going for 2 rex begonias today... I have to have them, beautiful leaves. :D

    Anyway, you're welcome.. and good luck with your plants, they are truly gorgeous and make your home even more beautiful and inviting. :)

    PS we just moved a bit over a year ago, to a new build, and I do love the natural light in here.. just as you have there...it's awesome and the plants love it.

    Andrea M thanked zazfuzzroc
  • 5 years ago

    @mimimomy, lol thank you.. I am glad to run into someone that loves my jungle as much as I do. I moved some to a shelf in my bedroom... and I really miss seeing them. lol Waiting for another shelf for my living room..so hopefully I can get them back in the living areas.. :)

    Andrea M thanked zazfuzzroc
  • PRO
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I like the taller pot with the plant either boosted in the pot or a taller plant so it's more tree-like.


    I have these trees in my home and weighted the base with a concrete paver to stabilize the plant because it was top-heavy. Make sure you add crumbled paper around the trunk of the tree and finish off with some type of moss.


  • 5 years ago

    Okay so decided on the taller pot and put one of those things to havw it sit highee on the pot. the trunk was not suppee stable so i made this thing out of cardboard and it stabalized it put spanish moss on top so would fill the empty space. so when it needs water will have to just lift the cardboard up. it would need a lot od spanish moss to fill it plus the caedboard stabalizes the trunk. thank you for all who gave your input! didint think i woukd get anyone to answer lol






  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Great ideas Andrea... :) Thanks for sharing.

    @Tiffany, Lol so funny.. yes, I will be sure to water for you.. and thank you for such a sweet and kind compliment. :) I'll leave the photo... as long as Andrea doesn't mind, don't want to take over her thread.

    The white couch.. no prob, slipcovers..so easily washed. No issue so far, but we never wear shoes in the house and keep eating to the kitchen/dining areas for the most part... crumb control. lol

    There are more than that...lol they are everywhere... I cannot wait for my new shelf to get here, I soooo hope it is not delayed...been waiting for a while.

    Andrea M thanked zazfuzzroc
  • 5 years ago

    @zazfuzzroc please leave it up! and goinv to follow you so i can see when u put new shelves up! do a thread of your jungle 😍

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I like a taller pot so the top of it is window sill height -- or a shorter pot on a stand to get the same effect. In my experience, the taller the pot the more likely to enable the plant to grow to be closer to as tall as it can get ... so consider that and what plants you will be planting as well. A straight pot or at least one with a wider base is usually less of a tip over risk. A wider pot can give a plant such as snake plants -- tubers or bulbs -- more room to grow and reproduce within the pot.

    Andrea M thanked suezbell
  • 5 years ago

    Lol Andrea, alright..as long as it's okay with you, I'll leave it up. :)

    I do have a thread here though, a long one..lol I can talk. ha ha It was a kitchen dilemma in my last house, and it just continued there...and now it continues in our new house. Lots of plant talk.. and whatever else comes up. :) You are welcome to pop in there if you want. My shelves were due to ship tomorrow.. I am going to check tonight..I hope there's no delay. It's getting a bit runway in here with all the plants..lol

    Andrea M thanked zazfuzzroc
  • 5 years ago

    So I decided to try a different planter 🤣 wider and hell the ones you mentioned wider were so right!!!! Added pics and used the other one for my palm

  • 5 years ago

    Andrea M looks great❣️I like your dining room chairs, they look very comfy!

  • 5 years ago

    That rounded pot softens up all the geometric lines. Looks good.

  • 5 years ago

    Magnificent! Good eye.

  • 5 years ago

    @kculbers thank you. @katrina_ellen I feel it def softness things up and the wider pot does look better! I just didn’t want to buy another pot until I saw it then I was like what the heck let’s just see how this looks 😂.

  • 5 years ago

    super.. looks like it will have less of a proclivity to tipping over as the plant get bigger ...


    and the palm will probably be more suited to upward growth ... in the thinner pot ...


    ken

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