7 Things to Consider When Selecting Pots for Your Plants

10-minute read

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Imagine you just bought your first house plant and have decided you are going to give your green thumb a try. After carefully inspecting your new house plant, you find when you pick it up its roots are growing out of the bottom of the plastic pot it came in. You are correct to think you need a new pot for your house plant. Here are 7 things to consider when selecting pots for your plants.

It is best to go ahead and repot your plant within the first 24-48 hours (about 2 days) after purchase for a couple of reasons. To check for root health and pest infestations. Also, most of the time the plant is in its original nursery pot and has become root bound.

I had always repotted my plants within the first 24-48 hours after purchase, however, most of the plants are purchases from either big box stores or my favorite local plant nursery. This being said I have recently been purchasing mail ordered plants and have found it is better to repot them a little later (1-2 weeks), so they have a chance to settle in first.

I am not sure if you have been overwhelmed with the massive selection of pots available in the past few years, but I sure was when I first started shopping for pots, and the selection continues to grow.

So, what pot do you choose? Becoming a new plant parent, you want to make the right choices for the survival of your new house plant. But you may also be seeking something trendy or that fits in with your home decor. Here are some things to take into consideration when selecting pots for your house plants:

Size
Season
Plant type
Shape and Material
Function
Color
Home Decor

Size

Most of the time pots for house plants are measured in inches. I have pots in a variety of sizes ranging from 2” (tiny pots for baby succulents, seedling starts, and miniature plants) up to 16” pots. I recently purchased a 16” for Marcel my Banana Leaf Tree.

A few rules apply when selecting the right size of pots like what size is the plant currently in?

How to measure a pot to find the correct size. Pot sizes are measured from the widest point across the top of the pot. Take a tape measure or ruler and measure across the center of the top of the pot.

Pot sizes normally move up in 2-inch increments. For example, if your plant is in a 2” pot you will want to go up a pot size to a 4”, if in a 4” go up to a 6”. Most plants will fit comfortably in the next size up.

Though I have been seeing more 3” and 5” pots available recently, which is great! Here are pots 2, 4, 6, and 8 inches.

You can sometimes go up 2 sizes (for example going from 2” to 6”), it is safe to do so if the plant's foliage is about as tall as the pot it is going into. Also, be sure your plant has a strong and healthy root system.

Here is an example:

My Rosemary plant was in a 4” pot at the time of purchase, her foliage is about 7 inches in height, so I chose to repot her into an 8-inch-deep pot. However, the pot I chose is taller than it is wider. Rosemary seems to do better in a pot that is as deep as its foliage is tall.

Other times this rule applies is having a top-heavy plant. Snake plants are a good example of this. The roots on a snake plant are tiny compared to its thick heavy leaves. The reason being is snake plants are succulent-like plants that hold water in their leaves. In this case, you will need a larger pot to help stabilize the plant.

Also, inspect the root system of the plant. If your plant has a very well-established root system moving up at least one pot size or even two sizes is ideal. Another thing to take into consideration is the time of year.

Season

If the plant is going into its growing season from May through October, for most plants, you may opt for the 2 sizes larger pot since the plant is going to grow a lot over the next few months. If you only go one size up, you may have to repot again at the end of the growing season.

Which is not the end of the world, but the less times you repot your plant the better. Repotting is stressful for plants.

However, if you have purchased your plant in wintertime or during the plant’s normal rest period, the plant will be best repotted in one size up.

Plant Type

Let us get technical here and research the type of plant you have and find out how its root system works in its natural habitat. Plants thrive most in environments most like their natural environment. Here are a couple of examples of times you will want to research further.

A good example of when pot sizes vary from the norm to better suit the plant's natural habitat needs.

Phalaenopsis Orchids are epiphytes, meaning they grow on a host plant, most of the time trees and grow aerial roots that can get as big as their stems. These plants love being root-bound, meaning they prefer to fit a little tight in their pots because their aerial roots grow up and out of the pot anyway.

Only go one pot size up with Orchids after purchasing, if it needs a repot. I have found with Orchids, sometimes they don’t even need to be repotted. When I bring home an Orchid, I normally will take the plant out and check its roots, if the roots look healthy, I do not do anything. If the roots are not healthy looking, I will remove the Orchid from its pot and cut off any problem roots, then pot it back up in the same pot.

Also, if you have ever seen the root system of most succulents you know they are tiny. Consider purchasing shallow pots for succulents. Shallow pots come in all the same pot sizes as other pots 2” and moving up in 2” increments, but they are about half the depth of other pots.

The purpose of shallow pots is to help prevent root rot, which is what happens to a plants’ roots when left in soggy soil. That is why planting succulents in shallower pots is a clever idea to help prevent this.

Best practices when choosing a pot size are selecting one to two sizes larger than the size of the pot it is purchased in. Consider the time of year, will the plant be growing rapidly over the next few months, if so go up 2 sizes and just be careful when watering.

Now that you know what size of pot you need, what shape is appropriate for your plant.

Shape and Material

Air Pots

There are many different shapes of pots to consider. Air pots are a good option. These pots are designed to help keep the plants' roots from growing in the round pattern they form in standard pots that causes them to become root bound.

Air pots aid in keeping pots from becoming root bound. The flaw with air pots is they are not very aesthetically pleasing. However, you can place them inside a decorative pot, or woven baskets work well. This look is trendy.

*This is such a stunning air pot. Click on it for the Amazon link.*

Orchid pots

You can find pots made specifically for Orchid plants. These pots look like this.

And more recently I have seen these types of Orchid pots. I like that they have made these pots more aesthetic.

Terrariums

These are exceedingly popular as well. These are glass and come in different shapes and sizes. Miniature plants, air plants, and succulents do well in these. More on terrariums in a future post of mine.

Plastic vs. Terra Cotta

Plastic pots are better for plants that need more humidity or can survive higher levels of humidity. Tropical plants are a good example because these plants love humidity. The reason plastic is better suited is that plastic retains water longer than terra cotta, because it is not porous like terra cotta.

Terra Cotta pots, on the other hand, are excellent for cactus and succulents, because they do not retain moisture for long. These pots dry out quickly, therefore; if you do place tropical plants in them, it is ok, but you must remember to water more frequently. Always remember to research the watering needs for your plant type.

Best balance

Here is what I have currently been doing for my plants and it works well. Buy these clear plastic pots here. They are inexpensive and versatile. I like that you can see the moisture level and the root health of your plants through these clear pots. I also love that they are very affordable, especially since I have a lot of plants. Buying pots for a lot of plants can get expensive really quick.

These pots also can be set down inside a larger, more decorated pot for display. Placing your clear pots into larger more study pots like clay, terracotta, etc. is an effective way to keep your house plants more stable.

Function

A pot's function is simple but important! Here are 3 examples of how pots function:

A good drainage system

Pots need to have a drainage function. The simplest is just a hole in the bottom of the pot.

Ok, l will share a little secret here. I did not know, for a long time, that plastic pots have a place to punch out holes for drainage in the bottoms. The reason I am sharing this secret is two-fold.

For one, I know this is useful information to someone out there?? Hello, anyone? Ok, you do not have to admit that you did not know it either. Your secret is safe with me.

And two, some plastic pots do not have these punch out templates readily available. If the pot does not you will have to form another way for the water to drain.

Place a self-water wicking plate in the pot’s bottom like this one here, it functions like a strainer allowing the water to run out from under the soil. Or you can take an electric drill and punch more holes in the bottom of a plastic pot easily.

If you do not want to put holes in your pot, then use one of the plastic pots like suggested above and then place it down inside of your plastic decorative pot.

Self-watering Wicks

*This is my quick and budget friendly way to create self-watering pots for my baby plants.*

These are good tools for watering your plant. The wick is corded cotton. Place one end in the soil and the other through the drain hole. Put the bottom end of the wick in water and it will water your plant. This function is good for African Violets.

African Violets do better when watered from the bottom of the pot to avoid getting their fuzzy leaves wet. They also like to dry out quickly, that is why letting their roots and the help of the wick do the watering to prevent overwatering them works well. Read more about caring for African Violets here.

Self-watering pots

Self-watering pots allow the plant to soak the water from the bottom of the pot through their roots. They work very well for plant parents that tend to forget to water. Once you feel the outer pot up the water level will show max, this amount normally lasts up to 2 weeks.

They also aid with plants that have suffered trauma, such as improper watering or wilting from too much sunlight. The only flaw I have found, so far, is the roots of my plants are growing down through to the water. I do not know if this is really a flaw, but it could be prevented with the use of a wick.

Color

When the Color of the Pot Matters

Color really does not matter most of the time. There are some circumstances when the color of the pot does matter. If you put your plants outside in summertime color can matter, because darker-colored pots, like black and navy, heat the soil to higher temperatures than white and lighter shades do. You will want to take this into consideration if the plant is heat sensitive.

Most plants can withstand temperatures up to 90 degrees without suffering any heat distress. Leaves will start to wilt if the plant gets too hot. It is ideal to consider lighter colored pots for patio and deck planters, also for your plants going out into the summer temperatures. If you do decide to plant in a darker color, be sure that you can move or find a way to shade your plant in the hottest part of the day.

Home Décor

A lot of times when you purchase a plant you have a vision for it. You may want to start a small kitchen herb garden, you may want to hang a few plants in front of your windows, or you want to decorate for the holidays with traditional plants.

Researching your plants' needs is essential. There are so many articles on Pinterest and Google to research diverse ways to display plants in your home. Finding aesthetically pleasing pots for your plants is the best way of using plants for home decor.

What pot is right for you and your plant?

shop pots

Determine the correct size, shape, and material for your plant. Research the type of plant you have and what its specific needs are. Remember if you are placing it outdoors color may play a factor. And of course, your vision for your plant and how you will display it is important.

I hope this has helped inspire you to choose the right pots for your plants!