We all love decorating our balcony with beautiful plants. Beautiful flowers and plants make us feel fresh and happy. For home gardening, choosing the correct type of plant is very important. But choosing the right pot or container is even more important for me. Is the shape of pots important for plants? I’m gonna answer this question and explain to you why.
Many of you may think that the shape of the pot doesn’t matter and what matters is the size. But in reality shape of the pot matters especially when you are putting it on your balcony. The shape will decide whether it is going to stay stable in heavy wind or not.
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Is the Shape of Pots Important for plants?
No, the shape of pots is not that important for plants, especially if it has enough space for the root system. Plants can grow in any cylindrical, spherical, conical, or even in square pot or containers. It is the size of the pot that actually matters for growth. The Space or room for root development is the actual concern for the plant.
The shape of pots matters only for humans Coz we want it to be beautiful and attractive. Plants need proper care, water, and soil, that’s it. If you’ll ask me, I would always say “No”. Plants don’t need any particular shape to grow.
But, as a garden enthusiast, I think the shape of a pot matters a lot for us. For home gardening, you grow mainly small plants. You want to decorate it on the boundary walls or you want something to hang. Here comes the problem- pots on high walls or hanging pots have to go through some tough climatic conditions.
The speedy wind is one of the toughest problems for plants, especially on a high balcony. If you don’t choose the right shape, it can flip over and I’m sure you don’t want that.
Technically the shape of pots is important for the look and decor. But it isn’t so important for plants. You should choose shapes with straight sides. Like cylinder or square pots are more stable than the round or cone-like traditional pots.
The case is of course not the same for hanging pots. Hanging pots are available in all shapes and mainly round base pots. For hanging baskets, I recommend using a narrow base or shapes like a cone.
Also Read: How to make potting soil for indoor plants?
Myths about Shapes of Pots
The biggest myth about certain pot shape, It will not fit the plant. Is it true, no certainly not? In fact, the best part about container gardening is that plant have their own understanding to acquire the available space. The root system will cover as much space as it can to support its growth.
The second myth, Round, square pots are better than Conical pots. This assumption is true but not completely. Actually, A flatbed container is good for green leafy vegetables whereas conical pots are good for flowers and fruits. The root system for every plant is different. They have specific requirements and their priority for pots is proper space. If space is enough for the roots then the plant will grow and survive easily in the container.
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Choosing Pots according to its Shape
Choose square or cylindrical pots for the balcony to avoid tipping over. Use small lightweight plants and small pots for hanging purposes.
Pots with flat bases are better for hanging purposes. They provide more stability and avoid swinging in heavy wind. A hanging basket is the best choice for the balcony. It can support plants like creepers, succulents, small flowering plants like portulacas and petunias, and many more. These pots are really very easy to handle and maintain.
Apart from the stability, the shape of the pots is important for the decor. It should always look attractive and beautiful for plants. The Unique attractive shape of any pot is a complement to your home and garden decor. It should fulfill the sole purpose of beauty with the support for plant growth.
Importance of Shape for Certain Plants
I know the shape of the pot is not very important for the plant itself. Despite this fact, I would recommend avoiding certain shapes for specific plants. Technically this is not for the growth but for the convenience of growing these plants.
- Never use pots with abstract shape fr root vegetables. The best shape is conical or cylindrical for taproot development. So if you plan to grow radish then choose a grow bag instead.
- Avoid conical pots for hanging purposes. It will be difficult and certainly not so convenient to work around with a hanging conical pot. Moreover, the growth of plants will be the same and the extra depth will increase the weight. This is not a comfortable situation for the gardener to care for a plant hanging with a heavy pot. Instead, you can use a flat base basket for convenience.
- Avoid round spherical pots for fruits or vegetables. Again this is for convenience. Fruit or vegetable plants need regular caring. The soil needs to be tilled and fertilized at regular intervals. All these tasks will be uncomfortable with a spherical pot. Square or conical pots are best for growing fruits and vegetables.
- Avoid thin cylindrical or conical pots for creepers. They need more contact surface than other plants. It is always good to use flat and wide base containers for creepers and vines.
- You may like this also: What is the difference between Terracotta and Clay pots?
Final Words
I know some of you will agree and some don’t. But for me, It is really important to choose a unique, effective, and proper sized pot for my plants. I’m not an expert, These are just my experience and sometimes I might be wrong. So please let me know what you think about- Is the Shape of pots Important for plants? I will definitely update If I found something interesting about this topic.
Till then Keep Reading Keep gardening!